Hello Fellow Medical Affairs Colleagues!
The next MSL Society annual conference is nearly here and it’s a BIG one with the 10th Anniversary program! Get ready for an incredible conference with great networking and learning in Vegas!
I hope everyone is enjoying the summer months whether it’s hot beach weather or cold in the southern hemisphere! Moving out west at the start of the pandemic certainly has been a big change for me and my family, yet many changes have been surprisingly wonderful, such as more time outdoors to hike, explore beautiful national parks and enjoy the pacific coast beaches! In all times of change, it’s important to look for the good that comes in small and big ways. As we move back to more in-person meetings again in the face of the recent pandemic, change is constant and we stay vigilant in the event covid or other public health concerns arise. All of these needs impact us as individuals, family members, employees, and with those we engage such as clinicians, researchers, and organizations.
Rising above challenges, being adaptable, flexible, and seeking novel ways to manage change is part of our core field medical and leadership capabilities. Medical Affairs is evolving and the skills of today will need to adjust and adapt to the needs of tomorrow. Some areas to consider include expanding focus on health equity and the field medical role to support areas that are underserved; we always keep patients front and center in what we do to improve patient outcomes. Digital everything is all around us from novel apps and platforms to more focus on data analytics and operational needs to assess what we deliver to our organizations, the impact, and value as well as how we can leverage those areas. We all experience a faster pace with more information coming to us, higher expectations to act on the information we receive, and doing everything more rapidly; it goes without saying that quality needs to come before speed; we cannot neglect the need to assure what and how we deliver value is the best we can bring to our KOLs and stakeholders. There has been a growing demand for field medical affairs and leaders who are ready for the challenges today and poised to meet the demands of this role as we move into the future! Keep growing and do not stop investing in your development to maintain your competitive edge! Don’t forget to pay it forward when it comes to mentoring and helping others in your profession grow, as well.
I hope that the variety of articles in this edition will give everyone more food for thought to consider how your skills need to expand and grow with new ideas, enhanced competencies, and unique approaches to consider in your current role. This edition spans topics from tips for those aspiring to enter the MSL role and how covid has forever shaped the field of medical role to focus on AI for insights, meeting needs in real-time, and how to stay up to date with drug development discovery. The theme for this edition is Medical Affairs Excellence and I am thrilled to share this content with all of you, representing a global medical affairs community that takes time to share best practices, novel ideas, and ways to enhance how we all deliver value! This gift the authors give to our professional community represents excellence at the heart of the meaning: we are here to serve and we do this in so many ways from serving our organization, patients, colleagues, and community.
Cheers to everyone and best wishes for good health!
Cherie
Editor:
Cherie Hyder, PharmD, MSL-BC
Cherie Hyder is Syndicated National MSL Director at Syneos Health. In her previous job at Biohaven Pharmaceuticals she supported a virtual launch of Nurtec ODT for acute migraine. She has been involved in drug development for more than 30 years, working at FDA in CDER and pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer, Lilly, Novartis, Solvay, and Avanir, among others. At University of Missouri, she received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree with the intention to devote her career to pharmaceutical research. She has multiple adjunct faculty appointments and enjoys teaching opportunities.
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