The COVID-19 Pandemic has been very challenging for the pharmaceutical industry. However, according to Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), Medical Science Liaisons (MSL) have proven, this past year, that they continue to be very important to the success of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and other healthcare companies. The primary responsibility of an MSL is to build value-added relationships with KOLs. These relationships are vital to a company’s success because KOLs are often crucial to the adoption and utilization of products, and they provide strategic advantages for companies. In two separate surveys conducted in 2020, a total of 720 KOLs were surveyed to understand their perception of the value of MSLs. Among many other valuable insights and successes, about 80% of KOLs shared it was very important/important for them to maintain contact with Medical Science Liaisons during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
To recognize and celebrate the success of MSLs, March 27th was registered as the official International MSL Day to serve as a unique way to raise awareness of the profession’s importance and celebrate the diversity of the individuals who make up the global MSL profession.
In celebration of International MSL Day, we analyzed the demographic data from the 2020 MSL Salary & Compensation survey, which included 2,034 MSL professionals from 67 countries to reveal who are Medical Science Liaisons and MSL leaders?
The following data highlights the diversity of MSL professionals, including their gender, ethnicity, experience, age range, education, company type, and therapeutic areas across the global community.
New MSLs (less than 1 year of experience)
MSLs
MSL Managers
About the author:
Samuel Dyer, MD, PhD
Dr. Samuel Dyer is the CEO of the Medical Science Liaison Society and has over 25 years of international MSL experience. During his career, he has managed MSL teams and operations in over sixty countries across the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand. He has facilitated the successful launch of pharmaceutical and medical device products for both Fortune 500 pharmaceutical companies and small biotechnology companies.
Dr. Dyer has coached, interviewed, and reviewed the CVs of countless aspiring MSLs. His insights and guidance have resulted in hundreds of aspiring MSLs successfully breaking into their first roles.
While leading the MSL Society, he has conducted MSL training programs for over 75 pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies in more than 15 countries. Dr. Dyer has also written extensively on the Medical Science Liaison profession, including numerous published articles, benchmark studies, and reports. He has been the keynote speaker and moderated numerous international conferences on various MSL–related topics, including creating teams, management, MSL training, proper utilization of MSLs, global trends, and the KPIs and metrics used to measure MSL performance. Dr. Dyer has also served as a resource and consultant on several MSL–related projects for several organizations, including McKinsey & Company and Bain & Company.
Dr. Dyer has an MD from Washington University (Health & Science) School of Medicine, a PhD in Health Sciences from Touro University, a Master’s degree in Tropical Biology (where he studied in the Amazon) from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of the State of New York. Dr. Dyer also completed a certificate program for Executive Leadership and Strategy in Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology at the Harvard Business School.
Dr. Dyer is the author of the multi-award-winning and Amazon #1 Best Seller, The Medical Science Liaison Career Guide: How to Break into Your First Role (https://amzn.to/4aoYcZp). The book is the first and only step-by-step guide on how to break into the MSL profession and it has received multiple prestigious awards, including:
- 2024 Winner of the American Legacy Book Awards in the Business: Careers category.
- 2024 “Gold Award” Winner – Literary Titan Book Awards in the Career category.
- 2023 “Best Book” Winner – Pinnacle Book Achievement Award in the Career Development category.
He is also the author of the Medical Science Liaison Job Application Tracking & Interview Self-Evaluation Journal (https://amzn.to/49n6MGR).
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