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
Author:
Dr. Samuel Dyer
CEO and Chairman of the Board
Dr. Samuel Dyer has over 21 years of experience within the International MSL community while working for a number of top global companies. During his career, he has led MSL / Medical Teams in multiple TA’s in over 60 countries throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Australia, and Asia.
His management experience includes small (2+) to large (240+) MSL teams across multiple TA’s. Throughout his career, Dr. Dyer has worked on MSL and Medical Affairs strategy and has extensive experience in creating strategic MSL utilization and medical communication plans. He has designed and created global MSL training programs that have included: onboarding programs, KOL Medical communication plans, strategic assessments, planning, and execution in geographical locations with diverse cultures /languages. Dr. Dyer has successfully launched both pharmaceutical and medical device MSL teams both in the U.S. and internationally.
Dr. Dyer has also written extensively on the Medical Science Liaison role, including numerous published articles, benchmark studies, and reports. Dr. Dyer is well recognized within the global MSL community and has developed an extensive international network within the Pharmaceutical, CRO, Medical Device, and Biotechnology industries. He is the owner of the largest group on LinkedIn for MSLs and Medical Affairs with over 25,000 members. He has spoken and moderated several international conferences on various MSL topics including KOL management, creating MSL teams, MSL training, international MSL teams, and the value of the MSL role and Medical Affairs. Dr. Dyer is consistently sought out as a resource and consultant for MSL projects that have included diverse companies such as McKinsey Consulting, Bain and Co., and Philips Healthcare.
Dr. Dyer has a Ph.D. in Health Sciences and did medical training in Chicago. He has a Master’s Degree in Tropical Biology (where he studied in the Amazon) and has a B.S. in Biology. 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 Amazon #1 Best Seller “The Medical Science Liaison Career Guide: How to Break into Your First Role” (www.themslbook.com) which is the first book published on how to break into the MSL role.
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