Salary and compensation benchmarking are essential factors that lead to successful recruitment and retention of MSL talent. Companies must have a clear understanding of MSL salary and compensation levels across different Therapeutic Areas/disease states to remain competitive. To gain a more accurate understanding of MSL salary and compensation levels globally, the MSL … [Read more...]
MSL Professionals Reveal the Impact of KOL Engagement
A 2021 survey revealed 49% of KOLs find scientific updates on new/existing drugs/updates as the most valuable data they acquire during engagements with MSLs (1). KOL engagement is one of the primary activities of an MSL. MSLs form lasting relationships with KOLs and other HCPs (health care providers) through these interactions. The goal of these engagements is to gather … [Read more...]
MSL of the Year Awards: Perspectives from 2022 Winners
The 2022 MSL of the Year Awards were announced during the 10th annual MSL Society conference in Las Vegas, September 6th-8th. The purpose of the awards is to recognize excellence within the MSL Profession and is open to all MSLs and MSL Managers globally. During the Awards Night Celebration on September 7th, 39 finalists from eight countries were acknowledged, and a winner … [Read more...]
MSL Leader Mentors Share Their Perspectives on the Aspiring MSL Mentor Program
Mentoring has always played a crucial role among the activities of MSL professionals. Through mentors, aspiring MSLs are guided on how to break into the MSL role, and MSLs are coached properly with advice on how to further their careers. The MSL Society recognizes the value of mentoring MSL professionals, hence its dedicated Aspiring Mentorship Program. This unique program … [Read more...]
Achieving Effective KOL Engagement and Intelligence Gathering During Medical Conferences
Attending medical conferences and intelligence gathering are important activities for most Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs). In fact, a recent global survey conducted by the Medical Science Liaison Society (MSL Society) found that globally 97% of MSLs attend medical conferences while 85% participate in gathering insights (1). Historically, intelligence gathering and deepening … [Read more...]
New Medical Science Liaison Onboarding Training: Perspectives of Participants and Facilitators
Onboarding and training Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) can be stressful, time-consuming, and expensive. Many companies do not have the internal resources or the adequate time needed to fully onboard new MSLs. In fact, in a global survey, 72% of MSLs revealed that their initial onboard training consisted of only being given a set of journal articles related to the product or … [Read more...]
A Closer Look into the MSL Career: Insights from MSLs Who Found Success in the Field
Breaking into the MSL role is a challenging yet fulfilling journey. As such, an MSL’s unique place in the medical industry comes with a rich set of incomparable experiences and stories of personal growth. In this article, we look into the various insights of esteemed MSLs as they share with us their milestones, best practices, and challenges, and what career advice they would … [Read more...]
Survey reveals salary levels for both Medical Science Liaisons and MSL management roles in the United States
Introduction Salary and compensation is clearly one of the most important factors in successfully recruiting and retaining the best MSL talent. It’s crucial for companies to ensure the compensation they offer is competitive by benchmarking against others in their industry and region. The MSL Society conducted the first-ever MSL salary survey in 2014. The 2021 survey … [Read more...]
Key Opinion Leaders Reveal the Value of Medical Science Liaisons
The primary purpose of the Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) role is to provide value to Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), in part, through the exchange of scientific information. In fact, the success of every MSL is based on their ability to add value to the KOLs they support! However, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on the activities of Medical Science Liaisons. As … [Read more...]
Mentors and Mentees Reveal The Value of The MSL Mentor Program
Mentors have always played an important part in breaking into the MSL role as well as helping MSLs to advance their careers further. We interviewed 8 mentors and 7 mentees about their experience with the MSL Society Mentor Program 2021 to showcase the value that a mentor program could bring to your career. 1. Why did you want to be a mentor? Cherie Hyder: I enjoy learning … [Read more...]
Perspectives and Advice from the 2020 Medical Science Liaison of The Year Award Winners
In anticipation of the 9th Annual MSL Society Conference being held in Las Vegas, December 12-14th and this year’s MSL of The Year Awards, we asked a few of the 2020 award winners how winning the award impacted their careers, what they have been able to achieve during the pandemic, and what best practice they would share with other MSL professionals. How has winning the MSL … [Read more...]
Medical Science Liaison leaders share their perspective on the importance and benefits of the Medical Science Liaison Board Certification (MSL-BC®)
Why certification is a Gold Standard In all occupations and professions, certification is viewed as a professional qualification, signifying to employers, regulators, and the public that the holder of the credential possesses the breadth and depth of knowledge and skills needed to competently perform the role. Because certification is typically a voluntary process (vs. … [Read more...]
New Diversity and Inclusion Initiative
The Medical Science Liaison Society is launching a new Diversity and Inclusion initiative for the MSL community. The mission of the Diversity and Inclusion group is to cultivate a diverse and inclusive platform for Medical Science Liaisons, MSL leaders, and affiliated partners to collaborate and optimize strategies to support inclusion. Our vision is to identify opportunities … [Read more...]
Who are Medical Science Liaisons and MSL Managers?
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 … [Read more...]
MSLs in the age of COVID: KOL perceptions of MSL virtual engagements
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a substantial impact on the activities of Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) including access to Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and how MSLs engage with them. The Medical Science Liaison Society (MSL Society) has conducted numerous surveys throughout 2020 to understand this impact and what the activities of MSLs have been during the pandemic1. … [Read more...]
KOLs reveal how they prefer to engage with MSLs during the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on the activities of Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) including access to Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and how they engage with them 1. The Medical Science Liaison Society (MSL Society) has conducted several recent surveys to understand this impact and what the activities of MSLs have been during the pandemic. Although a recent … [Read more...]
Congratulations To Those That Have Recently Passed The MSL Board Certification (MSL-BC) Exam
The following individuals have recently passed the exam and earned the MSL-BC® Credential: Montora Mayes, RN, BSN, MSN, MHA, MSL-BC MSL Romark, L.C. David Queen, APRN, FNP-C, AE-C, MSL-BC Clinical Science Liaison AstraZeneca Gabriela Dontu, MD, PhD, MSL-BC MSL ASTROTIDE, INC. Chuck Sherline, BS, MBA, MSL-BC MSL Kristie Wallace, RPh, CPh, PharmD, … [Read more...]
As a result of COVID-19, and the need for virtual engagements with a KOL, are there additional training topics that would be beneficial?
The primary purpose of the MSL Activities During the COVID-19 Pandemic global survey was to gain insights into how the current pandemic is impacting the activities of Medical Science Liaisons globally including working virtually and engaging with KOLs. One of the benefits from the results is to not only understand how other companies and MSL teams are dealing with the pandemic, … [Read more...]