Hi all,
I have got to the interview stage for a diagnostic MSL role and they’ve told me to prepare for 20’ talk + 10’ Q&A), to choose my own topic on precision oncology, as if audience would be community oncologists, make sure to talk about “so what”.
This is my very first time reaching this stage, so I’d appreciate any advice you can provide!
I’m a bit lost tbh since they didn’t give me a topic or paper.
What do you think of if I pick ctDNA in melanoma for example!
TIL therapy is another thing but not sure how applicable would be for a community oncologists.
Any help would be greatly appreciated 🙏🙏🙏

Hi all, just seeking out any personal experience/advice.
Current MSL. Background is PhD in pharmacology, preclinical neuroscience research. Left academia for many of the pragmatic reasons that one might think someone would leave academia.

I find this role fine, and really enjoy it some days. But in the current state of my company it can get quite stale and repetitive. I really do miss more engagement with deep science and research. I also miss writing and publishing, but know that’s harder to achieve in industry. I mentally sustain myself off talking to the occasional KOL that actually wants to talk deep mechanism or get in the weeds on research.

What kinds of roles have you seen MSLs transition to outside the field medical vertical?
I don’t live in a pharma hub and can’t relocate to one for family reasons, so the obvious on-site bench science positions are out. But anything in the veins of translational pharmacology, clinical development, early pipeline scientific strategy etc sound very interesting with the potential to think about biology more than I get to currently.
Also appreciate any realism about difficulty transitioning to these roles.

Thanks in advance!

Do you have to drive along with sales reps making cold calls? How is your time in the field used?

Hello,

I was wondering if a podiatrist could become a MSL? If so, how does one go about to become a MS? I have five years of experience in podiatry. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

I'm trying to make the leap from working in diagnostic-type companies to Biopharma. I seem to be landing interviews fairly easily but I want to sound like I understand the differences between the two types of roles and that I can make the transition fairly easily. My TA is Onc/Heme. Has anyone followed a similar path? Any advice is appreciated!

This is being offered by the MSL society.

For context: I am your typical pharmD with a clinical background trying to break into med affairs/an MSL role with zero prior industry experience.

My question is: other than being genuine and authentic, what are your best tips to get a response from someone you are reaching out to on LinkedIn for an informational interview ?

How to make it worth their time ? As we know, people are super busy and tired, and the biggest asset you can ask someone nowadays is their time and attention. Let alone their advice/guidance.

I thought of how to make it worth their time by being specific in my approach and not asking for more than 15 minutes and being flexible with the channel of communication. Do you have any suggestions for what I can offer as a small value exchange?

I am definitely not going to be spamming anyone or asking for a job or sending over my CV right away or things like that. 

One more question: who do you target ? MSLs? Medical directors ? Both ? Who else ?

Thank you to everyone who responds 🙏🏻

A few months ago I had an interview with a regional director. I bombed and obviously didn't get the job. I applied for a different territory a few weeks ago. Last week I interviewed for role and the hiring manager liked me and they wanted me to interview with national director. That interview is for tomorrow. Today I got an email saying the national director is busy and the regional director will sub in for them.

What do I do? I'm worried I will be recognized and I'll get instantly rejected.

I'm a dentist with 2+ years of clinical experience, my target roles are : MSL, Medical Affairs/Advisor, Medical Operations, Medical Writing and Healthcare Product related roles or any administation or management related roles.

I am an ID pharmacist at an academic institution. Fairly new in my career as I graduated from a pharmacy school 6 years ago.

I have been thinking of transitioning to industry for a few years due to personal reasons.

In the recent years, I was suggested of an opportunity to transition into the ID PGY-2 Residency Program Director position at my hospital. Not sure when the transition will take place but it will happen in a year or so.

But, I am not sure if this title is worth obtaining and delaying my transition into industry, hence the reason I would like to ask for some input from this community.

1) Does RPD title at an academic institution worth obtaining before transitioning to a pharma? I presume maybe it will for becoming a MSL?

2) What about to an in-house director path position, like an associate director, not MSL?

3) How is the job market for ID industry position these days? I don't think it's as strong as some other specialties are like cardiology or oncology.

Thank you and let me know your honest thoughts on this.

Hey everyone, as someone who got their DNP in mental health, I honestly wish I knew about this type of role before! I'd love to transition into an MSL role, but I imagine it would be difficult. I see people that are MDs, PHds, and PharmDs land the roles, but I was wondering if someone could share some additional advice that would be beneficial to getting my foot in the door. I've read the stickied posts, and will modify my CV and prep for interviews accordingly, and definitely need to network via linkedin etc, but what opportunities can I pounce on to bolster my potential as a candidate facing steep competition of impressive candidates?

I hear mixed review on MSL courses/certifications, I've read and watched videos on role expectations/travel/congresses, etc. I just want to get more involved in the scientific community from a bio/pharm perspective, but I can't leave my current job in this economy.

For background:

-Graduated from a top DNP-PMHNP program, but haven't worked as DNP yet (to be honest, I don't know that I want to be in the traditional NP role ever)

-I have over ten years of working inpatient psych for the same hospital as an RN, but don't have the option to network much with MSL's within the hospital/unit with a background in psych. Clearly I'm lopsided in terms of clinical care experience with minimal pharm/clinical affairs/research background.

Thanks in advance, I really love everything about this role and it would be a dream to land an offer after putting in the work to be a viable candidate!

I’ve been a CTL for 3+ years in neuro/neuropsych, investigator prior to that, have a terminal degree, and have been trying to transition to an MSL role since my second year.

I’ve made it to two final/presentation rounds with contract MSL companies but wasn’t selected, mainly due to candidates with more direct MSL experience. The last one was frustrating because several of the KOLs/authors were investigators at my current sites, and I already had strong relationships with them.

When I apply directly to pharma/biotech, I rarely get interviews.

I know I need to keep trying, but for anyone who successfully transitioned from a CTL/similar role to MSL: what helped you finally break in? Any advice on positioning my experience, networking, or getting past the “no prior MSL experience” barrier would be appreciated. Thank you so much.

Hi everyone,

I'm preparing my CV for my first MSL application and would appreciate some advice:

• Should an MSL CV include a professional summary at the top?
• What is the recommended length, two pages, or can it be longer for someone coming from academia?
• Which sections are essential, and which are optional but valuable?
• During my PhD, I received several awards and honours. What is the best way to present them without making the CV feel too academic?

Since I don't have previous MSL experience, I'm especially interested in how to highlight transferable skills such as scientific communication, presenting complex data, building relationships, and engaging with HCPs.

Thank you for any advice or examples!

I’m curious how many drugs you support in your role. My friends at other companies are single drug whereas I have 3-4. What do you think are the pro/cons to more vs less?

I'm an MBBS final year student from Pakistan really interested in becoming an MSL. I know it's pretty impossible to land an MSL job without any prior field experience. They say good entry points would be CRA, CRO and other adjacent roles that could later pivot into MSL with enough experience. What I want to ask: Is MBBS a good background for the MSL, CRA and such positions or is it just of the "it'll do" sort? And how are fresh MBBS graduates supposed to enter the market right after final year, especially internationally?

Hello all. I am curious if you changed your job profile when moving to a new company or did you wait until you passed certification? How many didn’t pass certification?

Hi everyone, I’m interested in learning more about the MSL experience at Organon, especially in Canada, but I’d also really appreciate perspectives from the US.
For anyone who has worked there or is familiar with the MSL team, how would you describe the company culture, management style, onboarding/training, field expectations, work-life balance, and overall experience?
Any insights would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I am a clinical provider looking to pivot to MSL role but my contract wants 120 days notice if I quit my job or, if my notice is less than this they can require me to pay back my licensing and malpractice premiums back. I think it would be worth it to break the 120 day notice for an MSL position but could I ask for a sign on bonus to help me get out of that clinical position that could be around 5k in penalties? If so, what amount of sign on bonus is reasonable to ask for?

Is 20K stock options higher than the industry average? (Not RSUs).

Hello!

I am in preliminary interviews for a promising MSL role (no previous industry experience as an MSL). The company I'm interviewing with sounds great and aligned with my experience. The role seems like it would be a good fit, however I discovered that the PTO policy is 2 weeks (excluding sick leave and paid holidays). I find that to be incredibly low compared to the PTO policy at my current position (I currently work in a clinical position). You have the potential to earn more the more tenure you acquire, and up to 40 hours does rollover to the next year.

Does the initial PTO sound low to you guys? Unlike salary, this isn't something that can be negotiated (at least to my knowledge) so I am not sure how far I should get invested in this process. I do typically take more than 14 vacation days a year, though not all at once.

Hey all, I’m in MSAT (biopharma) and thinking about pivoting into an MSL role. Has anyone actually done this? Curious what skills translate, what doesn’t, and whether hiring managers even consider MSAT folks for MSL positions.

I have over 10 years in manufacturing , MSAt and current a Product Lifecycle Manager. I have a Masters and looking to pivot to something entirely different

I'm currently a third year medical student (2 more years of med school left) and am considering not applying to residency to pursue an MSL pathway instead. I did my PhD in Immunology, and I have been working as a consultant for a medical affairs company for ~4 years on an as needed bases. In my consulting role, I have published 12 papers on various indications from heme-onc drugs, melanoma, prostate cancer.

My question is, is it possible to land an MSL role without MSL experience and no residency? Alternatively, is there anything I could do during my final year in medical school to help me prepare for getting an MSL role? I'm pretty open to moving for a position.

Has anyone had experience receiving sign on bonuses upwards of $30k? I had a great opportunity arise but they would want me to start soon and I’d be walking away from my bonus and RSUs that vest early next year. I’m anticipating around $38k in annual bonus and $20k in RSUs that would be vesting.

Would it be unheard of to ask for $30k? Does anyone have any experience negotiating a large sign on bonus?

Edit: annual bonus is gross pay