Catherine Passariello
- Have a mentor that can speak towards your quality of life
- Do you want children? Maybe less traveling then and more local work
- 2-3 meetings in a city that is not their own
- Schedule meetings strategically around traveling
- Sit in coffee shop and be on calls, outreach with advocacy groups
- Be an advocate for patients; reach out to local chapters in your field of expertise
- Read through Pubmed articles in therapeutic area
- Fridays are mandatory “home days” for conference calls
Stephanie Ebner
- Must be very self-driven
- Coordinate meetings in cities à you organize your schedule
- Journal club each week
- Present on a recently published article to stay informed in therapeutic area
- Meet with thought leaders
- Research background heavily before so you can better engage in conversation
- Involved in many home base advocacy projects
Yuvon Mobley
- Collaborate with commercial sales team
- Many lunch and dinner presentations/meetings
- Clinician consultations about specific scientific questions
- Make sure that the sales team understands the basic science
- Job varies a lot week to week and month to month
- 60% travel
- Can cover a large area or smaller area and be given a company car
How to become an MSL
- Try to network and get your name out there
- Can contact a local MSL and ask to get coffee
- Attend conferences in therapeutic area
- Learn who the key researchers are
- Be able to present very well and interact with a wide variety of groups
- Be assertive and understanding
- If you want a job as an MSL, act like an MSL
- Treat MSLs in the area as KOLs
- Show your confidence
- Difficult to break into being an MSL without experience
- Once established, you become very competitive
- Network NOW so they can recommend you in the future
- Plan on working in any city that is near a major airport
- Capitalize in your field
- Follow MSLs and societies on LinkedIn
- Make connections!!
- Will be easier to get a job in what your research background is in
- Participate in ride-alongs with other MSLs
- Might be able to attend dinner meetings
- Internships in medical affairs
- Not necessary to get a job as an MSL but can help with exposure
How to thrive as an MSL
- Be the person that goes the extra mile always
- Volunteer for extra projects
- Lead journal clubs
- Right up monthly reports on time
- Be very self-sufficient and self-motivated
- Stay on top of deadlines
- Log calls, expense reports, etc.
- MSLs are hard workers and WANT to put in the extra effort
- You want to get noticed
- Have a good understanding of the company strategy
- MSL has a different role in each phase of product development
- Be the face for the drug before it even hits trials or the market
- Understand your value as an MSL
- Remember, you are not evaluated by some numerical value
- How quickly is your turnaround with KOLs?
- How organized are you?
- How self-motivated are you?
- You are responsible for your own career trajectory
- Graceful self-promotion
- Be your own biggest cheerleader
- Have goals and make sure you get there
- This could be becoming an executive MSL or becoming VP of Medical Affairs