Anyone here know anything about medical science liaison careers? A good friend of mine told me it's a good field to look into. He loves to do research though, so it could be good for him. Anyone here a MSL and would like to share his or her experiences I would greatly appreciate it. Is this a good area for PharmD to look into?
I'm not a medical science liason (MSL); however, I personally know a couple and have spoken to them about their careers. Here is what I've learned:
It is a doctorate-level position-you'll need a PhD, MD, or PharmD to get the position. The old model of using pharmaceutical reps who visit doctors' offices to promote drugs is dying. Many doctors are limited in what they can prescribe or are strongly recommended to prescribe standard generics before branded drugs. Plus, doctors no longer want to talk to a bachelors-level salesperson who doesn't really understand the disease or medication beyond the drug-company talking points.
This is where the MSL fits in. They are really smart, educated, and experienced people. This is usually not an entry-level position. You'll need the credentials and the experience, via residencies, fellowships, work experience, to get the job. They engage the key opinion leaders (KOLs) who have an outsized influence on the way that the different specialties treat patients. The KOLs are often the doctors and scientists at the forefront of the field. They are the ones who write reviews that get hundreds of citations. MSLs also engage with people within larger institutions who have influence over prescribing within that institution. They are not allowed to "sell" their product. Their job is to know the field, the competition, and their company's products. They then highlight relevant advantages of their company's product relative to the competition.
As you can imagine, intelligence, composure, social skills, and presenting skills are extremely important for this job. You'll need to interact and develop relationships with highly capable, intelligent, and confident people. The pay is very good (>$120k, potentially much more for influential or experienced MSLs), but there is likely to be a lot of travel required (>40%).
My friend said that it is a great paying and interesting job that has a lot of travel. Now that he is married and has two kids, he finds it a struggle to be away from home so much.
