{"id":99715,"date":"2024-09-21T17:31:43","date_gmt":"2024-09-21T21:31:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/?page_id=99715"},"modified":"2025-08-21T20:01:20","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T00:01:20","slug":"medical-affairs-msl","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/students\/professional-development\/career-exploration-transition\/medical-affairs-msl\/","title":{"rendered":"Medical Affairs &#038; Medical Science Liaison"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Introductory resources<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/comprehensive-guide-medical-affairs-careers-exploring-opportunities\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Comprehensive guide to careers in Medical Affairs<\/a> (LinkedIn Article &#8211; presents how MSL careers fit into Medical Affairs careers).<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/WZyU1eRAkCQ\">What is a Medical Science Liaison (MSL)?<\/a> (12-min video).<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5fh4IswY-EI&amp;pp=ygUPZnJvbSBwaGQgdG8gbXNs\">From PhD to MSL<\/a> (29-min video interview).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Venturing further in this career area<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/medicalaffairs.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/MAPS-Textbook-Preview-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Medical Affairs &#8211; The Roles, Value and Practice of Medical Affairs in the Biopharmaceutical and Medical Technology Industries<\/a>, 33-page booklet, Medical Affairs Professionals Society.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=kpV_UaaFooY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Careers in Medical Affairs and Communications<\/a>, GPS-STEM UC Irvine (YouTube video).<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6krylg2_yRQ\">Career path: Medical Science Liaison<\/a>, MD Anderson UTHealth Houston Graduate School (1-hour video).<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@MSLTalk\">MSL Podcast episodes<\/a> &#8211; key definitions, interview preparation for MSL jobs, etc.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_xW0d5IIBIU&amp;pp=ygUPZnJvbSBwaGQgdG8gbXNs\">Leveraging your scientific value from PhD to MSL<\/a> (40-min career panel video).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Learning by doing job-related tasks<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/intersectjobsims.com\/\">Intersect Job Simulations<\/a> have been designed by PhDs for PhDs. To make the most of them, please set up <a href=\"https:\/\/intersectjobsims.com\/smart\/\">SMART Goals<\/a> to perform each simulation in a reasonable timeline. When you have completed the task, fill out the <a href=\"https:\/\/intersectjobsims.com\/reflection\/\">Self-Reflection Sheet<\/a>, which will help you reflect on what you enjoyed (or did not enjoy) about the simulation, and how it can help inform your career exploration efforts.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/intersectjobsims.com\/library\/providing-scientific-information-to-healthcare-professionals\/\">MSL Job simulation &#8211; Communicating with Healthcare Professionals<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Preparing your transition into this career area<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/transitioning-from-phd-medical-science-liaison-msl-comprehensive\/\">Transitioning from a PhD to a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) &#8211; guide<\/a> (LinkedIn article).<\/li>\n<li>Consider joining relevant fellowship and co-op programs, like:\n<ul>\n<li>the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biogen.com\/careers\/students-and-graduates\/phd-fellowship.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Biogen Worldwide Medical PhD Fellowship program<\/a> to spend 2 years learning more about Medical Affairs (apply between January 1st and March 31st).<\/li>\n<li>the <a href=\"\/gms\/files\/2025\/03\/Sanofi_US-Medical-Affairs-Fellowship.pdf\">Sanofi_US Medical Affairs Fellowship<\/a> &#8211; to develop the knowledge, skills, and behaviors required for success and career readiness in medical affairs (apply by early May).<\/li>\n<li>the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vrtx.com\/en-us\/careers\/career-growth-and-opportunities\/co-ops\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vertex Pharmaceuticals co-op program<\/a> (includes co-op opportunities in Medical Affairs).<\/li>\n<li>the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.phrmafoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/2023-2024-Fellowship-Brochure-PhD-09-16-2022.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Abbvie Visiting Scientist Fellowship Program<\/a> (one year, US-based, application by early December).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Explore and reach out to members of the following organizations:\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/medicalaffairs.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Medical Affairs Professionals Society<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/themsls.org\/\">Medical Science Liaison Society<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Look for and join relevant thematic groups on LinkedIn, online communities, etc.<\/li>\n<li>Look for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/students\/professional-life\/advising-mentoring\/alumni-mentoring\/\">GMS Alumni<\/a> who have transitioned into this career area.<\/li>\n<li>The Social Scientist enables early-career scientists to receive mentorship from folks who have transitioned into various careers &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesocialscientist.org\/industry-mentors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">connect with industry mentors<\/a> (scientists, founders, product managers, etc.).<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mymedia.bu.edu\/playlist\/dedicated\/207936103\/1_9emp2sqk\/1_2lldbf4b\">Analyze job descriptions<\/a> to learn more about what companies are currently looking for.<\/li>\n<li>Study company websites, follow them on social media and YouTube.<\/li>\n<li>Growing your network and <a href=\"https:\/\/intersectjobsims.com\/infointerviewguide\/\">having informational interviews<\/a> with PhDs who have transitioned into careers of interest to you will enable you to learn more about the job&#8217;s daily responsibilities, hiring process, career progression, etc., and the sector as a whole.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introductory resources Comprehensive guide to careers in Medical Affairs (LinkedIn Article &#8211; presents how MSL careers fit into Medical Affairs careers). What is a Medical Science Liaison (MSL)? (12-min video). From PhD to MSL (29-min video interview). Venturing further in this career area Medical Affairs &#8211; The Roles, Value and Practice of Medical Affairs in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20577,"featured_media":0,"parent":99331,"menu_order":11,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/99715"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20577"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99715"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/99715\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":104909,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/99715\/revisions\/104909"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/99331"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/gms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}