By Patrina Pellett & Sarah Snyder

If you’re an MSL, you already know this feeling well: 

You open LinkedIn or email. 
You see the notification. 
You sigh. 

“Hi! I’m an aspiring MSL and would love to pick your brain…” 

Cue the internal debate: 

You remember what it felt like to want this role. You remember Googling salaries (yes, that whole $200K question moment). You remember trying to decode what MSL hiring managers were actually looking for. 

You also have 3 KOL meetings, cross-functional projects, compliance trainings, and a territory strategy that never quite feels “done.” 

Welcome to the unofficial sixth competency of the role: Managing Aspiring MSL Outreach. 

You physically cannot mentor the internet. 

We have you covered in this MSL’s Guide to Surviving Aspiring MSLs. You’ll learn: 

• Why aspiring MSL outreach has skyrocketed 

• How to respond to informational interview requests without feeling rude 

• How to create a ready-to-go response you can feel good about 

• And how the new MSL Mastery Affiliate Program lets you support aspiring MSLs and earn 10% when they enroll 

Why Are So Many Aspiring MSLs Reaching Out? 

The MSL role is sexy. 

People see flexibility. 
They see scientific credibility. 
They see career growth and compensation. 

And then they start networking. 

Which is actually a good thing. Networking is part of professional growth and being an MSL. Reaching out takes initiative. It’s how careers are built. 

The challenge isn’t the outreach. It’s the volume. 

When 10+ people a month ask for “just 20 minutes,” that’s not mentoring anymore. That’s a recurring meeting series you never scheduled. 

The Medical Science Liaison’s Guide to Surviving Aspiring MSLs   

Instead of 1:1s helping every individual, build a scalable response system. 

Yes. Like you would for insights. Or congress planning. Or stakeholder mapping. 

You can be supportive without being endlessly available. Instead of scheduling every call, create a consistent, thoughtful response that directs aspiring MSLs to useful resources that help them break into the MSL role.  

3 Steps to Manage Aspiring MSL Outreach Professionally (and Still Be Helpful)  

Step 1: Decide Your Default 

Before you write anything, decide this: 

Are you open to informational interviews or not? 

There’s no right answer. Some MSLs love one conversation per month. Others prefer zero and stick to resources only. 

When you don’t decide in advance, guilt decides for you. 

Step 2: Create Your Standard Response System 

The mistake most MSLs make is rewriting their answer every single time. 

That’s what drains you. Instead, build one thoughtful response you can use consistently and adjust slightly depending on the message quality. 

Think of it as your MSL Outreach Kit. 

At a minimum, it should include: 

• A warm acknowledgment 

• A clear boundary 

• Links to helpful resources 

 When you get the outreach, you just quickly copy paste. Boom. Polite. Professional. Boundaried. 

Here are 3 templates you can steal.  

Template 1: Your Default Response  

“Thanks so much for reaching out and for your interest in the MSL role. I’m not able to schedule individual calls, but here are a couple of resources I recommend. They’ll give you a clear picture of what it takes to break into Medical Affairs and help you identify next steps. 

• What is a Medical Science Liaison? 
• So You Want To Be An MSL – Here’s How To Make It Happen 
• The MSL Readiness Assessment 

Good luck!” 

Template 2: Response To An Especially Thoughtful Message 

“Thanks for reaching out! I appreciate the detail in your note. Before we connect, check out the following resources. If you still have specific questions afterward, feel free to follow up. 

• What is a Medical Science Liaison? 
• So You Want To Be An MSL – Here’s How To Make It Happen 
• The MSL Readiness Assessment 

Best of luck as you prepare!” 

Template 3: Generic Outreach 

“Thanks for your message. I recommend reviewing the following resources. They address many common questions about becoming an MSL. Wishing you success on your job search: 

• What is a Medical Science Liaison? 
• So You Want To Be An MSL – Here’s How To Make It Happen 
• The MSL Readiness Assessment” 

If you want to remain open to conversations, add one line to your template: 

“If you review these and still have 2–3 specific questions, feel free to follow up.” 

This does two things: 

• It rewards effort. 
• It naturally filters out casual outreach. 

You’ll be surprised by how much volume drops when candidates have to do work first. 

Step 3 (Optional): Make Money From Referrals You're Already Giving

Now here’s where it gets interesting. What if your generosity toward aspiring MSLs could also: 

• Create passive income 

• Incentivize quality guidance 

• Give people a clear roadmap of how to break in 

Enter: The MSL Mastery Affiliate Program. 

If you regularly recommend Aspire MSL or other MSL Mastery coaching programs to aspiring candidates, you can formalize that habit through the MSL Mastery Affiliate Program. 

When you sign up, you receive a referral link. If someone enrolls through your link, you earn 10% commission with monthly payouts. 

That’s it. 

That means: 

Instead of spending hours mentoring, you can say: 

“If you’re serious about breaking in, I recommend the Aspire MSL Program. It gives you step-by-step guidance on how to land your first MSL role (add in your referral link).” 

Apply for the MSL Mastery Affiliate Program here.  

The Bottom Line: The MSL’s Guide to Surviving Aspiring MSLs 

The trick to managing aspiring MSL outreach without burning yourself out is to create a system that: 

• Protects your time 
• And genuinely helps future Medical Science Liaisons 

Networking is brave. Reaching out is a skill. And the next generation of MSLs should absolutely be building connections. 

You just don’t have to personally coach every one of them. 

1️⃣ Create your standard response. 
2️⃣ Add in your MSL Mastery referral link. 
3️⃣ Use them consistently. 

That’s how MSLs survive aspiring MSL outreach and still feel good about how they show up. It’s about creating a way to handle the volume that feels good, protects your time, and genuinely helps aspiring MSLs more than a rushed 20-minute call ever could.