By Sarah Snyder & Patrina Pellett

One of the clearest patterns we see when we train MSL teams is this:

The training gets better when everyone in it doesn't come from the same background.

Put the same clinical scenario in front of a PharmD, a PhD, a nurse practitioner, and a physician assistant, and they will see 4 different things. For example:

The PharmD will notice the data question.

The PhD will challenge the mechanism of action.

The NP will say, “That sounds good, but I don't see how that actually happens in clinic.”

The PA will ask, “Who is going to have that conversation with the patient?”

The strongest MSL teams we train are mixed-background teams.

That's why we think Medical Affairs needs to take a much harder look at nurse practitioners and physician assistants, not as “alternative” MSL candidates, but as people they need on their team.

Can Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants become Medical Science Liaisons?

Yes. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants can work as Medical Science Liaisons, although individual companies set their own degree and experience requirements.

What NPs and PAs can bring is different from simply adding another scientific credential to a team.

They've spent years making clinical decisions, seeing patients, and navigating health-system barriers. When you put that perspective next to the expertise of PharmDs, PhDs, MDs, and other scientific professionals, something interesting happens:

The team starts seeing the real problems that KOLs face.

We've watched it happen repeatedly in MSL Mastery training.

Here are 5 places where we notice it most.

1. NPs & PAs spot the gap between what should happen and what actually happens.

Give an MSL team a patient journey and ask where the 'friction' is.

Someone with years of clinical practice often doesn't start with the published treatment pathway. They say:

“Okay, but who is actually going to order that test?”

“Will the patient come back for that second appointment?”

“We would never have had enough staff to do that.”

That perspective matters.

An NP or PA who has worked inside those constraints doesn't have to imagine the workflow. They lived it.

2. NPs & PAs have been the HCP you're trying to reach.

We see this all the time in our KOL Access training.

We'll be discussing outreach when an NP or PA on the team says something like:

“I used to get contacted like that! I hated it.”

Or:

“If somebody sent me three paragraphs before telling me what they wanted, I wasn't reading it.”

Now we aren't talking theoretically about why HCPs are difficult to access. We know it from the 'inside'.

This can completely change how an MSL approaches access.

3. NPs & PAs don't always accept the first answer as the real answer.

This shows up a lot in our Question Mastery training.

Imagine an HCP says:

“I don't really use that approach.”

An MSL might accept that answer and pivot to another topic.

But someone who has spent years making clinical decisions will hear the question under it.

Workflow?

Access?

Something that happened with one difficult patient three years ago?

That kind of pattern recognition is valuable.

4. They know when something is scientifically correct but clinically unrealistic.

This may be our favorite contribution on mixed teams. We'll hear someone give a perfectly accurate explanation during training. And then someone with a clinical background says:

“Yes. But nobody in clinic would say it that way.”

Knowing the science and making the science usable in a conversation are different skills.

That experience can create a very different communication instinct. Medical Affairs needs that.

5. They can see an insight hiding in the gap between evidence and practice.

This is where the mix becomes especially valuable. What does the evidence say? What is actually happening? Why is there a gap?

Those are exactly the types of questions Medical Affairs wants its field teams identifying.

And those conversations become much more interesting when everyone at the table isn't looking at the problem through the same lens.

Why mixed-background MSL teams can be stronger

To be clear, this is not an argument against PharmDs. Or PhDs. Or physicians.

We've trained outstanding teams filled with each.

It's an argument against credential sameness becoming the default definition of a strong team.

If everyone on a team has been educated and trained in similar ways, they can share the same blind spots without realizing it.

That's why we like mixed teams.

You want all of those people in the room.

What should Medical Affairs leaders screen for when hiring an MSL?

Don't lower the scientific bar.

Widen the pathways that can meet it.

If we were building an MSL team, we want to know whether the candidate can:

• Hold a credible scientific exchange with the HCPs they'll support.
• Ask a question that gets beyond an HCP's 1st answer.
• Recognize when the real barrier is workflow, access, behavior, patient preference, or something other than the science.
• Listen well enough to recognize a meaningful field insight when they hear one.
• Understand how clinical decisions get made in the real world.
• Communicate with confidence without relying on the letters after their name to establish credibility.
• Stay curious enough to recognize when their own perspective is incomplete.

If an NP or PA can demonstrate those capabilities, eliminating that person because they don't have the team's “usual” degree makes very little sense.

Why does clinical experience matter for an MSL?

Clinical experience doesn't replace scientific expertise.

It adds another layer to it.

The strongest Medical Affairs teams need people who understand the evidence and people who recognize what happens when that evidence collides with clinical practice.

Often, you want both perspectives on the same team.

The point isn't that NPs and PAs are better MSLs.

The point is that Medical Affairs teams become stronger when everyone on the team doesn't see the clinical world the same way.

So before you write the requirements for your next MSL position, we'd ask two questions:

What perspective do you already have?

And:

What perspective do we need?

The best teams don't need everyone to bring the same expertise.

They need everyone to make the team's expertise bigger.

Frequently Asked Questions About NPs, PAs and MSL Careers

Can a nurse practitioner become a Medical Science Liaison?

Yes. Nurse practitioners can work as Medical Science Liaisons and in other field Medical Affairs roles. Individual companies establish their own degree and experience requirements, but NPs can bring advanced clinical knowledge, direct patient-care experience, healthcare-system knowledge, scientific communication skills, and firsthand understanding of clinical decision-making to an MSL position.

Can a physician assistant become a Medical Science Liaison?

Yes. Physician assistants can become Medical Science Liaisons when they meet the scientific, clinical, communication, and experience requirements of the position. Their experience making clinical decisions, communicating with patients and other HCPs, and working within healthcare systems can provide a valuable perspective on an MSL team.

Do you need a PharmD, PhD, or MD to become an MSL?

There is no single degree requirement that applies to every Medical Science Liaison role across the industry. Many companies prefer or require specific advanced scientific or clinical degrees, and requirements vary by employer, therapeutic area, and position. Candidates should evaluate individual job descriptions rather than assuming one credential is universally required.

What makes nurse practitioners good MSL candidates?

Nurse practitioners can bring firsthand experience with patient care, treatment decisions, healthcare workflows, patient communication, and barriers to applying evidence in clinical practice. Those capabilities can complement the expertise brought by PharmDs, PhDs, physicians, and other members of a Medical Affairs team.

What makes physician assistants good MSL candidates?

Physician assistants can bring direct clinical experience, understanding of healthcare workflows, experience interpreting and communicating medical information, and firsthand knowledge of how clinical decisions are made. As with any MSL candidate, those strengths still need to be paired with the scientific depth, communication skills, and strategic thinking required for the specific role.

Why are mixed-background MSL teams valuable?

Mixed-background MSL teams can approach the same problem from different perspectives. PharmDs, PhDs, physicians, NPs, PAs, and other professionals may notice different scientific, clinical, operational, and patient-related issues. Bringing those perspectives together can strengthen discussion, field insight generation, peer learning, and scientific exchange.

What should Medical Affairs leaders look for when hiring an MSL?

In addition to appropriate education and experience, leaders should evaluate scientific rigor, communication skills, curiosity, clinical understanding, listening and questioning skills, insight generation, strategic thinking, and the ability to establish credible peer-to-peer relationships with healthcare professionals.