Welcome to the MSL Mastery Blog

By Patrina Pellett, PhD

 Visibility is the secret sauce to presenting better and most people are avoiding it. Here are 3 ways to see what you can’t unsee about your communication skills.

Tom Caravela didn’t always sound like a confident presenter. Back when he launched MSL Talk, listening to hi...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD

On a recent training alignment call, we were trying to figure out exactly why a Medical Affairs team wanted help with presentation skills.

What was the real issue?

When Sarah and I know the specific challenge, we become snipers and can build exactly the training a team ...

By Sarah Snyder

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries—but for many Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs), this change brings uncertainty and concern.

• Will AI replace my role?
• Will technology reduce the need for human interaction with KOLs?
• Will my e...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD

We've all experienced this person in trainings:

→ Combative from the first moment
→ Shooting down every exercise
→ Challenging every suggestion
→ Insisting, “We did this better at my last company.”

I bring a lot of energy to every training I deliver, but even I start to feel ...

By Sarah Snyder

You’re not being interviewed by a person anymore for that first Medical Affairs interview. Let that sink in. 

It’s happening.

You prepared for a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) interview: notes in hand, ready to talk science, strategy, and stakeholder relationships. But instead of a...

By Sarah Snyder & Patrina Pellett

It all started the way most great ideas do:

• A late-night text.
• A few "this might sound crazy" voice notes.
• And a deep, stubborn belief that there had to be a better way.

"What if we could make finding MSL training and career answers faster (like 24/7 fas...

 By Patrina Pellett & Sarah Snyder 

“We have a digital-first strategy. Help us train our MSLs on this.” 

We’ve heard this from a lot of senior Medical Affairs leaders lately. They’re being asked to lead digital transformation, but here’s the problem: 

Even at the top, people aren’t always clea...

By Sarah Snyder

Two MSLs walk into the same office.

Same clinical trial. Same slide deck. Same level of scientific knowledge.

One walks out with a quick “Thanks, we’ll let you know.”

The other walks out with a deeper relationship, shared insights, and a clear next step.

The difference isn’t the ...

By Patrina Pellett & Sarah Snyder

If we had a dollar for every time someone asked, “What should I wear to the interview/conference/meeting?”, we’d fund our own MSL Mastery clothing line.

It’s easy to downplay this stuff. You're a Medical Affairs professional, not a fashionista. We know this job...

By Sarah Snyder

The Problem: MSL Training Is Stuck in the Past

Picture this: A new MSL sits at their desk, surrounded by stacks of scientific articles and slide decks, diligently highlighting and taking notes. This has been the standard training approach for decades—memorize the data, understa...

By Sarah Snyder and Patrina Pellett

“I knew the science but I still failed.”

A new Medical Science Liaison (MSL) had spent 8 weeks preparing for her MSL field certification. She knew the two Phase 3 trials inside and out. But when she got in front of the panel, medical directors, senior MSLs, a...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD 

Emily had just passed her field certification test and was officially ready to start her role as an MSL. Her manager handed her a KOL list, gave a few general instructions about meeting with the top names, and sent her off to start building relationships. 

She felt prep...