Practical Strategies for MSLs, Aspiring MSLs, and Medical Affairs Leaders

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

The MSL job search process can feel like an endless uphill climb. You send out application after application, only to be met with silence. You finally get an interview, but then you’re ghosted. Or worse, you make it to the final round, only to be t...

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. ...

By Sarah Snyder

Becoming a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) can change your life.

You’ll get to use your scientific expertise, build meaningful relationships with healthcare providers, and make a direct impact on patient care. For many, it’s the most rewarding career in the life sciences.

But her...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

Inside the Aspire MSL program, we see imposter syndrome show up all the time. Not as a lack of ambition. Not as fear of the role. But as self-sabotage.

Aspiring Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) know they want the role but get stuck in a confidence ...

By Yutong (Rainey) Yang

The Turning Point in My MSL Job Hunt

Every MSL success story looks polished in hindsight. But behind every offer is a trail of rejections, awkward cold messages, and second-guessing. This is the real story behind my first MSL role.

We love success stories with clear tim...

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 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 Sarah Snyder

"Don't bother applying to that MSL role directly - I can double your chances of getting an interview."

I used to think recruiters were just middlemen until I became one. Now, after placing hundreds of Medical Affairs professionals at top pharmaceutical companies, I've seen it al...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

Most aspiring MSLs walk into an interview as their personable, engaging selves and then something strange happens. They switch to “robot mode,” giving overly formal, rehearsed answers. The warmth and authenticity that make them memorable vanish, an...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

Have you noticed how almost every MSL job description mentions insights? That's because insights are one of the core responsibilities of the MSL role and a central way that Medical Affairs teams deliver value. Without a doubt, if someone wants to m...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

Imagine waking up to a notification that a recruiter is interested in you for an MSL position. Sounds like a dream, right? It's not! This is the power of a highly optimized LinkedIn profile.

However, many aspiring MSLs fail to utilize this power. ...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

The Aspire MSL program is Tom Caravela and Sarah Snyder's secret sauce to helping folks land their first MSL position. Included with the online component of the program are weekly office and bimonthly group coaching calls. I recently started attend...