Welcome to the MSL Mastery Blog

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

There's no way around it. No matter what role you have in Medical Affairs, or any role in pharma or biotech, presentation skills are critical. And they are often the most challenging part of the job.

In the Aspire MSL program, refining presenta...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

You know that feeling when you absolutely crush a presentation? You walk out of the room or hit 'Leave Meeting' feeling like a million bucks.

There are several presentations in my career where I know I just CRUSHED it. One was in person at a la...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

Imagine this: You’re an aspiring professional in the pharma or biotech industry preparing to give a presentation for a job interview, working in clin dev presenting new trial data, or a leader presenting to cross-functional partners. You’ve spent w...

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, 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 powe...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

Sarah Snyder always says one of the biggest misconceptions that aspiring MSLs have about the MSL role is that it is an educator role. Folks tell her they love educating and that's why they want to land their first MSL role. Many envision themselves...

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...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

As an aspiring MSL, you've likely asked yourself, "Do I have what it takes to be an MSL?" But as we've explored in my previous article, "Do You Have What It Takes To Be An MSL?", the more important question is: "Do I want to be an MSL?"

However, f...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

Jamie, a recent PhD graduate, was over the moon when she received her first invitation for an MSL interview. However, her excitement quickly turned to anxiety as she sat in front of her computer, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information about...

By Patrina Pellett & Sarah Snyder

Being a parent and having a full-time job is tough in any industry. You basically have 3 full-time jobs. The MSL role is no exception and introduces some additional challenges. Many aspiring MSLs wonder if the MSL role is compatible with being a parent.

The answer...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

Preparing for the first MSL usually makes people feel two very strong, but completely opposite emotions:

1. Extreme excitement
2. Blood pressure rising nervousness

It's high-stakes, so it makes complete sense to have this type of reaction. O...