Welcome to the MSL Mastery Blog

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

Let me ask you something: who’s responsible for your career growth? Is it your boss? Your company? A magical hiring manager with a secret roadmap to your dream job?

Spoiler alert: it’s you.

Here’s the thing. Waiting for someone else to hand you o...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

We’ve all sat through (or delivered) those presentations. You know the ones I’m talking about. Slide after slide of data with numbers that blur together until you’re left with nothing but a vague sense of, well, something. But there’s one simple wa...

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)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, MSL Mastery may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

If there's one thing I’ve noticed about aspiring MSLs, it’s that they’re lifelong learn...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, MSL Mastery may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

If you’ve ever attended a conference, met dozens of people, and ended up with a stack o...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

Here's a big secret of mine: I used to have a serious "um" problem. While watching videos of myself presenting, I was shocked by how often I said it. It was so cringey! Recognizing this was a huge step, and I worked hard to eliminate "um" from my p...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

Virtual presentations are here to stay, especially in pharma and biotech. They’ve become an everyday part of our professional toolkit. Check out the chart below from a recent LinkedIn poll! Everyone is in several hours of virtual meetings per week....

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

Imagine this: The room fills with quiet anticipation. There’s a buzz, but the atmosphere is calm. The audience settles in, ready for what’s to come. You glance around, noticing how people are leaning forward, already engaged before the presentation...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

“Network,” they say. “It’s the best way to get a job,” they say. But let’s be honest, networking is the worst. Awkward small talk, reaching out to strangers, and getting rejected. It's really cringey.

But there is no way around it! Whether you're ...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

Do you ever feel like you're running on a treadmill that’s going way too fast, and yet, somehow, you’re still not getting anywhere? Meetings, emails, congresses, POA meeting, travel, more emails... It’s endless. If you're like most people in Medica...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

You know that moment when you’re presenting amazing data, and all of a sudden, you realize… you've lost them. Blank stares. Eyes rolling into the back of heads. And you’re like, Great, I’m killing it. Except you’re not.

In pharma and biotech, pres...

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 presentation...