The average professional skill now has a half-life of ~5 years.
Which means half of what made you an effective MSL in 2020 doesn’t carry the same weight today.
Your science still matters.
Your relationships still matter.
But the way you’re expected to work?
That’s changed.
It’s like showing up to the airport with a paper boarding pass - everything technically works, but nothing runs the way it used to.
Look at the MSL role right now:
→ More stakeholders.
→ Broader audiences (yes, APPs, which we love).
→ Waaaaayyyyyy harder to get access.
→ More expectation to think on your feet and explain why something matters, fast.
At the same time, the amount of new medical and scientific information created each year now exceeds what teams used to absorb over an entire decade.
So this isn’t about “keeping up.”
It’s about adapting how you think, decide, and communicate in real time.
That applies to everyone.
Leaders.
MSLs.
Aspiring MSLs.
And us.
Because training people for a version of the role that no longer exists doesn’t help anyone.
One Simple Way To Handle Change
When things change fast, most people add more words.
Do the opposite.
Change your first sentence.
Start with the takeaway, not the background:
- "The main points is..."
- "What matters most here is..."
Then stop talking. When everything is moving quickly, people don’t need more context.
They need orientation.
This one shift signals judgment, builds credibility, and keeps you effective. even as things change.
How We're Responding This Week
1:1 Meeting Mastery (for Medical Affairs Leaders)
Most 1:1s turn into updates or firefighting.
This session is about running 1:1s that:
- Build ownership
- Sharpen judgement
- Help MSLs think for themselves
If you lead people, this is leverage.
LinkedIn Glow-Up (for Aspiring MSLs)
Hiring hasn’t stopped.
Attention has.
This workshop is for people who:
- Haven't used LinkedIn to land a role
- Know they're capable but feel invisible
- Want to get noticed without their employer knowing
We’ll help you clean up your signal and tell a clearer story.
How to Build an Agent
Simple rule we’re using more and more:
If you’re doing the same thing more than twice, it’s probably time to offload part of it.
AI isn’t replacing MSL judgment.
It’s replacing repetition.
This session shows you how to:
- Spot repeatable thinking
- Build an agent that supports your work
- Free up time for conversations and decisions that matter
A Quick Question for Mira
Instead of asking “How do I keep up?” try this:
“What has changed in the MSL role over the last 6 months that I’m still handling the old way?”
Pick one thing.
Adjust one habit.
That’s how real progress happens.
A Note on Team Training (Looking Ahead)
We’re rethinking how we train MSL teams in 2026.
Not tweaking.
Upleveling.
There are three specific ways we’re changing how team training works to match the reality of the role today.
If you want to hear them, just reply TRAINING.
Bottom line:
You don’t need to become a different MSL.
You do need to stay current in how you operate.
That’s the work now.
In your corner,
Sarah, Patrina, Ralph & Jess
Upcoming MSL Mastery Events
- LinkedIn Glow-Up for Aspiring MSLs Workshop (Sign Up Here) - Tues 1/20
- 1:1 Mastery For MSL Leaders: The Ownership Engine (Sign Up Here) - Tues 1/20
- Aspire MSL Office Hours - Wed 1/21
- AI Agent in a Box - Build Your Own Medical Affairs AI Agent in 60 Min (Sign Up Here)- Thu 1/22
- AI in Medical Affairs (Philadelphia) - Jan 27, 2026
- Speaker: Patrina Pellett, PhD
- Topic: Building AI agents for Medical Affairs workflows
- Bonus: DM us for a discount code
- DIA Medical Affairs and Scientific Communications Forum (Boston) - Mar 2-4, 2026
- Workshop Lead: Patrina Pellett, PhD
- Focus: Applying AI across the full MSL workflow
- Why Attend: Packed with practical examples for field teams & leadership
- MAPS – MasterClass Field Medical (Denver) - Mar 24, 2026
- Speaker: Patrina Pellett, PhD
- Focus: AI in Action: Transforming How Medical Affairs Teams Learn
- American Pharmacists Association- APhA Annual Meeting (LA) - Mar 30, 2026
- Speaker: Sarah Snyder
- Focus: Say It With Strategy: The Industry Edition
- DIA Course (Virtual) - Apr 29, 2026
- Speaker: Patrina Pellett, PhD & Sarah Snyder
- Theme: Integrating AI across Medical Affairs
- Outcome: Boost efficiency, clarity & impact
P.S. Ray Kurzweil says we won’t experience 100 years of progress this century - we’ll experience something closer to 20,000 years’ worth at today’s pace.
If you’re a Medical Affairs leader and that makes you think, “Our training probably needs to evolve,” you’re not wrong.
Reply TRAINING & we’ll share how we’re rethinking team training for 2026.
Responses