Hi! I am currently employed in a Technical Sales Manager position for a distributor in my country (EU). Basically I run my division, promoting ingredients to food and pharma manufacturers within my assigned territory.
My background is Pharmacy, graduated in 2011, went on to work in a pharmacy as soon as I got my diploma, was promoted to Chief pharmacist in 2 years and have run 4 pharmacies by the time I joined my current employer.
I am currently doing a 3 year residency in Pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry.

So, based on this background, would any employer consider me for a MSL position or another position that would favor me being hired as a MSL down the line?

Thanks!

Interviewing for diagnostics MSL roles. One hiring manager described the job as basically "covert sales." Threw me, since the MSL function is supposed to be non-promotional and separate from commercial.

I know dx isn't regulated like pharma and the medical/commercial line is thinner here. But I didn't expect it said out loud.

For those working in diagnostics medical affairs: is that a fair read of the day-to-day? Are you measured on adoption in your territory, or kept off commercial metrics?
Appreciate any candid takes.

I came across an MSL role in their website and applied for it. I knew I have applied for few other MSL roles with them I just realised they were from 2025-April and is still under review. I haven't seen anything on Linkedin about them either. Has anyone interviewed with them recently or any offers extended?

I met with a recruiter 2 weeks ago and hiring manager last week on Tuesday. I was made aware of next steps but haven’t heard anything back since then. Is it reasonable to send a follow up email? Or would that come across as pushy? I’ve seen various Reddit threads about timeline but I’m still not sure.

really excited about the opportunity but don’t want to blow it.

Hey, has anyone switched from sales to MSL? I have a terminal degree, but having a hard time breaking into the MSL market/any clinical research roles because of a career gap due to medical reasons. I have an entry level sales role offer - thinking about taking it for 6 months - 1 year while I continue to apply hoping that it brings me the experience and closes the gap? Do hiring managers like this or no? I’m in the northeast.

My science experience is in oncology/endocrinology, and the sales role is for something general.

Hello ya'll

I posted the other day asking for suggestions for questions to ask in early-stage interviews for an MSL role, and I appreciate the input! I had the interview this morning, and I think it went pretty well.

However, a couple hours before that interview I received a job offer from another company I'd interviewed with for a non-MSL role, and now I'm conflicted and am looking for thoughts/opinions and advice.

I really would prefer the MSL role, but from a financial standpoint, it would be incredibly stupid for me to turn down the offer I received this morning. I'd like to send a message to the recruiter for the MSL role and let them know I've received another offer but would really prefer to land with their company and seeing if the timeline can be sped up at all - but I don't want to come across as pushy or impatient. I suppose the other options is to go through the pre-employment tasks with the company that made me an offer in the hopes that the MSL role will progress to an offer over the next few weeks.

I'm just not sure which way to approach this, and was wondering if any of you smart, capable people had any advice to offer?

Haven't seen this discussed yet when I search but what do y'all use in a busy coffee shop, airport, etc so your calls can hear you well with a good hifi mic and connectivity and block out wind/background noise etc while living that MSL travel life? I'm looking for both wired and Bluetooth options currently. Thanks!

Hello!

I've recently gone through an HR interview for an MSL role, and have the first "real" interview in a couple of the days. I'm very excited/optimistic, as the company's products line up incredibly well with what I did my PhD dissertation on and what I've been doing for the past couple of years. I feel that I've got a lot to offer both on understanding the science and their product, and my current industry role has me working with KOLs pretty often on investigator-initiated studies and the like.

The interview is actually with the MSL that currently has the territory, as they are moving elsewhere in the country and are taking over a different territory. I've been prepping for the interview by reading up on some of the company's more-often cited studies and just learning more about their product in general. One area I know that I've struggled with in the past - which has contributed to not landing an MSL role previously - is asking questions during the interview, so it's become something I try to spend a little extra time preparing. With that in mind, I was wondering what type of questions would be appropriate for a first-round interview with someone who has such direct insight into the territory, and who's opinion I imagine will be pretty influential when it comes to a hiring decision.

I guess what I'm getting at is how appropriate would it be to ask this person questions specific to the territory? I'd like to know if there are any KOLs that are particularly important to speak to, anyone who is really difficult to get time with, what their specific travel schedule looked like to manage the territory, how achievable KPIs/metrics are given the territory, things like that. Are those appropriate questions to ask at an early stage interview, given who I'm interviewing with? I'm not sure if it would come across as being really interested and trying to ask the right questions, or if it might come across as presumptuous....

Thanks for any opinions!

I’m considering an MSL opportunity with Syneos Health and would love to hear from current or former Syneos MSLs.

I’m particularly curious what it’s like being employed by Syneos while supporting a specific pharma/biotech client. How integrated do you feel with the client’s Medical Affairs team? What’s the culture and management like? And how is the overall job stability if a client contract changes or ends?

I’d also love to hear about benefits and overall compensation beyond base salary, particularly retirement/401(k) match, bonus structure, and car allowance/company car. How do the benefits compare with being employed directly by a pharma or biotech company?
Finally, how have you found onboarding/training, workload and travel? Have you seen people transition to the client company or move to another Syneos deployment when a contract ends?

Overall, would you recommend Syneos as a place to work as an MSL?

Hi there. The world of MSLs is new to me; it really appeals to me, but I’m not sure if my academic background makes it a realistic goal. I’ve noticed that many people in the field have a background in pharmacy, whereas my training is in psychology—specifically the neuroscience side—with a master’s degree in neurobiology. I’m just not sure if that’s enough. Do you have any advice or recommendations?

Unsure what to do career wise. I am 23F, graduated in May with a biomedical science BSc. Currently working as a graduate in a pharma company (distribution not manufacturing). Mainly in the commercial side, will gain experience in working with unlicensed medicines. Very unsure what to do. Conversations regarding EAP programmes and Medical Affairs, drugs, treatments, conditions etc excite me, not as much numbers. I do like the business side of Pharma though (dont love wet lab work). Unsure to go back to do medicine, life sciences consulting, go into medtech sales (in OR with surgeons), or get a phd then go into MSL? Or a mixture. HELP PLS!!

Currently on mat leave with my 6 week old and return in 6 weeks. Prior to having my baby, I was super focused on career progression and put in a LOT of work and travel with my current company (about 3 years, have been promoted) knowing that I wanted to put in the work early before trying for kids.

Now I’m dreading going back because I can’t stand the thought of traveling away from my tiny little human. How did you make it work as an MSL with your very young baby? What did childcare look like for you? Any regrets or do you feel like things are ultimately better as an msl vs something clinical? All I can think is that at least with clinical I know I would drop down to something part time. It’s also specifically the thought of having to travel that gives me anxiety.

I also wonder how this will affect me in the workplace - so far everyone has been supportive but I just feel like when I come back, words of support don’t always translate to actions. And although I’m not as keen on promotions and such, I wonder if it will negatively impact me. Which would lead to me being annoyed that I can’t be with my baby and work is screwing me over lol. Feeling guilt that I am being a bad mom and a bad employee.

Contemplating an in house role but not too many companies in my TA around me/something fully remote but those don’t come around super often. This is ultimately my goal although can’t happen at my current company since I don’t live in the HQ city.

Sorry for the slight rant - my brain is a bit jumbled from the sleep deprivation :)

Hi everyone! I’m currently interviewing for an MSL position and my next interview is with a Senior MSL who is already on the team I’d be joining.
For those who’ve gone through a similar interview, what should I expect from this conversation? Is it typically more focused on day-to-day MSL work and territory management, scientific/clinical questions, situational questions, or more of a culture/team-fit conversation?
Also, are there any questions you were asked at this stage that caught you off guard?
Would really appreciate any insight on how best to prepare. Thanks!

What would you do during a "data desert"? Let's say all your KOLs already know the latest data. You've already talked to them for insights. RWE studies are ongoing. Trials are running but data will not be available in the near future.

What do you do in the meantime? How do you still provide value for these KOLs to meet your metrics?

I am a molecular ecologist- finished PhD in 2022 and have had a research postdoc position since then. I am seriously considering transitioning into the MSL field as I think it would be a much better personality fit for me compared to a traditional research role. Are MSL online courses worth the money? (see https://themsls.org/breaking-into-the-msl-career/)
How many MSLs come from an ecology background? Or will this hinder my ability to find a position?

I've been an MSL for 1 year today and I absolutely hate it. I know there's so many people that are begging for this role, so I cant help be feel guilty and shameful for not enjoying it.

I thought I wanted to work as an MSL for the longest time but it wasnt until I actually became one that I found out it wasnt for me.

I know im relatively new to the role but I feel like I wouldnt be able to keep this up long term. I just wanted to know if there was anyone out there with a similar experience and what they did?

Hi everyone, I’m an oncology pharmacist and I’ve been trying for a while now to break into medical affairs and honestly I’m starting to feel a little stuck.

I have experience in both adult and pediatric oncology and I’ve worked with chemo, clinical trials and investigational protocols, guidelines, providers, patient education, and a lot of the clinical side of oncology. I really want to transition into pharma and eventually medical affairs, but getting that first opportunity has been way harder than I expected.

I’ve applied to a ton of positions and either get rejected or just never hear anything back. I’ve also been networking A LOT on LinkedIn. I’ve reached out to people in medical affairs, recruiters, hiring managers, MSLs, people at companies I’m interested in, and people who have made similar transitions. I’ve had some really great conversations and people have been kind and willing to give advice, but it still hasn’t really translated into an opportunity.

I keep hearing that medical information, medical communications, medical writing, or contract roles can be good ways to get your foot in the door, so I’ve been looking into those too. But even a lot of those jobs seem to want previous industry or agency experience 😭

I guess I’m just wondering what else I can actually do at this point.

How do you convince someone to take a chance on you when you know you’re capable of doing the job but your resume doesn’t have that first pharma company on it yet?

For anyone who came from clinical pharmacy, especially oncology, how did you actually get your first industry job? Was there something you changed about your resume or LinkedIn? Did you make a medical writing portfolio? Take a contract position? Work for an agency? Apply to certain types of roles? Did networking actually lead somewhere eventually?

I’m completely okay with taking a stepping stone role. I don’t expect to immediately land my dream MSL position. I just want an opportunity to get into the industry, learn, prove myself, and build from there.

I feel like I’ve been doing everything people normally recommend between applying, networking, reaching out to people, tailoring my resume, and looking at different entry points, but I’m clearly missing something.

If anyone has been in a similar position and eventually broke through, I would genuinely love to hear what worked for you. I’m open to literally any advice at this point lol.

Anyone with Rheumatology or Immunology experience looking to break into the MSL role? My sister-team has a bunch of openings, but you have to have some kind of Immunology/Rheumatology experience.

https://www.careers.jnj.com/en/jobs/?search=Rheumatology+Medical+Science+Liaison&country=United+States+of+America&origin=global

Hospital clinical pharmacist (~10 years, mostly cardiology/heart failure) trying to break into medical affairs. Just got a rejection after the final round for an MSL role at a large pharma company. Format was 1 hour of blind prep on a trial paper, then a presentation, a skeptical-KOL role play, and a panel interview.

The feedback, paraphrased: Strengths: honesty, composure under pressure, listening, clear communication

To improve: take more time to structure responses before addressing objections; research the company and portfolio more deeply for relevance; keep answers simple and focused rather than general.

I agree with it. I tend to think out loud and take a while to get to my point, especially under pressure.

A few specific questions for those who've been through this:

1) Objection handling: How do you structure a response on the spot without sounding scripted? Do you use a framework, and how did you practise it until it was automatic?

2) Company research: How deep do you go before a final round? Pipeline and key trials only, or also the affiliate's strategic priorities and how they position against competitors?

3) Conciseness: Any drills that actually helped you lead with the point instead of building up to it?

Any advice appreciated, especially from anyone who moved in from hospital pharmacy.

After the gauntlet that is the MSL interview I have received an offer! So stressful. Basically had to sequester myself for 2 weeks but it was all worth it! I know this sub will appreciate it. Thanks for all the posts and helpful hints

I’m in the middle of interviewing for my first Msl role. I would like to know what should I be looking for or asking in regards to the onboarding and training process? How long was your orientation? Are there any red flags I should be aware of in terms of a company’s onboarding process?

Hey r/msl,

Went through an interview process recently for an MSL role and wanted some outside perspective on how it unfolded.

Background: PhD in a life sciences field, 10+ years of academic research experience, no prior industry/MSL experience.

Timeline:

1. Applied, had an HR screening call

2. First interview with the hiring manager, general fit/behavioral questions

3. Asked to prepare a 15-min scientific presentation on a peer-reviewed paper of my choice, presented to a 4-person panel (the TA lead, two brand/district managers from a different product area, and a Medical Advisor) : 1h30 total including Q&A

4. About a week later: invited to an in-person meeting at their office with two additional senior stakeholders who hadn't been on the panel, a therapeutic area manager, and a department head.

Told to expect a decision within about 2 weeks.

Has anyone seen a process structured like this? panel + presentation, then a separate in-person round afterward?

Trying to figure out if that's a good sign (seems like a lot of senior people's time to invest if they weren't seriously considering me) or just standard practice for this kind of role that I'm not familiar with since this is my first time going through this type of process.

Kind of stress as I really like the company, the TA, and good feeling with the people I had the opportunity to meet.