Medical affairs professionals in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry are mostly made up of driven individuals with a desire to succeed and proactively contribute to their organization. In fact, many of them have developed habits to help themselves become effective medical affairs professionals. Here are the top 5 most important habits we want to share with you.

What are the 5 habits of the most highly effective medical affairs professionals?

1. Start Early – Several studies have shown that individuals who wake up around 4:30 am are more successful and productive in their day. If you think about it, this makes lots of sense. While the rest of the world sleeps, you have an additional 2-3 hours to exercise, study, work on projects, etc… I can vividly recall asking my high school buddy who was ranked #1 in our graduating class what he did and he said, he got up at 5:00 am every day to study.

2. Continue Learning – Medical affairs professionals are supposed to be the subject matter experts. Keep up to date with the science for your particular therapeutic area by reading a new article or publication weekly. Broaden and sharpen your skills by getting certified in something relevant to your role. Keep evolving. When I was a medical science liaison (MSL), I decided to become an expert in biostatistics and clinical trial design. Although it took some effort, it was totally worth it and helped open up new opportunities for me.

3. Think Positively – We will all fail at something. But the difference between highly effective people and others is how you cope. Being able to push negative thoughts out of the way and replace them with positive ideas is key. Using the setback as a way to grow and not repeating the mistake is also important.

4. Exercise – Exercising daily can help you improve your physical health. But did you know that exercising for just 30 minutes a day can have positive effects on mood, concentration, and energy? As an externally facing function, our enthusiasm & energy with key thought leaders (KTLs) is critical to maintaining a long-lasting relationship.

5. Connect – Highly effective medical affairs professionals know the value of keeping the dialogue open with their cross-functional colleagues in marketing, clinical and regulatory affairs. Set up routine meetings to touch base and maintain a strong working relationship with your extended team. This is a small investment of time that pays off long term. You will be surprised at how much people appreciate that.

So, start early, continue learning, think positively, exercise, and connect are the 5 habits we found are most important for effective medical affairs professionals. Do you incorporate other habits you’d like to share that have been successful?