What degree do you need to be a medical science liaison?

Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs) come from a variety of backgrounds, however, they typically have scientific and/or clinical training. For most MSL jobs, you will need to have a terminal ‘D’ degree-meaning a doctoral level degree. The 3 primary degrees are PharmD (pharmacist), MD (physician) or PhD in the life/physical sciences. According to the Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs (ACMA), approximately 55% of medical science liaisons are PharmDs. Although Nurse Practitioners (NPs), Doctors of Osteopathy (DOs), Physician Assistants (PAs) and more may be eligible they do not comprise the majority of medical affairs or medical science liaison professionals worldwide.

What are alternatives to a medical science liaison role?

Medical Information Specialist-- The role most PharmDs start with when they enter medical affairs within the pharmaceutical industry is typically within medical information (also known as drug information). The entry level role is a drug information specialist (medical information specialist). A medical information specialist supports pharmaceutical companies by answering inquiries that come in from healthcare providers (HCPs). They may provide verbal, written, and on-demand video responses to unsolicited medical and technical inquiries about products from HCPs, institutions, and/or payors. Medical information specialists may also create and/or revise standard and custom medical information responses for use in responding to existing and anticipated medical and technical inquiries from HCPs. They may also perform quality assurance review for standard response documents (SRDs).

Medical Director-- This position will provide medical guidance and leadership across Medical Affairs activities with a focus on life cycle management (LCM). They usually work in a multifunctional, matrix organization with global, medical affairs functions, medical research, Global medical affairs operations, external collaborations and US medical and Medical Science Liaison (MSL) teams, as well as with clinical development, marketing and access & reimbursement and the patient advocacy team. They are key to defining the LCM strategy, set annual goals and ensure compliant execution of global medical affairs activities, as well as excellence in standards and practices. This includes advancing external collaborations with health care practitioners, research groups, payers, patient advocacy groups as well as assuring strong collaboration on global, regional and local level across their organization. The medical director will develop in-depth understanding of the disease state landscape that they are focused on for their company.

Medical Writer-- Medical writers develop medical content either for a particular disease state if they’re working for a pharmaceutical company or for a pharmaceutical advertising or publications agency. They will work in conjunction with Account, Creative, and Editorial teams to ensure that the content is medically accurate and they are telling the right story. Writers develop varied resources including, but not limited to, value proposition materials, clinical monographs, advisory board content, and internal training resources. Medical writers could be collaborating with colleagues and clients on recommended content development approaches. Additionally, they may be developing, writing and translating complex scientific data to a broad audience across wide-ranging therapeutic areas.

Medical Affairs Excellence-- Medical Affairs Excellence leaders focus on strategic planning, resource management, and execution of critical launch initiatives. They are involved in project management and process expertise to execute the Medical Affairs Strategic Plan and ensures alignment across multiple stakeholders. They may oversee and manage multiple initiatives within the medical affairs function and come up with effective solutions that create significant value across countries, regions and globally. They focus on Insights Management, Training excellence, Data Generation, Data Dissemination, Stakeholder Engagement, and internal system and process improvements.

Digital Medical Affairs-- Medical affairs professionals who are the digital leaders within medical affairs. They primarily focus on enhancing the digital capabilities of medical affairs to drive strategic insights and help elevate the medical affairs team by leveraging big data for example for driving clinical trial strategies.

MSL Director-- MSL directors are field based (working from home) and work on managing the field MSL team. They help develop Key performance indicators (KPIs) for MSLs, ensure that MSLs meet their goals, and help to coach MSLs during field visits. MSL directors will be involved in internal activities within the internal medical affairs functions as well.

Drug Safety/Pharmacovigilance-- Pharmacovigilance (drug safety) professionals focus on the oversight of signal detection and signal management practices in clinical datasets to identify and uncover any safety signals to help protect patients and identify issues as soon as they arise from a safety standpoint. They may attend inspections, oversee risk management system and are responsible for medical monitoring of clinical studies. They also participate in preparing regulatory filings (i.e. NDA/IND annual updates, PSUR, PADER).

Patient Advocacy-- Patient advocacy professionals are responsible for developing and leading a global advocacy and engagement strategy and establishing long term relationships and strategic alliances with key national and international stakeholders, including patient advocacy groups, academic organizations and other relevant stakeholders in response to patient needs and in support of the company’s global patient advocacy and engagement objectives and related strategic goals. They usually serve as the primary conduit between their company and external stakeholders, and will bring patient perspectives into the company. They connect cross functionally, i.e. Medical Affairs, Research and Development, Regulatory, Access, Commercial, etc. to patients, and will represent patient voice for their organization.

Health Economics Outcomes Research Liaison-- HEOR liaisons maintain a network of external relationships with key HEOR thought leaders, RWE Researchers, Population Health decision makers, and Data Scientists within prioritized National and Regional Payor accounts and Health Systems. HEOR liaisons are accountable for managing multiple internal relationships (mainly Market Access, Medical Operations, HEOR and Medical Affairs). They serve as a HEOR subject matter expert and primary clinical point of contact for key HEOR thought leaders and influencers. HEOR liaisons differ than MSLs in that they may not only have one therapeutic area, but several, yet they do not go as deep into the disease state.

Publications Manager-- Publication managers are very knowledgeable about all of a product’s publications with stakeholders and they have oversight of all peer-reviewed publications activities at the asset level. Publication managers develop integrated global data dissemination / strategic publication plans and deliver high-quality publications thinking about the company’s overall scientific communication strategies and the medical congresses that are taking place.

Director, Medical Affairs-- This position is typically a cross portfolio role, responsible for co-creating and driving an overarching medical strategy across a local, national, or global healthcare region with the goal of improving patient outcomes and customer experience. In collaboration with other field partners, this position will develop a deep understanding of the local healthcare region across health systems, payers, and other key influencers in the region. In addition, they will identify opportunities to advance the care continuum and the delivery of healthcare through broad clinical and population health research opportunities that include Real World Evidence (RWE). They may work in close partnership with their commercial counterparts, such as marketing and sales, to ensure shared accountability across the designated region, being fully accountable for delivering on the medical aspects of the business and the overarching customer experience.

Vice President, Medical Affairs-- The Vice President, Medical Affairs is responsible for growing and leading the Medical Affairs Team to provide strategic vision, leadership, and management of all medical affairs activities, including communications with key external stakeholders, leadership of Advisory Boards, development of medical strategy, patient identification and engagement, and publication strategy and planning. Manage and expand the Medical Affairs Team. They may drive the company’s relationship with Principal Investigators (PIs) conducting clinical studies. Perhaps most importantly, the Vice President of Medical Affairs will translate clinical experience, competitive information, and physician/patient feedback to better inform company goals, development strategy, and clinical research protocols Chief Medical Officer-- Chief medical officers (CMO) are the highest ranking function in a medical affairs organization. The majority of the time an MD with board certification is required to hold the position of CMO. CMOs will direct the development of clinical strategies and plans. Orchestrate and manage clinical aspects of regulatory strategies and interactions with Health Authorities such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Oversee the analysis and interpretation of clinical trial data and the reporting of clinical trial results and lead interactions with academic thought leaders, investigators, cooperative groups, and other clinical stakeholders.