Traditional medical science liaison (MSL) training typically incorporates therapeutic area and disease state training, along with necessary regulatory and compliance guidance. Often, MSLs receive required printed training materials along with nearly 200 hours of onboarding time.

MSL Training Needs a Paradigm Shift

The traditional MSL training construct has its place. But the MSL role is only growing in strategic importance. And healthcare providers demand high-value interactions with industry representatives. So MSLs need to be trained to do more than reproduce the same content meeting after meeting. As we’ve now fully embraced digital technology, it makes sense that MSL training needs a paradigm shift. And mountains of evidence have emerged to show that MSLs learn better and improve effectiveness through different models.

Let’s take a quick look at some established research first. The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve has shown that employees forget 80% of the information they’ve been told a month after they’ve been given it. Without any attempt to retain the information they receive in a traditional learning environment, MSLs are apt to simply forget it and move on.

Newer research supports the need for innovative – often digital – MSL training and onboarding models. According to the 2018 Workplace Learning Report, 68% of employees prefer to learn at work and 58% of employees prefer to learn at their own pace. Additionally, a survey of Learning and Development professionals found that 94% of professionals prefer microlearning because it is more effective. 

The Impact of Microlearning on Effectiveness and Retention

eLearning has been around for a while but there’s more to it than just converting your training materials into a digital format. Microlearning is designed to provide easily digestible content. The advantage is that MSLs can get a quick dose of learning in between meetings and other tasks, aligning with the desire to learn at work and at their own pace. And because microlearning offers up short-form information, MSLs will be more likely to retain the information and apply it in their day-to-day work.  

Another important trend to note is the shift in the generation that companies will be onboarding. Whether they’re millennials, Gen Y or Gen Z, younger, more digital savvy MSLs will want to learn differently. The primary demands that modern learners have can be boiled down to a few key factors:

• Mobile ready

• Quick access

• Expertise

• Collaboration

• Continuous learning opportunities

Modern MSLs absolutely want mobile platforms they can use to quickly access their learning materials. They also want to learn from experts in a collaborative environment. And they want to be able to learn about trends impacting their role as they happen.

Augment MSL Training with the BCMAS

Since collaboration rates highly on the list for modern learning platforms, it makes sense that companies would train their MSL teams together. The Board Certified Medical Affairs Specialist credential is the ideal tool to meet the needs for modern MSL training and continuous improvement.

The BCMAS program offers a self-paced online program in a microlearning, problem-based environment. The comprehensive curriculum covers 20 areas, including:

• The Pharmaceutical Industry Overview

• Medical Device Industry

• Diagnostics Industry

• Rules Governing Interactions with Healthcare Professionals

• Health Economics Outcomes Research

• Evidence-Based Medicine

• Clinical Trial Designs

• Presentation and Communication Skills

• Regulatory Affairs

• Compliance

• Abstract and Medical Writing

• Publication Practices

• Drug Development Processes

• Overview of Medical Information

• Medical Science Liaisons and Field-Based Medical Teams

• Grant & Investigator Initiated Study Findings and Process

• Advisory Boards

• Phase IV/Post-Marketing Studies

• Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS)

• Medication Safety and Pharmacovigilance

MSLs who complete the BCMAS certification gain a wholistic understanding of the entire life sciences industry and how it impacts healthcare. But they also learn about important trends that biopharmaceutical companies are increasingly involved in, such as artificial intelligence and blockchain technology. The curriculum also provides improvement opportunities around soft skills, such as presentation and communication style. This is the type of continuous learning opportunities that modern MSLs from their training.

The Importance of Earning a BCMAS Badge

Completing the BCMAS program provides an enduring digital badge aligned with industry standards that increase an MSL’s effectiveness. It clearly communicates to HCPs, key opinion leaders and other stakeholders that the individual has a specific set of skills and knowledge. The BCMAS badge also distinguishes the MSL from a sales representative. 

There’s a difference in training your MSLs to do a job and preparing your MSLs to deliver excellence in their careers. This is where accreditation matters. Without an accredited training program, you have no way of knowing that you’re providing information to your MSLs that meets an industry benchmark of excellence. Earning an accredited credential provides that value to your organization. The BCMAS credential also provides a means for you to assess your MSL team’s ability to retain the information through online quizzes and the final board exam. Lastly, because BCMAS requires recertification after five years, MSLs will have to undergo a similar assessment to ensure they’ve retained the information that they’ve learned.

The BCMAS is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). MSLs who go through the BCMAS program can even earn CME credits accredited by ACCME and ACPE.