Medical Advisor Career Myths

There needs to be more clarity about what is required in the pharmaceutical industry. Many talented professionals often see this as a barrier to making their long-awaited switch; here are some of the most common ones I get asked about that I will gladly debunk!

1. Experience

One of the most common questions I get asked from prospective candidates on Linkedin is whether or not they have enough experience to do the role. It is a common misconception that industry experience is required for an MSL or medical advisor role, but this is often untrue! However, it is beneficial to have clinical or therapeutic experience, whether as a post-doc researcher, pharmacist or medical doctor. Job descriptions are often written generically with both essential criteria and desirable qualifications. Leveraging your current career is usually sufficient to pass the vital criteria. 

Required criteria alone will more often than not get you into the job interview; it is then up to you and your network to devise a plan to work around displaying the preferred characteristics they want.

MSL Job Description

2. Degree Qualification

Evidence from the MSL society suggests most MSLs do have a post-doctorate. However, it is becoming increasingly popular for MSLs from various academic and clinical backgrounds, such as nursing, pharmacy, medical doctor or a master's degree. Likewise, with a head office medical advisor role, it is not only medical doctors that can perform this role; more and more post-doctorates and pharmacists are fulfilling this role, too, known as clinical research scientists in some companies. 

Pharmaceuticals companies are becoming more diverse in their hiring and want to recruit people from a range of backgrounds to bring different clinical insights into the role 

3. Medical Affairs Certification 

There is no certification for medical affairs. However, due to the popularity of medical affairs increasingly likely to overtake the role of field sales shortly, there is no requirement to study or do an extra qualification specifically for medical affairs. Furthermore, there is no exam for a final medical signatory qualification; each pharmaceutical company decides there own in-house criteria.

From my point of view, the drivers to getting hired are to show a willingness to learn, relevant experience and an ability to communicate science both internally to the business and externally to healthcare professionals.

Thank you for reading. Until next time.