MSL Talk

Latest Episodes:

How to successfully recruit and hire MSLs VIRTUALLY with Paula Pearson Jul 21, 2020

Show notes

My guest today is Paula Pearson, Senior Director, Field Medical at Apellis and we discuss how to successfully recruit and hire MSLs virtually.

In this episode:

Paula’s background
About Apellis and size of the team
The changes Paula has to make once COVID hit
The challenges Paula face along the way with this new process
Some of the advantages of virtual interviewing
How do candidates differentiate themselves in a virtual interview
What was most appealing to Paula and what behaviors that candidates should NOT do
Advice to hiring managers
How Paula sees the future of recruiting for the next few months and the next few years

(0:00) Introduction to guest Paula Pearson and episode topic (2:26) Overview of Paula's current company and team dynamics (3:21) Evolution of the hiring process from pre-COVID to current virtual strategies (7:57) Constructing an effective interview panel and overcoming challenges of virtual interviews (12:26) Assessing candidates’ technological aptitude and differentiating strong candidates virtually (15:41) Candidate behaviors that impact virtual interview outcomes (17:07) Insights for hiring managers in the era of virtual recruitment (20:33) Future outlook on recruiting and performance evaluation post-COVID (23:01) Addressing MSL leaders' concerns and the importance of video engagement (26:35) Final advice for MSLs, managers, and job seekers (27:26) Closing remarks and thanks to Paula Pearson

How to leverage KOL relationships to achieve strategic objectives with Dr. Aoife O'Dwyer Jul 14, 2020

Show notes

My guest today is Aoife O'Dwyer, Founder of MSL Consultant, and we discuss how to leverage KOL relationships to achieve strategic objectives.

My guest today is Aoife O Dwyer, Founder of MSL Consultant, and we discuss how to leverage KOL relationships to achieve strategic objectives.

In this episode:

What made Aoife decide to become an MSL Consultant and what she likes best about her role
Aoife’s advice to MSLs who want to demonstrate their value to their company
Most important things for people to remember in KOL identifications and stakeholder mapping
Tips on getting a KOL meeting
How can an MSL deliver value in a KOL meeting
How can an MSL plan for a KOL meeting
How has COVID affected an MSL’s ability to provide value and what advice Aoife can give to MSLs in handling this crisis
What skills are now mandatory for MSLs during and after the COVID crisis to provide value to their KOLs and to their organization
How Aoife expects Pharma to change practices as a result of Covid-19
Advice to MSLs to help aid in their success

(0:00) Introduction to the episode and guest Aoife O'Dwyer (3:16) Mentoring and advice for junior Medical Affairs members (7:53) Strategies for KOL identification, stakeholder mapping, and engagement (16:00) Delivering and continuing value in KOL meetings during COVID (22:49) Skills required for effective KOL engagement in the current landscape (24:07) The future of pharma practice post-COVID (25:14) Final advice for creating impact as an MSL (28:01) Show closing remarks and invitation to engage with the podcast

How to Negotiate a Job Offer Jul 07, 2020

Show notes

I have a special episode today by request. I’m going to talk about how to negotiate a job offer. I’m sincerely hoping that there's a lot of you out there that’s in this position or very soon will be and you’ll find this information really useful.

In this episode:

Few questions to ask yourself when you get close to job offer
Be gracious and react positively
Be tactful
Be responsive
Know the market
Know your “why”
Don’t over negotiate
Should we always try to negotiate and never accept the initial offer
Should we disclose our current compensation
When (and when not) do we disclose our compensation
How do companies put together/determine a job offer
How and when do companies offer sign-in bonuses

(0:00) Introduction to the episode (0:36) Negotiating job offers with recruiter insights (3:13) The importance of transparency and assessing position desire (4:35) Rules of Negotiation: Be gracious, tactful, responsive, and market-aware (9:40) Understanding when to negotiate and using the right language (12:09) The debate on always negotiating (13:49) Discussing current and expected compensation (17:05) How companies structure job offers and sign on bonuses (21:27) Episode summary and closing remarks

The art of leveraging your strengths to be a Kick Ass MSL Jun 16, 2020

Show notes

I’m joined by Cathy Andorfer, who leads a national team of MSLs and has agreed to give us a leader’s perspective on how to be great at your job.

In this episode:

How Cathy got to where she is now
What matters most to her as a director and other leaders in the company
What someone needs to do to be a top MSL
How do internal stakeholders evaluate the performance of their MSL teams? Of their individual MSLs?
How can MSLs separate themselves from their peers?
Can someone without any experience convince the manager to hire them
Advice for somebody who’s early in their career to make an impact with leadership to get noticed
Cathy from being an introvert to senior national director
Her advice for anyone out there early in their career, introvert or extrovert?
Cathy’s advice to be a kickass MSL

Cathay Endorfer

(0:00) Introduction and guest introduction (0:38) Kathy Andorfer's career journey and transition to industry (6:30) Current role, responsibilities, and qualities of a top MSL at Dermira (9:47) Emotional intelligence and evaluating MSL performance (15:31) The art of being a kickass MSL and advice for aspirants (22:07) Networking, internal connections, and managing social interactions (27:01) Balancing comfort zones with career growth (30:45) The future of medical affairs post-COVID (33:27) Final advice for being a successful MSL (34:48) Closing remarks and gratitude

How to Prepare and Succeed on a Video Interview Jun 09, 2020

Show notes

My guest today is Laura Wilson, MD --- Principal Consultant at BioStrategies Consulting LLC and we will discuss some ideas on how to prepare for a video interview.

In this episode:

About Laura
Her perspective on video interviews
Tips for MSLs (or others) to prepare for the video interview
Specific tips to help the interviewee get ready
What Laura recommends people wear for a video interview
Other considerations to prepare for a video interview
Tips on sending a thank you note

(0:00) Introduction and guest introduction (0:45) Laura Wilson's background and experience in video interviews (6:11) Preparing for a video interview and synchronizing body language (15:21) Dress code and setting the scene for video interviews (23:50) Post-interview etiquette and framing answers effectively (29:13) Starting a new consulting business and closing thoughts (30:38) Listener call to action and farewell

How to maximize KOL engagement and MSL insights gathering at your next virtual congress with Patrina Pellet May 26, 2020

Show notes

My guest today is Patrina Pellet. She is the Vice President of Medical Strategy at Kernel. We talk about how to maximize KOL engagement and MSL insights gathering at your next virtual congress.

In this episode:

Patrina’s article
Patrina’s advice on where can people start
Tips for folks attending (coordinating, navigating, etc)
Virtual booths
Tips on hashtags
Final tip in helping others prepare and get ready
Tom and Patrina’s favorite quarantine activities

http://gokernel.com/blog

https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrina/

(0:00) Introduction and guest background (2:33) Virtual congress preparation and benefits (5:18) Navigating the format of virtual congresses (8:32) Tips for MSL teams at virtual events (10:32) Effective management of virtual booths (12:38) Leveraging social media for engagement (17:56) Strategies for pre-congress planning (18:57) Personal reflections during the pandemic (21:16) Closing remarks

Tips for landing your first MSL role…From a guy who just did with Kyle Householder May 19, 2020

Show notes

My guest today is Kyle Householder, Medical Science Liaison at Teva Pharmaceuticals and we discuss how he landed his first MSL role and tips for anyone out there looking to do the same.

In this episode:

What is the first thing to do on the journey to landing an MSL role
What’s next after landing the MSL role
Networking Do’s and Don’ts
Kyle’s suggestions on resumes and cover letters
What Tom thinks is important to add on resumes
Kyle’s advice to aspiring MSLs

Kyle Householder

(0:00) Introduction to Kyle Householder and his MSL journey (0:21) Welcome to MSL Talk (0:42) Kyle's academic background and transition to MSL at Teva Pharmaceuticals (3:28) Advice on starting the MSL job search and importance of networking (10:39) Leveraging connections for referrals and communication strategies on LinkedIn (19:02) Building an effective LinkedIn profile and resume/CV (26:01) Highlighting skills, presentations, and publications on your resume/CV (29:28) Overcoming frustrations with the job search process (32:14) Staying positive and viewing the job search as an experiment (33:10) Encouragement and final thoughts (33:45) Outro and call to action

How will COVID-19 affect the MSL role and what new skills may emerge as necessary to maintain value, access and future succes May 12, 2020

Show notes

My guest today is Paul Ward. He is the National Director, Oncology MSLs at AstraZeneca, and MSL Society Advisory Board Member. We will discuss how Covid-19 will affect the role of the MSL and what new skills may emerge as necessary to maintain value, access, and future success.

In this episode:

How interviews are being conducted during this time
Considering the travel bans and limited access, what other activities should MSLs be focusing on during the pandemic?
Skills mandatory for MSLs during and after the crisis to find success
How has COVID 19 affected the hiring landscape and what is expected to happen in the upcoming months/year
How will HCP expectations change as a result of Covid
How an MSL can meet or exceed expectations during the pandemic
How does Paul expect Pharma to change practices as a result of Covid-19
The advice Paul can give to MSLs to help aid in their success

Paul Ward

(0:00) Introduction of Paul Ward and episode focus (0:41) Paul Ward's background and current role (2:20) Impact of COVID-19 on MSLs' personal and professional lives (4:46) MSL responsibilities and HCP interactions during the pandemic (10:02) Challenges and strategies for virtual MSL engagements (15:21) Future of virtual interactions in the MSL role (19:59) Developing skills for effective virtual interactions (24:00) HCP and patient expectations from MSLs during and post-COVID-19 (26:01) MSL performance metrics and expectations (28:40) Quantitative vs. qualitative metrics for MSLs (31:19) Changing patient expectations and healthcare dynamics (34:21) Advice for MSLs to adapt and add value (36:25) Impact of COVID-19 on MSL recruitment and hiring (39:13) Future outlook for MSL roles and medical affairs (40:11) Closing remarks and subscription reminder

10 Tips for a Successful MSL Interview with Sue Watson May 05, 2020

Show notes

My guest today is Sue Watson. Sue is the Scientific Director, Oncology Medical Affairs, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson. Our topic today is 10 Tips for a Successful MSL interview.

In this episode:

Who is Sue and what she’s doing
Sue’s advice as candidates start to prepare the interview
Tips for a successful MSL Interview
Bring interest and enthusiasm
Know the company
Know who is interviewing you
Know the role of an MSL
Prepare for your presentation
Anticipate the questions they will ask you
Prepare a 30-60-90 day plan
Prepare a list of questions for you to ask the interviewers
Dress for the interview
Send thank you email
Advice to aspiring MSLs trying to break into the role

Sue Watson

(0:00) Introduction of Sue Watson and episode topic (1:12) Sue Watson's background and experience (3:05) Combining enthusiasm, research, and understanding the MSL role in interviews (7:16) Researching the company and knowing your interviewers (14:42) Preparing for the presentation and interview questions (24:31) Preparing for situational questions and creating a 30, 60, 90-day plan (28:21) Preparing questions for the interviewers and dressing for success (31:46) The importance of post-interview thank you emails (36:13) Final tips and advice for aspiring MSLs (37:17) Closing remarks and gratitude

What's Next: Co-creating the next reality for Field Medical after a crisis with Craig Simms Apr 28, 2020

Show notes

Today I have Craig Simms, CEO of Amplify Consulting Services and Former MSL Director of Astellas Pharma. Our topic for today is What’s Next: Co-creating the next reality for field medical teams following a global crisis. Really interesting topic, you’re going to enjoy it.

Craig Simms's LinkedIn

(0:00) Introduction of guest Craig Sims, CEO of Amplify Consulting Services (0:50) Career background and current focus of Craig Sims at Amplify Consulting (3:58) Leadership and coaching approach during crises (4:25) Framework for corporate priorities and crisis response (10:24) Navigating financial solvency and maintaining relevance during survival phase (17:41) Pivoting operations for recovery and revenue support (21:42) Discussing post-crisis business practice shifts (24:12) Approaching the growth phase with profitability and medical relevance (26:38) Adjusting long-term vision and mission in the vision phase (28:37) Managing controllable and uncontrollable crisis challenges (30:35) Implementing innovative tools in medical affairs (31:24) The significance of emotional intelligence in leadership (32:22) Addressing morale and mindset in medical affairs teams (34:53) Reenergizing medical affairs teams after a crisis (35:42) MSL challenges in regaining KOL interactions (37:21) MSLs' role in post-crisis problem-solving for customers (39:45) Closing remarks and appreciation

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