Welcome to the MSL Mastery Blog

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

When you think of “presentation skills,” what comes to mind? Probably a big, formal event with a polished PowerPoint and an audience full of bigwigs, right? But here’s the truth: it’s not just the big moments that shape your career.

It’s the everyday...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

We’ve all sat through (or delivered) those presentations. You know the ones I’m talking about. Slide after slide of data with numbers that blur together until you’re left with nothing but a vague sense of, well, something. But there’s one simple wa...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

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If there's one thing I’ve noticed about aspiring MSLs, it’s that they’re lifelong le...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

Here's a big secret of mine: I used to have a serious "um" problem. While watching videos of myself presenting, I was shocked by how often I said it. It was so cringey! Recognizing this was a huge step, and I worked hard to eliminate "um" from my p...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

Virtual presentations are here to stay, especially in pharma and biotech. They’ve become an everyday part of our professional toolkit. Check out the chart below from a recent LinkedIn poll! Everyone is in several hours of virtual meetings per week....

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

Do you ever feel like you're running on a treadmill that’s going way too fast, and yet, somehow, you’re still not getting anywhere? Meetings, emails, congresses, POA meeting, travel, more emails... it’s endless. If you're like most people in Medica...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

You know that moment when you’re presenting amazing data, and all of a sudden, you realize… you've lost them. Blank stares. Eyes rolling into the back of heads. And you’re like, Great, I’m killing it. Except you’re not.

In pharma and biotech, pres...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

There's no way around it. No matter what role you have in Medical Affairs, or any role in pharma or biotech, presentation skills are critical. And they are often the most challenging part of the job.

In the Aspire MSL program, refining presenta...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

You know that feeling when you absolutely crush a presentation? You walk out of the room or hit 'Leave Meeting' feeling like a million bucks.

There are several presentations in my career where I know I just CRUSHED it. One was in person at a la...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

Imagine this: You’re an aspiring professional in the pharma or biotech industry preparing to give a presentation for a job interview, working in clin dev presenting new trial data, or a leader presenting to cross-functional partners. You’ve spent w...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

Have you noticed how almost every MSL job description mentions insights? That's because insights are one of the core responsibilities of the MSL role and a central way that Medical Affairs teams deliver value. Without a doubt, if someone wants to m...

By Patrina Pellett, PhD (Follow me on LinkedIn)

The MSL job search process is a rollercoaster of emotions. For most folks, there tends to be some ups and A LOT of downs. It's hard to stay positive when you:

• Submit application after application and get radio silence
• Make it to the final round
...