MSL

Question 1

Time you had to Establish Relationships

Answer 1

• New Role - Bridging gaps between sub specialty departments
• KP National Site Visit
• New role as Oncology Pharmacist - Working with providers and communication strategies

Question 2

How do you approach establishing relationships

Answer 2

Maintaining relationships with key opinion leaders in the medical field requires a strategic and personalized approach. I believe in regular, meaningful communication to keep them updated on recent developments and research findings.

Understanding their interests and challenges is crucial. By providing tailored information and resources that address these areas, we can foster mutual respect and trust.

Face-to-face interactions at conferences or seminars are also important for relationship building. These engagements provide opportunities to discuss shared goals and collaborate on potential projects.

Lastly, acknowledging their contributions and inputs helps solidify our partnership. It’s about creating a symbiotic relationship where both parties benefit from each other’s expertise.”

Question 3

Difficult KOL

Answer 3

Goal: Need to have the opportunity to show value
Problem: Difficult KOLs dont think they need added info from MSLs or already know the space since they are “experts in field”. Understand what is valuable to them
Task: Create opportunity to meet with them
- Provide value right out of the gate so you have opportunity again (be ready to go)
- Pre Call Planning - Have what you are going to say ready and be ready to say it

Question 4

PRE CALL PLANNING

(difficult KOL prep)

Answer 4

• Know the person you are planning on seeing so you can build rapport (cite specific article and opinion about work):
  -Their work
  - Articles, etc
• Provide value and understand what kind of information the KOL needs/wants/considers valuable
• Don’t Data Dump -> Tell a story
• Ask others in your network, commercial group, MSLs
• Don’t be afraid to be educated by the KOL (they are the expert), use this opportunity for discussion
• be prepared to show them something they may have already seen (anticipate questions to ask KOL)

Question 5

How do you gather insights on your product and competitor products?

Answer 5

• Stay up to date on NCCN Guidelines, Congresses, HOPA, ASCO, Clinical Trial Updates
• Establish relationships on field from other KOLs and gather their insights on products
• Identify gaps and trends in tx

Question 6

How would you develop strategy to implement within your region

Answer 6

• Start with collaboration with those already on the field
• Identify KOLs from academic institutions and community centers
• Use existing network to recognize/connect with existing KOLs
• Pre-Call Planning: understand what motivates the KOL, what brings value to the KOL
• Communicate with KOL and gather data ingishts on treatment

Question 7

Describe a time you had to prioritize tasks to meet multiple deadlines

Answer 7

Example
1) Balancing Competing Priorities: Organizational Inititaives vs. Day to Day tasks
* prioritize Task
* Delegate
* Follow Up

Important to make sure task was completed accurately, needs met and follow up

Identify Now Problem, tomorrow problem and week problem

Question 8

Describe your Strengths

Answer 8

Leadership
Strong Scientific Acumen
Communication Skills
Ability to collaborate
Credibility/Integrity

Question 9

Situation with a difficult customer

Answer 9

• Initial Koester Experience
  During a clinical trial, one physician was skeptical about the new treatment protocol. I understood his concern as it was a significant shift from conventional methods.

I initiated a meeting with him and presented relevant research data supporting the efficacy of this new approach. We also discussed potential patient benefits and addressed his concerns in-depth.

This open dialogue helped build trust and he agreed to try the new protocol. The outcome was positive, reinforcing the importance of effective communication and evidence-based discussions.”
- Patient Centric Examples
- Inflectra

Question 10

What clinical experience do you have that can help you be successful as an MSL

Answer 10

• 10 years oncology experience
• Regional and National networking
• Understand treatment algorithms and gaps in care.
• Understand trends in care
• Side effect management and improving outcomes
• Understand how to drive organizational initiatives/objectives

Question 11

Can you describe a situation you influenced someone and result

Answer 11

• Therapy plan pathway rollouts and communicating with providers
• Advocating for our department on specific initiatives

Question 12

Have you ever convinced a provider to choose a specific product? How did you persuade them?

Answer 12

BTKI Conversion

Question 13

Can you explain why you are interested in this particular disease area?

Question 14

Why do you want to become an MSL? Have you always wanted to do this?

Answer 14

Individual:
* Personal Skills align with the role
* Strong scientific accumen: Love to speak to data and science
* Collaboration and Communication
* Frontline of novel therapeutics and emerging pathways

Organizational:
* Thrive in being in environment with dynamic team, like to work in environments with other high performers
* Gather insights to bring back to Medical Research & Strategy
* Collaboration with other Liaisons within field medical affairs: Diagnostic Regional Medical Liaisons, Medical Value Liaisons, Health Economics Outcome Research, Med Info
* Collaboration on Training Programs and other organizational objectives

Question 15

How do you establish and maintain relationships?

Answer 15

• Get to know person professionally and personally
• ask others in network for insight
• Engage the person and actively listen

Question 16

How do you analyze a clinical paper?

Answer 16

Understand:
- How the trial was structured.
- What it was comparing
- Randomization and heterogeneity
- limitations
- Bias
- Validity
- interpretation of results: Statistical significance
- Consideration of other events

Question 17

Can you describe a project you were responsible for from start to finish

Question 18

What are your short term and long term goals?

Question 19

Three Strengths

Answer 19

• Go to reference
  
  • KW feedback
  • Primary Point of Contact for entire region
• Strong Scientific Acumen
  
  • Hizentra
  • BTKI conversion
• Communication/Collaboration
  
  • DACARBAZINE shortage

Question 20

Can you tell me about a Study you read and how would you improve its efficacy?

Answer 20

• Utilization of ADAPTIVE CLINICAL TRIAL DESIGNS
  
  • adding/dropping doses
  • increasing size or duration of trial
  • enriching the population and having right targeted population

Question 21

Provide an example of the time you provided medical professional with info that helped improve pt outcomes?

Answer 21

Mekinist/Tafinlar dosing

Question 22

If medical provider asked a question about product you didn’t know the answer, how would you answer

Answer 22

• Thank them for interest in product
• Tell them I’m am not familiar with particular question or topic but I would investigate further
• ask for additional questions
• return with answers in timely fashion

Question 23

There is a new drug on market similar to ours. How would you differentiate to our customers?

Answer 23

Research both drugs

Understand similarities and differences
- MOA
- indications
- side effects
- contraindications
- pharmakokinetics

Develop effective strategies to communicate differences

Understand market trends and leverage insights with KOLs

Question 24

Describe a time you had to explain complex medical info in an easy to understand way

Answer 24

“For a technical audience, I focus on detailed data and scientific concepts. For a non-specialist audience, I simplify the information, using analogies and clear visuals to ensure comprehension.”

Question 25

How do you handle difficult conversations with medical professionals

Answer 25

• Remain calm/respectful
• be sensitive
• honest and direct
• provide clear explanations
• attempt to reach mutually beneficial outcome

Question 26

Three weaknesses or areas for improvement

Answer 26

• delegation doesn’t come naturally
• very critical of myself

Question 27

Tell me about a time you failed or made a mistake

Answer 27

OBGYN East

Question 28

Tell me about a time you disagreed with someone

Question 29

What would your coworkers say about you?

Answer 29

Point of contact
Strong communication skills both verbal and written
Leadership skills

PROVIDE EXAMPLES

Question 30

Tell me about a time you showed leadership

Question 31

Why should we hire you?

Answer 31

ALIGN WITH JOB DESCRIPTION
- self motivated leader
- strong scientific acumen
- proven hx working with HCPs and experience as leader driving innovation and change.
- advocate for best practices and therapies

Question 32

Two examples of strategic thinking

Question 33

How would you measure success in this role?

Question 34

A decision you made that was poorly received by colleagues

Question 35

What challenges do you anticipate as our next MSL and how do you plan to meet those challenges

Question 36

What is your greatest achievement

Answer 36

• Pick something recent
• show what you are bringing to the team
• “however, I hope my biggest achievement is yet to come”

Question 37

What are you looking for in your next position?

Question 38

Why are you interested in this position?

Question 39

Examples of Teamwork

Question 40

Examples of leadership

Question 41

Examples of decision making

Question 42

Examples strategic thinking

Question 43

Examples of innovation

Question 44

Examples of compliance

Question 45

Time you had to be extra diligent to meet a deadline

Answer 45

(Show how you can act diligently, your ability to stay organized on the job and prioritize tasks/deadlines while ensuring other tasks get completed on time. Talk about tools/resources used to keep yourself on track with meeting deadlines)

Question 46

Handling Difficult Conversations with HCPs

Question 47

When a problem requires a quick solution, how do you typically respond?

Answer 47

Walk the interviewer through your process when it comes to making quick decisions. Maybe you rely on past experience or perhaps you go with an educated gut feeling. Maybe you have read case studies that you lean on in these instances. No matter how you answer, you want to ultimately demonstrate that you are confident and able to react swiftly when the need arises in the field with a key medical leader.

Question 48

What challenges do you anticipate if hired as our next Medical Science Liaison, and how will you meet those challenges?

Answer 48

(discuss territory establishment, different phases of MSL product lifecycle - Pre lauch, peri-launch, and post-launch/mature product - see themsls.org/category/msl-job-interview/interview-preparation/

Discuss with your interviewer a couple of responsibilities in this MSL role that will present a learning curve for you. What your interviewer will ideally be looking to hear is that you have a plan in mind for meeting and overcoming the challenges that you foresee. Perhaps this opportunity requires you to learn the details of an unfamiliar medical specialty and you know that it will take some time to adjust. Be honest with the interviewer about the challenges you expect to face; however, focus most of your response on the action steps you plan to take to meet these challenges.

Question 49

Our MSL’s play a critical role in the success of our organization. How can we motivate you as a leader, keeping you engaged in the job?

Answer 49

“What motivates me is the potential to continue to grow with a blooming company and take on more responsibilities down the road. I value a company that appreciates me and all of its employees. I value recognition, especially when it plays a role in taking my career to the next level. Loyalty is rare these days, and it’s something I truly value.”

Question 50

Have you ever provided training to physician and other healthcare leaders? If so, what aspect did you enjoy most, and what did you find most challenging?

Answer 50

If you have direct experience in providing training to medical staff, be sure to talk in detail about the materials you presented and be open and honest about what aspect you enjoyed and what you found to be challenging. Be sure to talk about the size of the group that you presented to and how you handled the entire training to give your interviewer the sense that you can handle providing leadership training at their organization. If you are a new grad that doesn’t have direct experience in this realm yet, talk about your experiences in training and educating other medical professionals and how this experience will help translate to this role.

Question 51

Key Performance Indicators

Answer 51

• decision making based on insights (identifying knowledge gaps, actions taken in response to these insights, feedback from stakeholders)
• How well you know your therapeutic area (learn latest developments and treatments in therapuetic area, know latest publications, discuss w/ KOLs)
• Business Acumen - know your therapeutic area as well as competitor products
• Communication Skills

Question 52

Clinical Trial Involvement

Answer 52

“In a recent project, I facilitated a phase IV trial for a new diabetes drug with a large healthcare organization. My role involved coordinating communication between the research team and the organization’s medical staff.

I ensured all parties were updated on progress, potential issues, and changes in protocol. This included training sessions to familiarize staff with the trial procedures and maintaining open lines of communication throughout the process.

The trial was successful, largely due to this effective collaboration. We managed to enroll sufficient patients quickly, maintain high compliance rates, and complete the study as scheduled. The results contributed significantly to our understanding of the drug’s long-term effects, proving its safety and efficacy in a real-world setting.”