Medical Affairs Director vs. Medical Science Liaison (MSL)
Within Medical Affairs there are two main roles for MDs…
- Medical Affairs Director (or Medical Director, Medical Affairs)
- Medical Science Liaison (MSL)
An easy way to think about the differences in the two roles are the following:
Medical Affairs, Medical Director – sets medical strategy and typically works in the company headquarters/offices
MSL – executes medical strategy and works remotely in their home office/territory
Both roles involve external facing medical/clinical interactions. The Medical Affairs team is engaged in communicating the company’s medical/clinical information (disease education, clinical data, etc) and gaining feedback from physicians and KOLs (key opinion leaders, also called “thought leaders”). Both roles may also be involved in conference/congress attendance and company advisory boards.