Xinyi Wang, PhD, MPharm joined Allergan/AbbVie as a medical science liaison with over 16 years of research experience. Most recently, she was part of Johnson & Johnson's medical affairs team, working closely with medical science liaisons focused on dermatological and rheumatological areas. Prior to that, she was an Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children's Hospital, where she conducted research focused on skin wound healing and fibrosis, as well as other skin genetic and autoimmune diseases. Xinyi obtained her PhD in Pathobiology from the University of Southern California at Los Angeles and bachelor's and master's degrees in Pharmacy from China. 

Can you describe your academic and professional background? What path led you to pursue this field? 

My bachelor's and master's degree training in pharmaceutical science allows me to understand my career options, and set the foundation to pursue academic research. My research focused on dermatological diseases during my PhD phase, including genetic diseases and autoimmune diseases. At that time, I presented at international conferences annually, which allowed me to actively interact with other scientists on many topics, helped me to understand the importance of communication in science. For my postdoc training, I chose to start it in a new city, a new lab ready to be established, and new topics that related to my knowledge but gave me opportunities and a platform to expand. During that time, I explored multiple career directions in medical science. I believed that I could be and I would enjoy being a medical science liaison based on my personality, strength, and desire. In my last couple of years for academic research, I was focused on grant writing, publication preparation, and experimental design. This work made me realize and practice the art of storytelling in medical science.

As a medical science liaison, you have to communicate effectively and efficiently. I have constantly paid attention to this part during my academic training.

How did you find this particular position, and what was the hiring process like? Is there a typical structure for this in your field? 

I used Indeed.com. It was a typical medical science liaison hiring process, including HR screening, a manager interview, a presentation of my choice, and a panel interview. Some companies will choose the topic for you to present.

Can you tell us about your current responsibilities?

Medical science liaison is one of the bridges between pharma and healthcare providers (HCP), which determine that the role has to communicate with external and internal stakeholders. Since the communication content is science, we have to keep ourselves updated with scientific information.

What do you enjoy about your current job and work environment?

I enjoy learning new things, talking to HCPs and colleagues, and planning my work based on my preference. 

What are some of the challenging aspects of your job? Is there anything you wish you had known about your job or industry before joining?

Depending on the size of territory, travel may be a major part of MSL’s time. So do the trip planning and effective HCP visiting are important. I have to admit that I have had no surprises about my job so far. I am constantly talking to multiple MSLs to understand their work routines, and pros and cons of this position. The pharma industry differs from academia in that there are different operations for protocols and guidelines.

What are some future career paths that could open up for someone in your position, 5-10 years down the road?

You can become a senior level, principal level of MSL as an individual contributor, or become a people manager for an MSL team. It is also not hard to shift your gear to work in other positions in the R&D departments. 

What activities, internships, or organizations would you recommend someone get involved with to help them break into this field?

Find your local MSL clubs, talk to MSLs, just to get familiar with the position, and understand it. It can help you decide if you want to be one, and how to be one.

Is it common for people in your field to have a scientific/academic background (i.e., PhDs)? Can you think of any advantages or disadvantages someone with a PhD might experience while pursuing or working in your field?

I think PharmD is slightly more common in MSLs than PhDs. There are MD, DO, and DNP as well. As you can tell, a doctoral degree would help you tremendously to be an MSL. However, many successful MSLs don’t have a doctoral degree. A PhD or other D degree would help you go through HR training easier than no doctoral degree (if everything else is equal), especially without prior MSL experience. However, it is not the deciding factor for getting an MSL position.

Do you have any final words of advice for those navigating these career questions? Is there anything you would have done differently given what you know now? 

Give yourself a timeline of your career development. Explore your career interests, and be decisive on your choice. Each type of position requires a fair amount of preparation, and at the end of the day, you still want to excel in your PhD or Postdoc work while hunting for another opportunity!