Medical Science Liaison Resume Example & Writing Guide

As a medical science liaison (MSL), you have deep knowledge in your niche. But that is only one of your talents. You are now looking to leverage your medical knowledge and your ability to communicate with a variety of healthcare professionals to get your next great job.

You have the medical expertise, and you’ve come to the right place for the professional resume expertise. We offer a host of resources for job seekers,including resume guides and resume examples for 300+ professions, backed up by an easy-to-use resume builder. 

This guide will cover the following topics: 

• What does a medical science liaison do?
• How to write a medical science liaison resume
• The best format for a medical science liaison resume
• Advice on each section of your resume (summary, work history, education, skills)
• Professional resume layout and design hints.

What does a medical science liaison do?

A medical science liaison (MSL) works in fields such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices. They work to build bridges between medical practitioners and their company to ensure that products are used correctly and that their benefits are understood by physicians and others in the medical community.

They also assist the developers of medical products by keeping up with all advances in their field and passing on relevant information. Medical science liaisons may also be called medical liaisons, medical managers, regional scientific managers, clinical liaisons or scientific affairs managers. 

How to write a medical science liaison resume

It’s almost time to jump into the content of your medical science liaison resume, but first you need to know what sections go into it. Your CV comprises the following elements: 

• The resume header
• The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The resume skills section
• The education section

Choosing the best resume format for a medical science liaison

As a medical science liaison, you may have a lot of expertise in one area. That means that although we usually highly recommend sticking with the reverse chronological order resume format, you may be an exception.

Your medical science liaison resume needs to emphasize your depth of knowledge, so consider using the functional format, which does just that. If you can target the job you want using the more common reverse chronological style, do so. That makes it easier for recruiters to find the information they seek.

Resume summary example

In the summary section of your medical science liaison resume, you must show your dedication to acting as a scientific resource in the medical community, but also much more. A big part of your job is staying up-to-date on the latest advancements for treatment and care. 

Emphasize your ability to work with key opinion leaders to express your belief in the medical devices, pharmaceuticals, or procedures that your company manufactures or develops. Your scientific expertise is your stock in trade and in your Profile, you have the opportunity to show it off a bit.

You have three to five sentences to tell hiring managers what you will bring to their company. You do this by highlighting one or two great successes you have had in the past. Make sure your areas of expertise are clear. You should also describe your professional personality and your approach to medical affairs. In addition to your expertise, recruiters will be looking for an MSL whose philosophy and style mesh with the company’s culture. 

Employment history sample

Think of the employment history section of your MSL resume as the story of your career. You should be demonstrating a pattern of growth and an increase in knowledge and responsibilities in your therapeutic area. Each bullet point should describe your skills and experience by telling the hiring manager of challenges you have faced, how you approached the problem, and the results you achieved.

In your MSL role, you may work for a medical device manufacturer, pharmaceutical company, or biotech firm and specialize in a field such as cardiovascular health or oncology. You must be an expert in interpreting scientific data to guide your recommendations to healthcare professionals and medical advisory boards. 

Because you have limited space, you should make the most of it by eliminating the duplication of skills. If you worked with clinical trials at one job, there is no need to list that under every past job unless it was a key component of the position. All your experience in healthcare including clinical research, pharmacy, or as a medical doctor should be listed as they all contribute to your expertise.

If you want more inspiration after you read the summary example below, click over to these related medical resume samples: Pharmaceutical sales representative resume example, healthcare project manager resume sample, health educator resume example, healthcare administration resume sample and a general healthcare resume example.

Resume education example

Most medical science liaisons have advanced degrees. Many are medical doctors or have doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) degrees or a doctorate in another scientific field. In the education section of your medical science liaison resume, also list any seminars or courses that contribute to your medical education. 

If you have earned any awards or distinctions, you should also list them here. If you have initiated or facilitated many clinical trials or other medical research, or served on advisory boards, you may want to consider adding a section that highlights those achievements.

Medical science liaison CV skills example

The skills section of your medical science liaison CV is a chance to pull out your most impressive skills for recruiters to see in a quick scan. Develop a list of all the skills you use in your profession and choose those that match the job for which you are applying best.

You have deep scientific skills and knowledge that you should definitely highlight. Your hard, or learned, skills include facilitating investigator-initiated clinical studies, staying current on all clinical research, and your ability to understand complex scientific data, 

Make sure you include three to five of your top hard skills, but don’t neglect your soft skills. Since a big part of a Medical Science Liaison role is to foster strong peer-to-peer relationships among physicians and serve as a connection between healthcare providers and product development, you must have excellent communication skills. You use presentation skills to explain products to the healthcare community, so those are valuable abilities as well. Also, take into consideration that your first concern is patient advocacy.

Resume layout and design

The first impression hiring managers will get of you comes from the design of your resume. You want it to be neat, organized, and legible. Recruiters do an initial scan of your resume looking for your contact information (include your LinkedIn or other professional social media accounts here), and the titles and employers of your current and previous jobs.

To make it easy for you, choose from one of Resume.io’s Professional resume templates (or try our Modern or Simple categories). Then, take advantage of a dedicated online resume maker such as ours to avoid any potential formatting glitches.

Key takeaways for a medical science liaison resume

1. Medical science liaisons need deep knowledge in their field and must keep up-to-date on all developments.
2. The summary section should hit all the high points of your career.
3. Consider using the function format if your scientific knowledge is most important, but default to reverse chronological order.
4. Take advantage of the resume builder to get your job hunt moving.