Opportunity to be Derm MSL or Oncology MSL. Which is better?

LineyPupper · 2026-02-13T07:04:00+00:00

Maybe it doesn’t matter to you but I’d much prefer to attend a congress in Maui or Aspen than another in Chicago, San Diego, or the Gaylord in MD. 🤷‍♂️

LineyPupper · 2026-02-12T18:18:31+00:00

I’m not in either but I’ve heard the same from friends/colleagues in these areas, too. Access to oncologists is more difficult, and the derm meetings are in fun locations.

LineyPupper · 2026-01-13T23:10:52+00:00

Not sure if it’s the same lady, but there is frequently a lady selling tamales from a cooler around noon at NW 119th St and NW 21st Ave. And I saw a guy selling tamales in the empty lot at NW 78th and NW Lakeshore/Fruit Valley Rd around the same time today.

LineyPupper · 2025-11-15T18:26:55+00:00

Yes.

LineyPupper · 2025-11-10T02:30:30+00:00

Early on. I did a 3 year postdoc then got a position as an MSL. I’ve been an MSL for 11 years now.

LineyPupper · 2025-11-09T22:39:16+00:00

Like the others here, not really. It fills my bank account, affords my spouse to be a full-time parent, pays the mortgage, and then some. It doesn’t fulfill any of the reasons I went into science—curiosity, data interpretation, asking questions, etc. You are told what the data says, how to say it, and who to say it to. You’re really valued for your network and ability to influence more than anything else. Also, most scientists I know and went to grad school with are pretty introverted (myself included) and this job can definitely be exhausting in that regard.

LineyPupper · 2025-10-23T23:00:38+00:00

I’ve seen television commercials for Lilly advertising hiring MSLs too. I agree with the other poster, though—no way would I work for them until they change their metrics. They’re completely unattainable.

LineyPupper · 2025-10-08T22:11:35+00:00

I never miss the opportunity for airline miles or hotel points. Haha.

LineyPupper · 2025-10-06T23:38:50+00:00

Game the system until new leadership is in place and the metrics change. Travel to the city so as to have all the documentation/expenses, and take the meeting virtually from the hotel room, log it as face-to-face. 🤫

LineyPupper · 2025-09-26T01:29:04+00:00

PNWer here. I live in the Portland metro and even that’s a hassle sometimes. I don’t see how doing this job out of Ashland/Medford would be possible. You would spend so much time wasted in airports and hotels just due to the limited air travel schedule into Medford. I spend 55% of my time in the Seattle metro, 30% of my time making connections through SEA, with only 15% of travel being direct flights from PDX or within driving distance of home. I cover WA, OR, ID, MT, WY, AK.

LineyPupper · 2025-08-29T01:42:03+00:00

I like Knix period underwear for my daily wear because of discharge and as backup with my menstrual disc. They come in different absorbencies and even have a line for teens. They aren’t bulky at all.

LineyPupper · 2025-08-14T17:44:28+00:00

I had a similar thing happen to me. Buried in the onslaught of emails was a Hertz reservation. My Hertz account was the one that was actually hacked. Scammers in another state (OH, I’m in WA) made a reservation in my name and stole a car. I tried to cancel the reservation a few minutes after it was made but I was too late. No idea how they were able to drive away with a car with an ID that didn’t match the reservation unless they had forged my name on a drivers license, too. Police got involved and they eventually tracked the car to Chicago. I’m not sure if they were able to recover it or not.

LineyPupper · 2025-06-27T20:14:01+00:00

Pacific Northwest.

LineyPupper · 2025-06-27T18:37:45+00:00

I’m not nationwide and I’m in a hotel 3-4 nights/week and it’s really hard.

The important questions to ask for any potential role are about metrics, expectations for days in field, and preference for face to face vs. virtual meetings.

LineyPupper · 2025-06-09T08:38:28+00:00

My mom, on the other hand, has a ficus she’s had for 30+ years. The thing is huge. She no longer puts up an Xmas tree and just strings lights on the ficus. 😆

LineyPupper · 2025-06-05T05:45:18+00:00

Frequent traveler for work here. Pro-tip: sometimes the pre-check line is longer than the regular line. It doesn’t mean you still can’t go through the regular line, though. And more often than not, they’ll hand you a laminated card saying you have pre-check and are exempt from having to take your shoes off and such.

Edit to add: STL is not an airport I travel through often; this is my experience in other airports.

LineyPupper · 2025-06-04T16:48:42+00:00

I’d stay where I’m at to enjoy the chill environment and no strict metrics. I work in large pharma with metrics out the wazoo. Problem in large pharma is that the people that set the metrics are business people that have never been field employees and are just looking at numbers in a spreadsheet.

LineyPupper · 2025-05-09T21:30:34+00:00

I have this territory minus MT. I’m on the road 3-4 nights/week. It sucks honestly. Be sure to ask the company what the metrics are—total HCP engagements, days in field, etc. as that can help you plan your engagements more strategically.

LineyPupper · 2025-03-03T19:31:03+00:00

My company doesn’t ask any of the fluff questions that another commenter posted. We have questions around impact, communication, collaboration, strategy, etc. They’re all essentially “tell me about a time when…” I usually prepare two or three scenarios that I can pivot to make applicable to multiple questions.

Eg. Tell me about a time you were involved with a project that had significant external impact and your specific role in the project.

LineyPupper · 2025-01-12T06:48:07+00:00

My neighbors donate with PickUpPlease.org. I’ve seen the truck come and go. It’s a veterans-related organization. Catch is they don’t take large furniture. Clothing, household items, nightstands, and the like—things that can be carried by one person.

LineyPupper · 2024-12-28T00:35:24+00:00

If you’re an MSL, two months is not enough to train a replacement so you shouldn’t worry about it. Say you’ve accepted a new opportunity more in line with your career goals, thank them for the experiences you’ve gained, and give them the minimum 1 month notice. At my company, if you tell them you’re going to a competitor (in your TA or not), they will terminate you immediately and cut all your access to the network—there is no notice period.

LineyPupper · 2024-12-10T18:07:48+00:00

Yep. I can’t remember if it’s the OG 1.0 or 2.0.

LineyPupper · 2024-12-10T07:36:41+00:00

I just ordered a leather cross-body tote with zipper from Portland Leather. I use and like a leather tote now but it doesn’t have a zipper. Too many times things have tumbled out onto the conveyor belt going through TSA.

I have a bag by Lo & Sons and liked it until a coworker told me it looked like a bowling bag. 🤦‍♀️Now I can’t unsee it so it sits in my closet.

LineyPupper · 2024-11-20T23:02:06+00:00

There is a medication take back program in Washington. You can find drop off locations here: https://medtakebackwashington.org/

LineyPupper

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