You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. This is very interesting to me. With us it's easy to find the job you want! Medical Affairs as a discipline is accountable to varied deliverables. Joined May 7, 2015 Messages . Current professionals working within clinical research organizations (CROs). In a nutshell, this program gave me an in-depth perspective on the dynamic role a medical science liaison plays in scientific exchange and data generation. Tel: +1 (201) 688-2230 For medical science liaisons, the BCMAS provides a professional credential that demonstrates a commitment to the role, a dedication to a high standard of excellence and protects the integrity of medical affairs. Have you talked to anyone in this field about this exam and employment chances? Loved it! 1. Specially during pandemic times MSL community has opportunity of BCMAS certifications to broaden the knowledge base. However, that is no longer debatable as two companies have found a way to make this board certification possible, testing examinees on everything but the science. taking the board exam. The preparatory modules allowed me to learn new things What is a Medical Science Liaison (MSL)? - Medical Affairs Absolutely agree Eric! You do not need prior industry experience but you do need to have a pharmd/phd/md/do etc. Having pre-test questions right before your actual exam feels a bit odd. Shouldn't you get your Pharm-D first, before you get "BCMAS" certified? Basically, its a way to practice before the real test. The CompTIA A+ certification requires two exams. I guess you can argue that. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Christine Megalla, Pharm.D., Associate Director of Educational Programs at the Accreditation Council for Our training programs can be customized to meet your companys specific needs (disease state, clinical, and soft skills training). Wow, those are pretty serious allegations to put out there. clinical medicine, and experts from the pharmaceutical industry. Landing an MSL role isnt easy. Topics include: As the U.S. grapples with the deadly opioid epidemic and public outrage over drug costs, According to the Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs (ACMA) the Medical Science Liaison (MSL) profession has exploded to over 3000 MSLs across the country and is still growing. SALARY Inc! I am recommending it for my colleagues as well. There is really only one waythrough feedback. Thank you! Send a powerful message that you have achieved the highest standard of excellence, 90% of BCMAS professionals land the role they want in as little as two months, Build your brand as a subject matter expert with colleagues and HCPs, BCMAS Professionals earn up to 24% more than their peers, Senior Manager, Medical Science Liaison and Clinical Strategy Lead. ACMA works with experts around the world to develop country- and region-specific content within the BCMAS curriculum using advanced geo-redirect technology features. The BCMAS program is a perfect resource for industry professionals, transitioning academics or anyone seeking to gain and demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of healthcare landscapes, therapeutic development and regulatory infrastructure. But as medical affairs strategic value continues to increase, executives need to be conversant about other vital aspects of the life sciences industry, such as pharmacovigilance, digital technology, or compliance and regulatory implications. There are a number of ways you can achieve the same goals (learning what each dept does, scouting opps, boosting credentials, getting the interview) without spending nearly as much money and that are far more useful. These days, landing an MSL role isnt easy. The ACMA is the only organization committed to the medical science liaison profession, which has been featured in mainstream media such as ABC News, Forbes and the Boston Herald. The ACMAs goal is to establish a common language a standard that medical affairs executives can converse in. Comment document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a3cb49ddf8da07e17af6d699a0ebe2fc" );document.getElementById("ae49f29f56").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Those professionals working within clinical development, research & development and are transitioning to a medical affairs role. The BCMAS seal means your medical affairs & MSL team has been rigorously evaluated by the leading . life sciences & healthcare industries. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. Just talked to some of my colleagues in regulatory affairs who are anywhere from SM to SVP in their respective companies, mostly Temple (. It would be nice if these questions were available before the exam to help you prepare. The path to becoming an exceptional Medical Science Liaison or Medical Affairs professional starts with BCMAS. My comment part 1: The topic of standardization in Medical Affairs is timely and important. In 2015, the ACMA developed the first board certification for medical affairs professionals and medical science liaisons known as the Board Certified Medical Affairs Specialist (BCMAS) program, and it is now considered the industry standard in the pharmaceutical industry. I strongly encourage all While some MSLs view MSLS as a valuable resource, its worth noting that they are not accredited by any outside body. Videory can be a good size for data scientists; enough other data scientists are around to provide mentorship and support, but the team is still small enough that you can get to know everyone. Board certifying medical affairs and medical science liaison professionals is critical to ensure ethical practices, compliance excellence, and public trust at this crucial time. Regardless of where you are in your MSL career, obtaining an MSL certification can help advance your MSL career and distinguish you among other MSL candidates when applying for a new MSL job or getting that promotion from MSL to MSL Manager or MSL Director. I have worked in medical affairs for 3 years and I still felt like I learned a lot. Board Certified Medical Affairs Specialist (BCMAS). The BCMAS program is the most comprehensive educational program for medical affairs professionals and unlike other training programs that may be available; it is the only one that is accredited. industry professionals worldwide and therefore improve patient care., Sotirios G. Stergiopoulos I took both exams. We have answered the questions, What is an MSL? and talked quite a bit about Medical Liaison Training. Now that we know what a medical liaison is and the different certification programs available for MSLs, you can make a more informed decision on what route is best for you. so what makes BCMAS so special that you think it's worth thousands of dollars when there are high quality comprehensive free online courses from places like NIH lol? The MSL-BC contains only an exam and has no preparatory content or material to help individuals prepare. The study materials are all provided. The fact that theyre accredited cannot be overemphasized. Still others are looking for a challenge to learn what they dont know. Medical affairs is a growing component of in our pharmacy industry. Read more, Listen to the ACMA podcast on Pharmacy Podcast, Establish yourself as an authority in pharma, Demonstrate mastery of the Medical Science Liaison/Medical Affairs profession with this award-winning program. These cookies do not store any personal information. Current professionals working in promotional or non-promotional medical education agencies which support pharmaceutical companies. MSLs can participate in any stage of a products lifecycle, but typically are hired as a company prepares for launch. One way MSL professionals can stand out is by becoming board certified MSL professionals. All Right Reserved. Copyright 2020 Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs. The Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs' (ACMA) BCMAS certification fee (more on that later) comes along with. With questions looming about whether or not AstraZeneca cherry-picked its COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial data, trust and transparency from pharmaceutical companies about the integrity of their science is front and center. More than ever, confidence in objective, science-based data about therapeutics, such as the COVID-19 vaccine and other health care services, is a shared imperative across the pharmaceutical industry, health care communities, and the American public. MSLs have advanced scientific training and academic credentials generally consisting of a Expanded Access 4.0 Registration Now Open! Considering Medical Science Liaison Training Certification? The MSL-BC credential is still very new, and it remains to be seen how widely adopted it becomes. I have been authorized to respond as ACMA. This enables MSLs to ask questions any time 7 days a week. It never hurts to continue learning. Have completed at least a bachelors degree and have 2 years relevant professional experience (ie., pharmaceutical industry experience, clinical and/or research experience). You did the heavy lifting by being awesome :-). The Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs and MSL Society. BCMAS is indeed a certification relevant & valuable to all involved in Medical Affairs beyond the MSL community. 10. You're either a spammer, or a sheep. Very good article! The BCMAS program is the most comprehensive educational program for medical affairs professionals and unlike other training programs that may be available; it is the only one that is accredited. By looking at the job postings it seems this certification is meaningless. MSL Society is a smaller non-profit organization, so they dont have the bandwidth to provide as much US & global support as the ACMA. They do have a chat function but Ive noticed oftentimes its not available every day and at off hours which makes it tough to get answers to important questions. ), but are still interested in being more informed and getting an edge on career advancement in Medical Affairs, the ACMA also offers a competency certificate (MACC) that includes the six topics starred * above. 1. The ACMA has Live 24/7 Chat support feature. And often, medical affairs executives get so engrossed in their day to day activities that its challenging to gain a deep understanding of how other departments and functions operate, let alone train another colleague on these functions. BCMAS is relevant for MSLs as well as other functions within Medical Affairs. Of these, 125 questions will be used to calculate your test score. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. I have been getting mixed reviews when asking and thought to ask this community. My comment continued: I agree with the article, the ACMA module content and exam are not necessarily for entry level professionals. I would recommend it. With a curriculum that includes best practices across the organization, the ACMAs aim is to reinforce an integrated, cross-functional approach to medical affairs that makes medical affairs to be viewed as a true partner by other departments. The 10 Highest-Paying IT Certifications for 2023 Achieving the BCMAS demonstrates the highest standards of knowledge and excellence in the Medical Affairs profession. Toll Free: +1 (855) 255-7137, Rio de Janieiro St 212, Suite 151 Sao Paulo, SP 01240-010 Brasil, 202, Jai Omkar, Plot No. an accreditor of medical affairs professionals and pharmaceutical sales representatives Having a professional certification creates a uniform standard of competency and excellence for industry professionals who are responsible for providing critical information to doctors which impacts patient lives. Many pharmaceutical industry futurists believe that certification and credentialing via the BCMAS program will be the norm in years to come as regulators push for higher standards of excellence in the pharmaceutical industry, which has received negative attention due to the opioid crisis and other debacles in years past. One thing that I really liked about the BCMAS program is that it included a question bank which helps prepare its learners for the exam. However, after careful investigation it appears the BCMAS is the only accredited board certification while MSL-BC does not appear to be accredited though nearly 2 dozen respected leaders in medical affairs were apart of the credentialing examination collaboration process (if you are attached to the organization and have more complete information please dont hesitate to reach out for a correction as this specific point was hard to ascertain).