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Oncology Career

Essentials

Curated books, podcasts, and articles — with one concrete move on every card.

AI & Future of Work

16 cards on this shelf

Essentials · Episode

How to use AI in your MSL job search — and where it can trip you up.

The Big Idea

Sarah Snyder explores with Tom Caravela the role of AI in the MSL job search — enhancing resumes and applications, with the pitfalls to watch for, plus AI for research and interview prep.

Why It Matters

AI can accelerate an oncology job search, but used carelessly it backfires; knowing the line matters.

One Move

Use an AI tool to sharpen one part of your resume — then edit it so it still sounds like you.

Essentials · Episode

The AI tools reshaping Medical Affairs — and how MSLs can use them now.

The Big Idea

Matt Lewis explores with Tom Caravela the state of AI in medical affairs in 2024 — practical applications for MSLs, customizing tools for internal use, and the efficiency they bring.

Why It Matters

AI is moving fast in oncology medical affairs; MSLs who adopt the right tools save time and stay competitive.

One Move

Pick one repetitive MSL task and test whether an AI tool can speed it up this week.

Essentials · Article

Biotech has no shortage of competing priorities; digital innovation is how leaders move faster on all of them.

The Big Idea

In this Emerging Biotech Leader bonus episode, SSI Strategy explores how biotechs juggle competing priorities — fundraising, manufacturing, trials, clinical strategy, CMC readiness, building a Medical Affairs team — and why capitalizing on digital innovation has become an essential, not optional, lever for moving faster.

Why It Matters

Oncology programs generate enormous data; professionals who grasp how digital tools accelerate development and evidence generation make themselves more valuable to the enterprise.

One Move

Identify one manual process on your team that a digital tool could streamline.

Essentials · Article

AI won't replace oncology professionals — but professionals who use it will outpace those who don't.

The Big Idea

Across drug discovery, clinical development, and medical affairs, industry voices stress that AI is a force multiplier, not a replacement for human expertise — accelerating molecular design, automating document drafting, and scanning literature, but requiring a “digitally fluent” workforce that can supervise automated systems and interpret AI output. Recent oncology examples include AI-driven precision-medicine collaborations and generative-AI drug-discovery partnerships.

Why It Matters

The oncology professionals who thrive won't be replaced by AI — they'll be the ones who learn to direct and quality-check it, turning a powerful but imperfect tool into faster, better science.

One Move

Identify one task in your role AI could accelerate, and learn to supervise it rather than fear it.

Essentials · Article

The biggest near-term AI wins in pharma may be in medical affairs — if humans stay in control.

The Big Idea

McKinsey highlights medical affairs as one of the most promising areas for generative AI in pharma, estimating multi-billion-dollar efficiency gains. Concrete use cases: large language models can synthesize insights from thousands of MSL-KOL interactions (today MSLs analyze only a tiny fraction of their notes), and gen-AI tools trained on approved content can rapidly assemble tailored materials for specific stakeholders — potentially multiplying engagement — while every output passes medical-legal-regulatory review.

Why It Matters

For oncology medical-affairs teams drowning in literature and interaction notes, AI that surfaces insights and drafts tailored content frees scarce expert time for the high-value scientific exchange that matters most.

One Move

Pilot one AI use case — drafting a medical-information response or summarizing KOL notes — with MLR review built in.

Essentials · Article

By 2030, most of the workforce will need reskilling — the curious learners stay ahead.

The Big Idea

The WEF estimates that if the global workforce were 100 people, 59 would need reskilling by 2030 — and 85% of employers plan to upskill their teams, with AI and big data the fastest-growing skill area. The report pairs technological literacy and prompt-writing with curiosity and lifelong learning as the combination that future-proofs a career: the people who keep learning to work with AI stay ahead of those who wait.

Why It Matters

Oncology is being reshaped by AI in discovery, trials, and medical affairs; professionals who invest a few hours a week in hands-on AI fluency now will be the ones trusted to lead its adoption.

One Move

Schedule two hours a week to build AI fluency — experiment with a tool on real work.

Essentials · Article

Don't fear it or worship it — collaborate with it, and verify like a manager.

The Big Idea

Wharton professor Ethan Mollick argues the right stance toward AI is collaboration, not fear or worship — treating it as a kind of co-intelligence. His practical rules: always invite AI to the table (use it for everything to learn where it helps and fails); be the human in the loop; treat AI like a person but tell it what role to play, then verify like a manager; and assume this is the worst AI you'll ever use. Expect a “jagged frontier” where similar-seeming tasks vary wildly in how well AI handles them.

Why It Matters

Oncology and medical-affairs professionals who experiment now — drafting, summarizing, and brainstorming with AI under human oversight — build the fluency that will define high performers, while compliance keeps a human firmly in control.

One Move

Invite AI into one real task this week — then verify its output like a manager checking an intern's work.

Essentials · Article

Role, context, format — then iterate. A clear brief turns vague output into a useful draft.

The Big Idea

MIT Sloan distills effective prompting into three moves: provide context, be specific, and build on the conversation. A strong prompt typically assigns a role (“you are an experienced oncology medical writer”), states the task and any constraints, specifies the format, and gives an example — then you iterate, treating the first output as a draft to refine rather than a final answer.

Why It Matters

Prompting is becoming a core literacy; an oncology professional who can brief an AI clearly — role, context, format — gets useful drafts in minutes instead of vague output that wastes time.

One Move

Give your next prompt a role, context, and a clear format — then iterate on the result.

Essentials · Article

AI states wrong answers as confidently as right ones — in regulated medical work, that's a risk.

The Big Idea

Large language models hallucinate — generating plausible-sounding but incorrect information presented as fact — which makes human oversight non-negotiable in regulated medical work. A medical-affairs review notes AI can accelerate content and analysis, but every claim still needs expert validation against approved sources, and only a small share of life-science companies have so far moved AI into medical affairs at scale.

Why It Matters

In oncology, an unverified AI error in a medical-information response or a slide isn't just embarrassing — it's a patient-safety and compliance risk, so the clinician's judgment remains the essential final check.

One Move

Fact-check every AI-generated medical claim against an approved source before it leaves your hands.

Essentials · Article

As AI absorbs the routine, your edge becomes judgment, creativity, and trusted relationships.

The Big Idea

The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 projects that nearly 39% of core skills will change by 2030, yet the skills that stay most valuable are distinctly human: analytical thinking, creative thinking, resilience and flexibility, leadership and social influence, and empathy and active listening. Tasks needing nuanced understanding and complex problem-solving show limited risk of AI substitution — human oversight remains crucial.

Why It Matters

As AI absorbs routine drafting and analysis, an oncology professional's edge shifts to judgment, scientific storytelling, and trusted relationships — the human skills no model replicates.

One Move

Invest in one human skill AI can't replicate — judgment, empathy, or persuasion — this quarter.

Essentials · Episode

Where AI is actually landing in Medical Affairs — and the skills that suddenly matter.

The Big Idea

Tom Caravela and Patrina Pellett report from an AI in Medical Affairs conference, covering real use cases — content, training, predictive analytics, insights — and the rising value of prompt engineering and custom GPTs.

Why It Matters

AI is reshaping oncology medical affairs fast; the professionals who learn where it adds value — and build the skills — stay ahead of the curve.

One Move

Pick one repetitive MA task and experiment with an AI tool to handle it this week.

Essentials · Episode

The highlights from Fierce Pharma Engage 2025 — and what they signal for medical affairs.

The Big Idea

Tom Caravela and Patrina Pellett recap Fierce Pharma Engage 2025 — the sessions, keynotes, networking, and the future of AI in the industry.

Why It Matters

Industry conferences set the agenda for oncology medical affairs; a recap keeps you current without attending.

One Move

Pick one takeaway from a recent industry conference recap and apply it to your work this month.

Essentials · Episode

How AI and machine learning will reshape the MSL role — from the field to the job search.

The Big Idea

Dr. Sanjay Singhvi explores with Tom Caravela how AI is transforming medical affairs — practical MSL applications, manager-level trend analysis, and even resume optimization for job seekers.

Why It Matters

AI is changing oncology medical affairs and hiring; MSLs who learn its applications stay valuable as the field shifts.

One Move

Try one AI tool this week — for a field task or your resume — and see where it helps.

Essentials · Episode

How AI digital twins could speed up clinical trials — from an oncologist-author.

The Big Idea

Dr. Chadi Nabhan shares with Michael Pietrack how AI digital twins can accelerate clinical trials and cut costs, plus lessons from mentorship and a multifaceted oncology career.

Why It Matters

AI is reshaping oncology trials; understanding innovations like digital twins keeps you ahead of where the field is heading.

One Move

Learn one way AI is changing clinical trials in your therapeutic area.

Essentials · Episode

How AI augments the everyday MSL — cutting prep time and sharpening work.

The Big Idea

Nandini Sabharwal of Pfizer shares with Tom Caravela how AI augments daily MSL life — reducing prep time, aiding HCP meeting prep, and supporting advisory board planning.

Why It Matters

AI is becoming a daily oncology MSL tool; using it well frees time for the human work that matters most.

One Move

Use a generative AI tool to prep for one upcoming meeting, and judge what it saved you.

Essentials · Episode

What the metaverse could mean for Medical Affairs — opportunity or hype?

The Big Idea

Bruno Larvol explores with Tom Caravela the metaverse's potential for medical affairs — future applications for MSLs, the opportunities and challenges, and growing pharma interest.

Why It Matters

Emerging tech reshapes oncology engagement; staying literate on the metaverse keeps you ahead of where KOL interaction may head next.

One Move

Spend 30 minutes learning one emerging-tech trend, like the metaverse, that could touch your field in five years.

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