Nurse Practitioners and PAs as Medical Science Liaisons: Why Mixed MSL Teams Are Stronger

Published 10 September 2026

Author(s): Sarah Snyder & Patrina Pellett

One of the clearest patterns we see when we train MSL teams is this:

The training gets better when everyone in it doesn't come from the same background.

Put the same clinical scenario in front of a PharmD, a PhD, a nurse practitioner, and a physician assistant, and they will see 4 different things. For example:

The PharmD will notice the data question.

The PhD will challenge the mechanism of action.

The NP will say, “That sounds good, but I don't see how that actually happens in clinic.”

The PA will ask, “Who is going to have that conversation with the patient?”

The strongest MSL teams we train are mixed-background teams.

That's why we think Medical Affairs needs to take a much harder look at nurse practitioners and physician assistants, not as “alternative” MSL candidates, but as people they need on their team.