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Visiting researcher vs medical science liaison

The differences between visiting researchers and medical science liaisons can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a visiting researcher and a medical science liaison. Additionally, a medical science liaison has an average salary of $145,718, which is higher than the $68,912 average annual salary of a visiting researcher.

The top three skills for a visiting researcher include python, java and climate. The most important skills for a medical science liaison are patients, medical affairs, and MSL.

Visiting researcher vs medical science liaison overview

Visiting ResearcherMedical Science Liaison
Yearly salary$68,912$145,718
Hourly rate$33.13$70.06
Growth rate17%17%
Number of jobs14,62257,208
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age4141
Years of experience44

What does a visiting researcher do?

A visiting researcher is usually a postdoc, assistant, or associate professor who wants to carry out research or perform other professional development activity in an institution, and so they either visit or spend sabbaticals there. Their duties are largely dependent on the institution. However, they may be required to make presentations about your research during their stay. They may also be expected to contribute actively to on-going activities in any of the programs.

What does a medical science liaison do?

A medical science liaison (MSL) is a scientific professional who facilitates a working relationship between healthcare companies and leading physicians, researchers, and clinicians. Also referred to as key opinion leaders (KOL), medical science liaisons represent their company to the decision-makers in the medical community as well as to investors and government regulatory agencies. They analyze clinical trends and monitor the scientific literature for new developments in the medical community. Medical science liaisons also prepare medical samples and data to investigate the causes of chronic diseases, pathogens, and toxicity.

Visiting researcher vs medical science liaison salary

Visiting researchers and medical science liaisons have different pay scales, as shown below.

Visiting ResearcherMedical Science Liaison
Average salary$68,912$145,718
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $115,000Between $59,000 And $359,000
Highest paying CityBerkeley, CAJackson, TN
Highest paying stateCaliforniaTennessee
Best paying companyMicrosoftSaint Luke's Health System
Best paying industryTechnologyManufacturing

Differences between visiting researcher and medical science liaison education

There are a few differences between a visiting researcher and a medical science liaison in terms of educational background:

Visiting ResearcherMedical Science Liaison
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common majorPhysicsNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityUniversity of Southern California

Visiting researcher vs medical science liaison demographics

Here are the differences between visiting researchers' and medical science liaisons' demographics:

Visiting ResearcherMedical Science Liaison
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 62.0% Female, 38.0%Male, 41.6% Female, 58.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 28.3% White, 51.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 23.4% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between visiting researcher and medical science liaison duties and responsibilities

Visiting researcher example responsibilities.

  • Manage and analyze project data using SAS for research reports and publications
  • Observe the fracture surface using scan electron microscopy (SEM )
  • Used NMR, HPLC and GC-MS for the analysis of synthesize reagents.
  • Design and conduct web surveys integrate with a search task using Java servlet.
  • Implement a JAVA base data encoder and decoder base on discrete biorthogonal wavelet transform.
  • Examine the radial and axial distribution of API within tablets using tomography and wet chemistry tools.
  • Show more

Medical science liaison example responsibilities.

  • Supervise and analyze medical necessity review of manage care appeals.
  • Develop and manage KOLs resulting in presentations to regional, national and international meetings.
  • Utilize extensive knowledge of medical terminology, ICD-9, HCPCS and CPT coding along with analysis and processing of Medicare claims.
  • Provide pre-launch field support for a novel diabetes compound.
  • Provide drug information to medical professionals and sales force within FDA guidelines.
  • Join Clementine as a trainee BMS and successfully complete training and registration.
  • Show more

Visiting researcher vs medical science liaison skills

Common visiting researcher skills
  • Python, 20%
  • Java, 16%
  • Climate, 8%
  • Research Findings, 5%
  • Research Projects, 4%
  • Research Paper, 4%
Common medical science liaison skills
  • Patients, 11%
  • Medical Affairs, 9%
  • MSL, 7%
  • Medical Science, 6%
  • Pharmaceutical Industry, 5%
  • Internal Stakeholders, 4%

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