bcmas certification worth it

The ACMA has been featured in mainstream media such as Fox News, Forbes, Al Jazeera, ABC News, etc..) which reflect their status as thought leaders within the pharmaceutical industry. The MSL-BC contains only an exam and has no preparatory content or material . I literally knew nothing about how to be an MSL when you got me. I am also not associated with any organization, but upon doing my research Dyer's organization seems a bit screechy to me. In contrast the MSLS made their program available earlier this year following a reported two-year collaboration process and after passing the MSL professional will be entitled to the credential MSL-BC. Seems like a way to graft $ from you. And those with pharmacy doctorates sometimes feel that while a PharmD credential shows off ones scientific research chops, its not specific enough to medical affairs to demonstrate the industry knowledge necessary or the ability to excel within a pharmaceutical or medical device company. Hello, can you please tell me if you took the certification and did it help you? This two part series endeavors to compare both certifications equipping professionals to make that decision for themselves. 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. Apparently there is rumors about him lying and faking his PhD and plagiarizing things from the MSL Institute inside his book. ", Lubna El-Najjar The BCMAS program will expand your knowledge and advance your medical science liaison career. 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. An important caveat is that, unlike the BCMAS program, with MSL-BC the additional cost to retake the exam can be as high as $400. life sciences & healthcare industries. The BCMAS seal means your medical affairs & MSL team has been rigorously evaluated by the leading . Subsequent Examination Attempts (failed exams). Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. diagnostic company that is focused on data generation and data dissemination to But you can clearly see on our website, our position. They also give you 20 modules to prepare you. So BCMAS applies to several roles in pharma-not just MSL jobs. Emanuel clarified his point: Its an opportunity to do things that you had never considered, or that Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. BCMAS Frequently Asked Questions - Home | ACMA These days, landing an MSL role isnt easy. Topics include: As the U.S. grapples with the deadly opioid epidemic and public outrage over drug costs, These cookies do not store any personal information. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Individual career development paths is discussed specific to each credential and how board certification is impacting organizations on a macro level. I work for the ACMA social media staff and was made aware of these threads on reddit. The path to becoming an exceptional Medical Science Liaison or Medical Affairs professional starts with BCMAS. * Board Certified Medical Affairs Specialist Physician & Licensed Medical Esthetician with extensive network of KOLs in aesthetics, dermatology, plastic surgery, facial plastics ent, oculoplastics . Thanks, I appreciate the up-to-date info! 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. Required fields are marked *. The BCMAS helped me to tie together my story as a candidate.. BPharm, MPH, MBA, BCMAS BCMAS is a Board Certification accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training / American National Standards Institute (IACET/ANSI). But how can one get all this info? Those professionals working within clinical development, research & development and are transitioning to a medical affairs role. The study materials are all provided. Anyone working in medical affairs understands that its a highly specialized area. The biggest standout feature is the exam structure. 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. While the BCMAS program offers some great features, the 20 modules the ACMA includes to help MSLs prepare for the exam are definitely a great standout feature. You did the heavy lifting by being awesome :-). Just perform a quick search for BCMAS on LinkedIn and the results will show the numerous industry professionals using the BCMAS credential in their titles. 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. And while some Americans are waiting in line to get their COVID-19 vaccine, others are cautious due to doubts about the rapid vaccine development process and questions that have plagued the FDA about whether clinical data from pharmaceutical companies are being reviewed thoroughly. Certainly time well spent! However, you never know where your career will take you down the road and if you think that one day you might want to expand from an MSL to a medical director, medical affairs vice president, medical information or other areas in pharma, then having BCMAS is the way to go. Many of the comments here are false and misleading. Medical affairs departments throughout the industry have thousands of executives with medical or pharmacy doctorate degrees, along with their associated credentials. 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. Tel: +1 (201) 688-2230 This enables MSLs to ask questions any time 7 days a week. Its a comprehensive, self-paced online, on demand certification program built by industry leaders and subject matter experts. Thank you . (Article updated to include link to part 2). Online board certification program meant for medical science liaisons (MSL), medical directors, medical affairs professionals, medical/drug information, HEOR, pharmacovigilance, etc.. Includes 20 preparatory modules, case studies, and practice questions to help you best prepare for the board exam. Unfortunately, the MSL Society doesnt have any preparatory content to help learners prepare for the MSL-BC exam. Board Certified Medical Affairs Specialist (BCMAS) . It's always a challenge to transition from academia to industry. Dr. Hughes Receives Board Certification as Medical Affairs Specialist One way MSL professionals can stand out is by becoming board certified MSL professionals. According to individuals who have gone through the curriculum and earned their BCMAS, the program meets all of those goals. Unfortunately, the MSL Society doesnt have any preparatory content to help learners prepare for the MSL-BC exam. Listen to BCMAS graduates share their stories! How Pharma Industry Leader Suzanne Soliman, PharmD, BCMAS Advocates For Female Pharmacists, medical affairs vs medical science liaison, Medical Affairs and Medical Science Liaison (MSL) Board Certification: A Comprehensive Review, Board Certified Medical Affairs Specialist (BCMAS): A Review by Paul Korner, MD, How to Seize New Pharmacy Opportunity in the Pharma Industry, Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs. I have not completed the MSL-BC (MSLS), nor the BCMAS (ACMA), nor do have immediate plans to do so. Nonquantifiables can be extremely important in business terms, but as hinted in the previous section, senior managers tend to focus on the money; often they are less interested in the nonquantifiables. The BCMAS program is packed with information about each role within medical affairs, all while The MSL-BC allows up to 4 hours for the 140-question multiple choice exam (of which 125 count toward your mark). What constitutes a board certification designation? industry. and improve on what I already know regarding Medical Affairs. Absolutely agree Eric! Christine Megalla, Pharm.D., Associate Director of Educational Programs at the Accreditation Council for Bachelors Degree or higher from a regionally or nationally accredited educational institution (a copy of the candidates highest degree or transcript must be provided at the time of registration). Seems like you are jumping the gun a bit. You must log in or register to reply here. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. While some MSLs view MSLS as a valuable resource, its worth noting that they are not accredited by any outside body. Google Cloud - Cloud Digital Leader. Press J to jump to the feed. Grantors always consider if the PI has the experience and resources to get the job done. Listen Now! Any insight will be greatly appreciated. The BCMAS Exam. As I've stated before, I have read Dyer's book and found it helpful 3 years ago when breaking in. I'm leaning towards the former. My comment continued: I agree with the article, the ACMA module content and exam are not necessarily for entry level professionals. and the functions which you have worked before, you may find some modules more familiar and The MSL Society (MSLs) and the Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs (ACMA) both offer a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) Board Certification. Yeah, I'm sure they'll legitimately take your money and give you some extra letters after your name. One (1) year of cumulative experience working full-time as a Medical Science Liaison (or equivalent title) or leading a Medical Science Liaison team. healthcare & this podcast is a collection of intellectual interviews with leaders you didnt think were possible.. 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. Basically, its a way to practice before the real test. in our pharmacy industry. They provided quizzes and a practice exam which really helped me prepare Medical Affairs, talks about the organizations certification process. (See below for the rest of my comment ). Shouldn't you get your Pharm-D first, before you get "BCMAS" certified? The 10 Highest-Paying IT Certifications for 2023 The ACMAs goal is to establish a common language a standard that medical affairs executives can converse in. It never hurts to continue learning. Also, in case there is any concern about MSLS or ACMA influencing how this community is run, rest assured I have no affiliation with either. All Rights Reserved. About 100 questions in total (Multiple choice, case studies and True/False). All Right Reserved. That positive relationship can now be yours in your pharmaceutical medical affairs career. Thats an important differentiator for BCMAS. It features data and insights from policymakers, industry and academic leaders, and patient advocates working to ensure equity, trust, and excellence in Medical Affairs professional engagements. Physicians, pharmacists, and PhD professionals wishing to transition into the pharmaceutical industry. The CompTIA A+ certification requires two exams. To be fair, I will gladly prepare and sit for the MSL-BC if the MSLS would like a follow up article after the fact please contact me. The ACMA is building further awareness of the important contributions that medical science liaisons make in advancing the science which ultimately improves the quality of life of patients. I very much agree that awareness of the discipline as a whole (of medical affairs) leads to higher levels of contribution. The remaining 15 items serve as pretest questions, and do not affect your final score. The exam has a 3 hour time limit. Additionally, they also have a dedicated team of advisors to help MSLs every step of the way. medical affairs and MSL colleagues to enroll in BCMAS. is grabbing the attention of politicians and policymakers. Online, proctored by a webcam. *A note from the author: I penned these articles while waiting for my exam results from BCMAS. BCMAS or Board Certified Medical Affairs Specialist is the first and only certified program designed for MSL professionals who want to be a Board Certified MSL. healthcare providers (HCPs). 36, Sector 20, Airoli, Navi Mumbai, India - 400 708, Building of Chocoblooms shop,Mezan floor, Office 03United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Al-Nahyan. Becoming Board Certified in Medical Affairs (BCMAS): The New Standard 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 BCMAS content was developed by over 30 subject matter experts from academia, 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. BCMAS is indeed a certification relevant & valuable to all involved in Medical Affairs beyond the MSL community. Board Certified Medical Affairs Specialist (BCMAS) Organization behind the MSL Certification: The ACMA is a globally accredited & recognized organization, they have offices in the U.S., India, Europe, South America and the UAE. One way MSL professionals can stand out is by becoming board certified MSL professionals. The BCMAS certification is internationally recognized, and achieving the BCMAS . This level of support is something MSLs engaged in e-learning will really appreciate and value. BCMAS helped me have everything in place and helped me expand my knowledge base beyond the product knowledge. When comparing both certifications directly a stark contrast can be seen. clinical medicine, and experts from the pharmaceutical industry. Highlights the ongoing positive growth and evolution of the industry and how medical affairs contributes importantly to this. I believe it in. The certification is a relatively new one, having launched in 2021. For more information, please see our 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. MSLs can participate in any stage of a products lifecycle, but typically are hired as a company prepares for launch. Format- 100% Online, Self-Paced, Audio Time Needed to Complete - 40 hours Exam Required- Yes (online) Since then, many companies have built MSL teams within medical affairs to help provide important educational information to HCPs. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. BCMAS was worth it! The Board Certified Medical Affairs Specialist (BCMAS) Program And as that trend continues, medical affairs professionals throughout the life sciences industry will no doubt be better prepared, more confident and, most importantly, more knowledgeable as they approach their roles. But how do you choose the right MSL Certification for you? I applied to a lot of industry positions in the past and never got an interview. I agree with you but don't you think that the topics they cover could at least give you some knowledge about the field which could potentially help in getting your foot in the door? Given the requirement facing most CPAs that they complete an average of 40 hours of continuing professional education per year, combined with the flexibility inherent in technologybased training delivery, multimedia continuing professional education courses would seem to hold a definite allure for CPAs. And this has proven to be valuable to many who are now board certified thanks to the ACMA. 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 Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs' (ACMA) BCMAS certification fee (more on that later) comes along with. Developed by industry experts and considered the industry standard by most for MSL certification. BCMAS was worth it!" Brian Duncan MD, BCMAS Vice President, Medical Affairs . There is really only one waythrough feedback. With this credential, your organization substantiates its commitment to quality care and improved patient outcomes. There are BCMAS programs for Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Canada, and South America where material is customized based on regional differences in the regulatory & compliance landscape (For example, FDA vs. EMA vs. Health Canada) 5. 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. I have worked in medical affairs for 3 years and I still felt like I learned a lot. This credential demonstrates that you have mastered the specialized knowledge and skills necessary to work in the life sciences industry. Never allow a serious crisis go to waste. So said former Mayor of Chicago and White House Chief of What Happened to Expanded Access to New Medicines. Does anyone know about this combination? BCMAS is relevant for MSLs as well as other functions within Medical Affairs. This week, with that backdrop, the House Committee on Energy and Commerces Health Subcommittee will hear from senior leaders in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as the founder and CEO of the Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs (ACMA), William Soliman, PhD, BCMAS. medical affairs professionals. They also give you 20 modules to prepare you. Just perform a quick search for BCMAS on LinkedIn and the results will show the numerous industry professionals using the BCMAS credential in their titles. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. #msl #boardcertification #bcmas #mslbc #medicalaffairs #msls #acma. Cookie Notice In fact, I completed my PhD in a little over 4 years. Hi I just signed up for the course too. Our training programs can be customized to meet your companys specific needs (disease state, clinical, and soft skills training). Online board certification program meant for medical science liaisons (MSL), medical directors, medical affairs professionals, medical/drug information, HEOR, pharmacovigilance, etc.. Includes 20 preparatory modules, case studies, and practice questions to help you best prepare for the board exam. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Certain aspects I am not familiar with, such as which program came first or whether the organizations are non profit. This certificate offers increased industry knowledge and adds a nice certification to your resume. Dr. Hughes achieved the Board-Certified Medical Affairs Specialist (BCMAS) certification from ACMA in May of 2021 and believes that it will open new doors and provide her with more in-depth industry training that is needed to excel in the medical affairs career path. I have a clinical an accreditor of medical affairs professionals and pharmaceutical sales representatives The Medical Science Liaison (MSL) is a specific role within a function called medical affairs. It is also the first board certification for MSLs. Would anyone that has completed the program recommended it? You are given 4 attempts to pass the BCMAS. Your email address will not be published. Responsibility disclaimer and privacy policy | Site Map. Physicians, pharmacists, and PhD professionals wishing to transition into the pharmaceutical industry. And some of the more seasoned industry veterans have found so much value in the BCMAS program, that theyre championing it within their companies. ACMA received IACET accreditation, whose processes helped us build a rigorous curriculum. I wanted to work in medical affairs as a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) in the pharmaceutical Thats not their only reason for getting a BCMAS certification, however. Medical Science Liaison, Neurology Western Canada. CompTIA A+. Medical Director of Astellas Pharma Philippines. Thanks for sharing Jill! Does it give you an advantage when applying? Both are official board certifications, not certificate programs meaning the idea isnt to simply learn about being an MSL the goal is to prove you know what the credential specifically implies, BCMAS leaning towards overall medical affairs (MA) and MSL-BC focusing on the MSL career specifically. The MSL-BC allows up to 4 hours for the 140-question multiple choice exam (of which 125 count toward your mark). ACMA Podcast is focused on establishing benchmarks of excellence in training for the More important than setting themselves apart from other job seekers or attaching the BCMAS letters to the ends of their names, graduates of the ACMAs program want to demonstrate their commitment to medical affairs.