A BDS degree does not have to lead only to a dental clinic, MDS preparation or a conventional clinical career. For graduates who want to stay close to science but move away from everyday patient care, Medical Affairs can open a very different professional path.
Dr. Aswini discovered that possibility during her BDS internship. A 2026 BDS graduate and complete fresher, she knew clinical practice was not her long-term goal. She explored medical coding first, then discovered Medical Affairs and the Medical Science Liaison function. Within months of graduating, she moved into a Clinical Scientific Expert role at IQVIA, a position she describes as closely aligned with the MSL function.
Her journey became the focus of an exclusive conversation with Dr. Akram Ahmad, PhD from the Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, and Academically Global, where she discussed how she discovered Medical Affairs, why she chose specialised training instead of immediately pursuing another degree, what changed during her preparation, how she handled the IQVIA interview and why her BDS degree remained central to her success.
The story offers one important lesson for BDS graduates. You may not need another clinical degree to build a career in the healthcare industry. All you need is to understand how your existing scientific knowledge can be applied differently.
Transition From BDS Internship to a Non-Clinical Career:
How it Looks Like in real Life
Dr. Aswini did not arrive at Medical Affairs with a pharma background. During her internship, she had already started thinking about her long-term career. Clinical practice was not where she saw herself staying indefinitely, so she began looking at alternatives.
Her first step was medical coding. That experience helped her realise something important. There were more non-clinical healthcare careers than the limited set of roles she initially knew about. Her research introduced her to Medical Affairs, and then to the role of a Medical Science Liaison. That discovery changed the direction of her career search.
“I only knew clinical practice or MDS,” she explained during the interview. “Apart from that, I did not have an idea about how the entire healthcare corporate works.”
This lack of awareness is one of the biggest barriers for healthcare graduates considering non-clinical careers. The problem is often not a lack of academic ability. It is simply that students are not exposed to enough information about what exists beyond clinics and hospitals. Dr. Aswini decided to explore the field before committing to another long academic programme.
Medical Science Liaison vs MBA/MHA After BDS or MBBS
| Factor | Medical Affairs / Medical Science Liaison | MBA / MHA |
| Primary purpose | Build specialised skills for healthcare and life-sciences functions such as Medical Affairs, MSL, Medical Information and scientific communication | Build broader business, management or healthcare administration knowledge |
| Best suited for | Doctors, dentists, pharmacists, PhDs and life-science graduates targeting pharma, biotech, CRO or MedTech careers | Healthcare professionals seeking management, administration, operations, consulting or broader business roles |
| Connection to BDS/MBBS background | Directly builds on existing medical and scientific knowledge | Depends on specialisation and the eventual job; clinical knowledge may be less central in general management roles |
| Typical career direction | MSL, Medical Affairs Associate, Medical Information, Medical Advisor, scientific communication and related roles | Healthcare management, hospital administration, operations, consulting, business development, product or general management |
| Core skills developed | Medical strategy, scientific communication, KOL engagement, clinical evidence, publications, compliance, stakeholder management and evidence generation | Management, finance, operations, marketing, strategy, leadership and organisational management |
| Industry knowledge | Focused on pharmaceutical, biotech, MedTech and healthcare industry functions | Broader business or healthcare-management perspective |
| MSL preparation | Directly relevant because MSL competencies form part of Medical Affairs training | Not normally designed specifically around MSL responsibilities |
| Scientific communication | Core component | Usually not the central focus |
| KOL/stakeholder engagement | Core Medical Affairs competency | May be covered indirectly through leadership, marketing or management modules |
| Clinical evidence and research | Relevant to Medical Affairs, clinical trials and evidence-based decision-making | Depends heavily on the MBA/MHA curriculum |
| Duration | Can be significantly shorter for an executive or specialised programme | MBA/MHA degrees commonly require a longer academic commitment |
| Academic qualification | Industry-focused professional upskilling/certification | Formal postgraduate degree |
| Career-switch focus | Designed around applying an existing healthcare background to a specialised industry function | Designed around developing broader management or administrative capabilities |
| For a BDS fresher targeting Medical Affairs | Builds skills directly relevant to the target function | May require additional effort to connect a general management qualification with Medical Affairs |
| For someone targeting hospital administration | Not the primary pathway | MHA/MBA may be more directly aligned |
| For someone targeting pharma/MSL roles | Directly aligned with the function | MBA/MHA alone does not necessarily provide Medical Affairs-specific preparation |
| Key consideration | Choose it when the target role is specifically within Medical Affairs or related scientific functions | Choose it when the target career requires broader management, administration or business expertise |
Why Dr. Aswini Chose Medical Affairs Instead of MBA or MHA
One of the most revealing parts of the interview was her decision to test a specialised Medical Affairs pathway before enrolling in a broader management degree. She had considered options such as an MBA, MHA or MPH. But she wanted something much more closely connected to her healthcare background.
Her thinking was simple. Instead of spending years on a generic qualification and then trying to determine where her dental degree fitted into the corporate world, she wanted to first understand the Medical Affairs function itself.
That led her to Academically’s Executive Programme in Medical Affairs/Medical Science Liaison. The current programme is designed specifically for healthcare and life-sciences graduates, including BDS and MDS professionals, and focuses on the practical skills required in Medical Affairs and MSL-related roles.
For Dr. Aswini, the decision was about gaining targeted exposure. She described the programme as a practical initiative she could try before considering a longer management degree. It gave her the opportunity to understand the industry, build relevant knowledge and prepare for corporate interviews while remaining connected to healthcare.
That distinction matters. An MBA can develop broad business knowledge. A Medical Affairs programme is designed to develop knowledge around a specialised healthcare function. For a BDS graduate specifically interested in scientific and pharmaceutical careers, that alignment can make the learning more directly relevant.
JD of an MSL: What Does a Medical Science Liaison Actually Do?
Medical Science Liaison is one of the best-known field-based roles within Medical Affairs.
The role is centred on scientific exchange, rather than sales promotion. MSLs engage healthcare professionals and external experts, communicate evidence and scientific information, gather insights from the field and contribute to broader Medical Affairs activities.
Dr. Aswini described her Clinical Scientific Expert role as being closely related to this function. Her work involves scientific discussions with specialists and researchers, including experts in cardiology, as well as conversations around clinical research, trials and therapies.
That is a significant shift from treating one patient at a time. An MSL works at the intersection of science, evidence, communication and industry. The role requires the professional to understand research, interpret scientific data and communicate appropriately with external experts. Strong communication is therefore not a secondary skill. It is part of the job itself.
For Dr. Aswini, this was one of the biggest changes she experienced after moving beyond clinical dentistry.
From Individual Patient Care to Population-Level Impact
During BDS, her thinking was naturally centred on individual patient care. A patient comes in. The dental history is evaluated. A diagnosis is made. Treatment follows.
Medical Affairs exposed her to a much broader way of thinking. She explained that the science side of healthcare involves understanding medicine at the level of populations, treatment landscapes, clinical evidence and healthcare systems.
That difference became one of the strongest reasons she developed an interest in the field. Her words capture the transition well: instead of thinking only about “the next patient,” she began understanding how scientific decisions and evidence can influence a much larger group of people.
This does not mean one path is better than another. Clinical and non-clinical healthcare careers solve different problems and require different skill sets. For Dr. Aswini, however, Medical Affairs offered the type of broader scientific engagement she was looking for.
What Do You Learn in a Medical Affairs Course?
The biggest change was not simply that she learned the definition of Medical Affairs. She learned how the healthcare industry functions beyond clinical practice. The best medical affairs course online entails:
- Medical Affairs and MSL responsibilities: She developed a clearer understanding of what professionals in the function actually do.
- Ethics, governance and compliance: Topics that were unfamiliar during BDS became part of her understanding of corporate healthcare.
- Scientific communication: She learned how to communicate scientific concepts clearly in a professional environment.
- Interview preparation: She repeatedly practised questions that could arise during industry recruitment.
- Industry perspective: Sessions with professionals working in the sector helped her understand how Medical Affairs operates in practice.
This practical orientation also reflects the structure of Academically’s current programme, which includes Medical Affairs fundamentals, KOL management, clinical trials, scientific communication, publication strategy and practical capstone-based learning.
The goal is not to replace the clinical education a healthcare professional already has. It is to build the additional layer required to operate in the corporate healthcare environment.
Importance of Interview Preparation for Medical Science Liaison Job
For Dr. Aswini, one capability stood out above all others. Communication. She was naturally hesitant and shy at the beginning. She knew the science but was not initially confident about how to present herself.
That changed through repeated interview practice for medical science liaison. She also highlighted the requirement to keep her camera on during sessions. Something that may sound small became meaningful for her because it forced her to become more comfortable presenting herself and speaking openly.
She entered the IQVIA interview having already answered many likely interview questions during training. That familiarity reduced the fear of the unknown. Her experience highlights an important difference between knowing something and being able to communicate it under pressure.
Corporate healthcare employers are not only looking at your degree. Your ability to explain what you know, communicate with stakeholders and demonstrate professional confidence also matters.
Academically’s current programme includes professional communication, presentation skills, stakeholder engagement, networking strategies and 1-to-1 mock interview feedback, alongside industry-specific interview preparation and CV/LinkedIn support. For someone entering the industry for the first time, that preparation can help convert scientific knowledge into an interview-ready professional profile.
How to Crack a Medical Science Liaison Interview [For BDS Freshers]
The hiring process involved multiple stages. Her first conversation assessed her general background and understanding of Medical Affairs. She then faced an HR discussion where she was expected to understand what an MSL does and what kind of work she would be performing. She was also told about the therapeutic area she would be working in: cardio-pulmonology.
The final stage involved interviews with senior members of the team. The questioning covered both MSL knowledge and cardio-pulmonology. She recalls answering around five to six questions from each area. Most of the questions did not leave her stuck because she had spent months learning how Medical Affairs works and practising how to respond to interview questions.
A few technical, situation-based questions challenged her. But the preparation had already given her a framework for approaching the interview. That is the value of targeted preparation.
A recruiter is not necessarily asking whether you can memorise definitions. They want to understand whether you can think scientifically, communicate clearly and apply your knowledge to a real role.
“I Thought I Was Selected for the Next Round”
The moment Dr. Aswini received the IQVIA offer was almost surreal. She initially thought she might simply have been shortlisted for another round. So she called HR to confirm. Only when she was told that she had actually been selected did it sink in.
IQVIA had been one of those companies she admired from a distance, including through healthcare job portals. Now she had an offer herself. The reaction is relatable because the achievement happened much earlier than she had imagined.
She had graduated in 2026. She had no previous pharma experience. She had not completed MDS. She had not worked in Medical Affairs before. She was still completing her programme. Yet she had reached a corporate healthcare role within roughly four months of joining Academically.
Does BDS Knowledge Help in Non Clinical Jobs?
According to Dr. Aswini, absolutely. In fact, she believes the BDS degree was one of the foundations that helped her secure the role. This is an important point for dentists who assume they need to leave their original academic background behind to enter Medical Affairs.
They do not.
BDS gives graduates a foundation in anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, diagnosis, evidence-based clinical reasoning and patient care. Medical Affairs requires another layer: understanding industry processes, scientific communication, stakeholder engagement, evidence generation and corporate healthcare practices.
The transition is therefore less about abandoning dentistry and more about repositioning existing knowledge. Academically’s current programme explicitly includes BDS and MDS graduates among eligible learners seeking non-clinical healthcare careers.
Dr. Aswini’s story demonstrates why this matters. Her BDS was not irrelevant to her new career. It became the scientific foundation on which she built a different professional skill set.
What are the Challenges Faced by BDS Freshers in India?
Dr. Aswini identified a major problem faced by BDS graduates: lack of awareness. Many freshers know about clinical practice, MDS, medical coding or insurance-related roles. Far fewer know about Medical Affairs, MSL, Medical Information, scientific communication, field medical positions or other industry pathways.
That means some qualified graduates never apply for roles they could potentially pursue. The issue is not necessarily eligibility. It can be visibility.
This is also why specialised programmes can be useful for career discovery. Academically’s Executive Programme in Medical Affairs/Medical Science Liaison covers the function from fundamentals through KOL management, clinical trials, scientific communication, insights generation, publication strategy and capstone work.
Practical projects can also give freshers something concrete to discuss during an interview. The programme currently includes real-world case studies, report writing, presentations, clinical trial simulations, KOL engagement strategy and industry scenario-based assignments.
For a fresher, that can help answer the question recruiters often ask:
“What do you know about this industry?”
Do You Need MDS to Become a Medical Science Liaison?
No, you do not need to do an MDS to get into non clinical fields like Medical Affairs. Dr. Aswini had just completed BDS. She had no prior industry experience.
And she had not completed MDS, MBA, MHA or MPH. Her experience does not mean every BDS fresher will receive an MSL-related job immediately. Recruitment depends on the employer, role, qualifications, communication ability, therapeutic knowledge and interview performance.
But her journey does demonstrate that MDS is not the only conceivable next step after BDS. Academically’s current programme is explicitly open to BDS and MDS graduates and is structured for healthcare professionals without prior Medical Affairs experience. The current programme runs online and combines live and self-paced learning with practical work.
That makes a specialised Medical Affairs pathway an option worth researching before automatically assuming another degree is mandatory.
How Can BDS Freshers Become a Medical Science Liaison?
Dr. Aswini’s advice is practical on how you can become a medical science liaison:
- Start by understanding the field. Attend webinars.
- Read about Medical Affairs and MSL responsibilities.
- Follow professionals already working in the industry.
- Research job descriptions.
- Understand what employers are actually asking for.
- Then identify the skills you are missing and work on them.
- The key is not to wait until graduation and then start researching.
Dr. Aswini began exploring during her internship. That gave her time to understand what she wanted before making a transition. Her journey can be reduced to a simple sequence:
BDS foundation → career exploration → Medical Affairs awareness → specialised training → communication and interview preparation → industry interview → Clinical Scientific Expert role
That is the part of her story worth remembering. The transition did not happen because she stopped being a dentist. It happened because she learned how to apply her healthcare knowledge in a new environment.
Why Choose Academically?
Dr. Aswini repeatedly highlighted three elements of her experience.
- The first was industry-focused learning. She learned directly about Medical Affairs, MSL responsibilities, ethics, governance, compliance and scientific work.
- The second was communication and interview preparation. Repeated questioning helped her enter her first major interview with greater confidence.
- The third was ongoing support. During periods when she was anxious about securing a job, she described the Academically team as reassuring and encouraging.
These features align with the current programme structure, which combines practical modules, mentor-supported capstone work, mock interviews, professional communication training, CV and LinkedIn support and structured job assistance.
The programme also connects learners with Jobslly, providing healthcare job-search support, verified listings, recruiter profile building and application assistance.
For a fresher, that wider support system can matter because breaking into a new industry involves much more than classroom learning.
To Conclude with...
Perhaps the most interesting detail is that Dr. Aswini had not even formally completed the programme when she received the job. Her assessment was done. Her capstone presentation was still pending. Yet she had already entered the industry. This highlights an important point about career transition.
Training and employment do not always happen in a neat sequence where you finish a course, receive a certificate and only then begin applying. Sometimes the learning process and career process happen at the same time. That was Dr. Aswini’s experience. She secured her role while still building the final pieces of her professional portfolio.
Dr. Aswini’s journey is not a promise that every BDS graduate will become an MSL within four months. It is something more useful: a real example of what can happen when a graduate identifies a new career direction early, learns what the role demands and deliberately builds the missing skills. The larger message is simple.
A BDS degree can be a starting point for more than clinical dentistry. Medical Affairs is one of the areas where scientific knowledge, healthcare education and communication come together. MSLs work with external experts to exchange evidence, gather insights and support scientific objectives within Medical Affairs.