OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions

OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions

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OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions episodes

  • A Conversation with Medical Affairs Leader Samuel Dyer

    In this episode of OnPoint: the Mentor Sessions Podcast, host 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗼𝗿 sits down with 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗗𝘆𝗲𝗿, MD, PhD, founder of the Medical Science Liaison Society. Samuel shares how he moved from MSL to leading international Medical Affairs teams in 60 countries, and why he believes the MSL role is a communication role through science.

    Listeners will hear how Samuel defines exceptional Medical Affairs leadership, why science is the price of admission for MSLs, how AI is changing the skills that matter most, and what finishing medical school 31 years after he started taught him about perseverance.


    In this episode

    Why the MSL role is a communication role through science

    Building a career around contributions instead of the next title
    Why exceptional leaders ask better questions instead of having all the answers
    The worst career advice in Medical Affairs: "your work will speak for itself"
    Will an MSL who knows how to use AI outperform one who does not?

    Books and Resources Mentioned

    Recommended by Samuel Dyer:

    The Medical Science Liaison Career Guide: How to Break Into Your First Role by Samuel Dyer — written for scientists, PhDs, and physicians who want to understand how the MSL profession works and how to break into it.

    The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko — the book Samuel credits with changing how he thinks about money and how wealth is built.

    About Samuel Dyer

    Samuel Dyer, MD, PhD, is the founder of the Medical Science Liaison Society, a nonprofit organization focused on the global MSL community. He has led international Medical Affairs teams across 60 countries, facilitated MSL and Medical Affairs training programs for more than 90 companies, and authored more than 100 publications. He teaches in the Master in Medical Affairs program at CESIF in Spain and helped develop a doctoral concentration in Medical Affairs at Northeastern University.

    Connect with Samuel Dyer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samueldyer/

    About OnPoint

    OnPoint: the Mentor Sessions Podcast delivers engaging conversations with Medical Affairs and Field Medical leaders on the power of mentorship and coaching. Hosted by Linda Traylor, each podcast uncovers practical strategies, personal stories, and lessons to inspire and prepare the next generation of medical leaders.

    OnPoint is available on several podcast platforms, including the Acceleration Point YouTube channel.

    Subscribe to the Acceleration Point YouTube channel for more episodes and other content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJvTQahyDapOdbhyQVhiNyQ

    1 hr 26 min
  • A Conversation with Medical Affairs Leader Marie-Ange Noué

    Marie-Ange Noué, PhD, CMPP — President of phactMI and former Senior Director and Head of North America Scientific Communications at EMD Serono — joins host Linda Traylor on OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions to talk about the shift from information delivery to intelligent stewardship in Medical Affairs. Drawing on her path from bench chemist to global scientific communications leader, and her work founding a hospital in Cameroon, Marie-Ange makes the case that as AI reshapes how healthcare professionals find scientific information, trust — not content volume — is what Medical Affairs must protect.

    In this conversation, Marie-Ange unpacks her "trusted knowledge continuum" framework, explains why she defines success as "return on intelligence" rather than output, and shares the personal story — including her daughter's cancer diagnosis and her mother's story of opportunity — that shaped how she leads and mentors others in Medical Affairs.

    In this episode

    How a personal health crisis reshaped Marie-Ange's view of medical information and led her into Medical Affairs

    The mindset shift from functional excellence to systems thinking, and the "trusted knowledge continuum"
    Why she defines success as "return on intelligence," not output volume
    The shift from information delivery to intelligent stewardship as AI changes how HCPs find scientific answers
    The two family lessons, from her mother and her daughter, that shape how she leads and mentors

    Books and Resources Mentioned

    Recommended by Marie-Ange Noué

    Think Again by Adam Grant — on the intellectual integrity of changing your conclusion when the evidence changes

    Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl — on finding purpose within circumstances you didn't choose

    About Marie-Ange Noué

    Marie-Ange Noué, PhD, CMPP is President of phactMI, the medical information consortium representing more than forty pharmaceutical companies, and former Senior Director and Head of North America Scientific Communications at EMD Serono. She began her career as a bench chemist before building medical information and scientific communications functions across Canada and North America, and in 2025 she founded a 24/7 hospital in an underserved region of Cameroon.

    Connect with Marie-Ange Noué on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-ange-noue/

    OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions Podcast delivers engaging conversations with Medical Affairs and Field Medical leaders on the power of mentorship and coaching. Hosted by Linda Traylor, each podcast uncovers practical strategies, personal stories, and lessons to inspire and prepare the next generation of medical leaders. OnPoint is available on several podcast platforms, including the Acceleration Point YouTube channel.

    Subscribe to the Acceleration Point YouTube channel for more episodes and other content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJvTQahyDapOdbhyQVhiNyQ

    Episode Chapters

    [00:00] — From Bench Chemist to Medical Affairs Leader 

    [06:00] — The Shift From Functional Excellence to Systems Thinking 
    [13:00] — What Separates a Good Leader From an Exceptional One 
    [19:00] — The Career Advice She Rejects: "The Work Will Speak for Itself" 
    [26:00] — Knowledge Orchestration: The Real Skill AI Demands 
    [33:00] — The Mom and the Daughter Who Shaped Her Leadership

    57 min
  • A Conversation with Medical Affairs Leader Jan Lewis

    Jan Lewis, Secretary of the Medical Affairs Professionals of Australasia (MAPA), joins Linda Traylor to talk curiosity, courage, and enterprise thinking.

    Jan's path into medical affairs began as a hospital pharmacist in oncology before he crossed into industry with AstraZeneca's early targeted-therapy launches in lung cancer. In this conversation, he reflects on the mindset shift that changed his career, why good science alone doesn't win, the three traits he believes separate exceptional medical affairs leaders from good ones, and the legacy he hopes to leave in every team he's part of.

    In this episode

    • The mindset shift that changed how Jan measures his own value as a leader
    • Why good science alone doesn't win — and what it takes to make it compelling
    • The three traits Jan believes separate exceptional medical affairs leaders from good ones
    • Why "stay in your lane" is the worst career advice in medical affairs
    • How AI literacy, enterprise thinking, and judgment will shape the next decade of the profession

      • Books and Resources Mentioned

      Recommended by Jan Lewis:

      • Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman — on how the mind makes decisions, and why intelligent, evidence-driven people and teams still fall into predictable biases like loss aversion and overconfidence.
      • The Patient Doctor by Ben Bravery — a physician's memoir on being diagnosed with stage three colorectal cancer at 28 and retraining in medicine after experiencing the healthcare system as a patient.

        • Recommended by Linda Traylor:

        • When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi — a physician's account of living with lung cancer.

          • Note: Titles and recommendations above were named on air by Jan or Linda; author names were confirmed against publisher/retailer records.

          About Jan Lewis: Jan Lewis is Secretary of the Medical Affairs Professionals of Australasia (MAPA) and a veteran medical affairs leader whose career began as a hospital pharmacist in oncology before he moved into industry, including early work on targeted lung cancer therapies at AstraZeneca. He is currently on a professional sabbatical and remains active in the profession through his volunteer leadership with MAPA.

          Connect with Jan Lewis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-lewis-16a9b42/

          Subscribe to the Acceleration Point YouTube channel for more episodes and other content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJvTQahyDapOdbhyQVhiNyQ

          About OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions: OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions Podcast delivers engaging conversations with Medical Affairs and Field Medical leaders on the power of mentorship and coaching. Hosted by Linda Traylor, each podcast uncovers practical strategies, personal stories, and lessons to inspire and prepare the next generation of medical leaders. OnPoint is available on several podcast platforms, including the Acceleration Point YouTube channel.

           

          Episode Chapters:

          [00:00] — Welcome: An AI-Curated Search for Exceptional Leaders

          [01:38] — From Hospital Pharmacist to Pharma: Jan's Origin Story

          [07:26] — Two Career Lessons: Better Questions and When Good Science Isn't Enough

          [16:18] — Curiosity, Humility, Courage: What Makes a Leader Exceptional

          [20:02] — Redefining Success and the Worst Career Advice in Medical Affairs

          [35:50] — AI, Enterprise Thinking, and the Future of Medical Affairs

          [49:14] — The Personal Side: Mentors, Books, Burnout, and the Billboard Message

          1 hr 23 min
        • A Conversation with Medical Affairs Leader Olivia Kager

          Olivia Kager, Global Commercial Lead, Hemato-Oncology at Kyowa Kirin, joins Linda Traylor on OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions to talk about a career built on crossing between medical affairs and commercial leadership — and what it taught her about strategic partnership, accountability, and the future of the medical affairs function.

          In this conversation, Olivia unpacks why "stay in your lane" is the worst career advice she's heard, why success in medical affairs should be measured in outcomes rather than activity, and why AI will only make teams faster at staying the same unless it's paired with clear purpose and human judgment.

          In this episode:

          Olivia's "story of accidents" — from aspiring artist to physician to a career weaving between medical affairs and commercial leadership across oncology, rare disease, and immunology

          The mindset shift from medical affairs as a "supporting function" to a strategic partner, and the accountability that comes with it
          Why the biggest misstep of her career, leaving medical for commercial, became the bridge that shaped her leadership
          Redefining success in medical affairs: moving from activity metrics to measurable outcomes, and why the first six months after launch matter most
          Why "hybrid intelligence," not AI alone, will define the next decade of medical affairs

          Books and Resources Mentioned

          Recommended by Olivia Kager: 

          How Women Rise — a practical, honest look at habits that hold talented women back, such as underclaiming achievements and hesitating to take up space (title named on air; author not stated)

          Dare to Lead by Brené Brown — makes the case that courage and vulnerability are the foundation of strong leadership, not its opposite
          Emotional Agility by Susan David — the source of the phrase "courage is fear walking," which Olivia references directly in the episode

          Recommended by Linda Traylor: 

          The Curiosity Shop, a podcast hosted by Brené Brown and Adam Grant — Linda named it as a current favorite; Olivia agreed it's one she loves too

          About Olivia Kager: 

          Olivia Kager is Global Commercial Lead, Hemato-Oncology at Kyowa Kirin. A physician by training, her career has moved between medical affairs and commercial leadership across oncology, rare disease, and immunology, including a prior role leading medical affairs for the DACH region. She is also active in mentoring and gender equity work within the life sciences industry.

          Connect with Olivia Kager on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-kager-0158a55b/

          OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions Podcast delivers engaging conversations with Medical Affairs and Field Medical leaders on the power of mentorship and coaching. Hosted by Linda Traylor, each podcast uncovers practical strategies, personal stories, and lessons to inspire and prepare the next generation of medical leaders. OnPoint is available on several podcast platforms, including the Acceleration Point YouTube channel.

          Subscribe to the Acceleration Point YouTube channel for more episodes and other content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJvTQahyDapOdbhyQVhiNyQ

          Episode Chapters:

          [00:00] Meet Olivia Kager: A Career Built on "Accidents"

          [07:23] From Supporting Function to Strategic Partner

          [11:15] The Misstep That Became a Bridge

          [16:32] What Separates Exceptional Leaders From Good Ones

          [22:00] Redefining Success and the Worst Advice in Medical Affairs

          [34:02] AI, Hybrid Intelligence, and the Medical Affairs Decade

          [42:22] Personal Reflections and the Billboard Message

          1 hr 2 min
        • A Conversation with Medical Affairs Leader Sarah Cross

          Sarah Cross, PhD, Senior Health Value Translation Lead at Sanofi, joins OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions to talk about her path into medical affairs, the mindset shifts that shaped her leadership, and why bringing the patient voice into R&D is the natural next step for the field. 

          From a Google search that led her to the MSL role, to a career-defining lesson in failing fast, to her current work co-creating drug development with patient communities at Sanofi, Sarah shares hard-won lessons for medical affairs professionals at every stage of their career.

          In this episode:

          • Sarah's path into medical affairs — a Google search, an unfamiliar job title, and a mentor conversation in a Colorado coffee shop
          • The mindset shift from strong individual contributor to effective medical affairs leader
          • A PhD-era calculation error and the lesson in failing fast that followed • How the definition of success in medical affairs has evolved, and why the patient voice belongs earlier in R&D
          • Why navigating constant change is now a core medical affairs skill, and her billboard message for the field: future forward

            • Books and Resources Recommended by Sarah Cross, PhD:

            • Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg — on finding sponsors and mentors, and why career paths are "a jungle gym, not a ladder"
            • Radical Candor by Kim Scott — on giving direct, caring feedback to build high-performing teams Note: Only titles and authors explicitly named on air are included above.

              • About Sarah Cross, PhD:

              Sarah Cross, PhD is Senior Health Value Translation Lead at Sanofi, where she partners with patient communities to bring the patient voice directly into R&D and drug development decisions. Her career spans MSL and headquarters medical affairs roles at AbbVie and medical affairs leadership on the CRO side of the industry. She holds a PhD from UCLA.

              Connect with Sarah Cross, PhD on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcross/

              About Sarah Cross, PhD:

              OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions Podcast delivers engaging conversations with Medical Affairs and Field Medical leaders on the power of mentorship and coaching. Hosted by Linda Traylor, each podcast uncovers practical strategies, personal stories, and lessons to inspire and prepare the next generation of medical leaders.

              OnPoint is available on several podcast platforms, including the Acceleration Point YouTube channel. Subscribe to the Acceleration Point YouTube channel for more episodes and other content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJvTQahyDapOdbhyQVhiNyQ 

              Episode Chapters:

              00:00 — Welcome and Introducing Sarah Cross

              01:25 — Her Path Into Medical Affairs

              06:37 — Mindset Shifts, Missteps, and What Makes a Leader Exceptional

              15:55 — Redefining Success and the Future of Patient Engagement

              21:55 — Navigating Change and Where Medical Affairs Is Headed

              29:35 — Advice to Her Younger Self and the Mentor Who Shaped Her Career

              36:39 — Books, Habits, and a Future-Forward Send-Off

              55 min
            • A Conversation with Medical Affairs Leader Lee Gervitz

              In this episode of OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions, host Linda Traylor sits down with Lee Gervitz, Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs at Xenon Pharmaceuticals, a neuroscience-focused biopharmaceutical company. Lee shares the mindset shift that reshaped his leadership — what he calls metacognition, or "thinking about your thinking" — and unpacks how it changed the way he leads teams, frames decisions, and develops talent.

              Across the conversation, Lee draws on more than two decades in pharma to explore what separates a good Medical Affairs leader from an exceptional one, why "stay in your lane" is the worst advice rising MSLs receive, and how the COM-B behavior model is reshaping how Medical Affairs thinks about clinical impact. He closes with a personal philosophy that runs through every chapter of his career: family first, individuals first, and the discipline of making time for what matters.

              In this episode:

              - The mindset shift from being right to being useful — and why metacognition is leadership leverage
              - What separates good Medical Affairs leaders from exceptional ones
              - Why "stay in your lane" is the worst advice given to rising MA professionals
              - How the COM-B model reframes evidence, behavior, and clinical adoption
              - Two very different futures for the Medical Affairs profession — and the choice ahead

              Books and Resources Mentioned:

              Recommended by Lee Gervitz:

              - First, Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham — the foundation for Gallup's StrengthsFinder and most modern engagement surveys
              - Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman — essential for early- to mid-career professionals building decision-making fluency
              - Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely — an entry point into behavioral economics and human behavior
              - The Molecule of More by Daniel Z. Lieberman and Michael E. Long — how dopamine shapes near-term gratification and long-term satisfaction
              - How Emotions Are Made by Lisa Feldman Barrett — a deeper scientific understanding of how human emotions are actively constructed

              Lee also references the COM-B model (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation → Behavior) as a core framework for understanding behavior change in clinical care, and credits a Suno AI Pro subscription as the under-$100 purchase that became a meaningful creative outlet over the past year.

              Connect with Lee Gervitz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-gervitz-phd-mba-b853844/

              OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions Podcast delivers engaging conversations with Medical Affairs and Field Medical leaders on the power of mentorship and coaching. Hosted by Linda Traylor, each podcast uncovers practical strategies, personal stories, and lessons to inspire and prepare the next generation of medical leaders. OnPoint is available on several podcast platforms, including the Acceleration Point YouTube channel.

              Listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTXapuvAJzWZdDrMJFj-3FDz42Z3uJYAu

              Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/onpoint-the-mentor-sessions/id1884316384
              Spotify: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/8cquOM3Mg1b

              Episode Chapters:

              00:00 — Welcome

              02:13 — Falling Into Pharma
              08:52 — Stop Trying to Be Right
              17:07 — When the Misstep Becomes the Lesson
              23:53 — What Makes a Medical Affairs Leader Exceptional
              30:27 — Why "Stay in Your Lane" Is the Worst Advice
              39:05 — Become a Student of Behavior
              46:45 — Two Futures for Medical Affairs
              1:18:00 — Family First. Individuals First. Always.

              About Lee Gervitz:

              Lee Gervitz is Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs at Xenon Pharmaceuticals, a neuroscience-focused biopharmaceutical company. With a PhD in physiology and an MBA in health organization management, he has held roles spanning Medical Affairs, commercial, and enterprise leadership across the pharmaceutical industry. He is recognized for pairing scientific depth with enterprise-level strategic thinking and for his focus on the behavioral dimensions of clinical practice.

              Subscribe to the Acceleration Point YouTube channel for more episodes and other content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJvTQahyDapOdbhyQVhiNyQ


              #MedicalAffairs #MSL #OnPointMentorSessions #AccelerationPoint #LeeGervitz #Xenon #Metacognition #COMBModel #MedicalAffairsLeadership #FieldMedical #LeadershipDevelopment

              1 hr 22 min
            • A Conversation with Medical Affairs Leader Paul Ward

              Paul Ward has spent thirty years in Medical Affairs — from selling antibiotics at Beecham Laboratories to leading field medical oncology, hematology, medical value, and access at BeOne Medicines. He has attended the American Society of Hematology for twenty-three consecutive years. His point of view is earned in the arena, and in this episode, he shares it.

              In this conversation with Linda Traylor, Paul covers the mindset shift that transformed his MSL career, what he learned leading a team through a drug withdrawal, why the worst career advice in field medical is to rush to the next title, and what he would put on a billboard for every Medical Affairs professional in the world.

              In this episode:

              • The pivot that changed everything: from trying to know every answer to becoming a better student
              • Leading through the Iressa withdrawal — the 6:30 AM call, the KOL conversations, and the decision to stay
              • What Dr. Steven Paul said about molecules vs. people — and why Paul still thinks about it thirty years later
              • Why MSLs shouldn't rush the gears — and what gets lost when they do
              • AI in Medical Affairs: embrace it, but don't lose the human connection that makes this role irreplaceable

                • Books and Resources Mentioned:

                Recommended by Linda Traylor:

                • A Message to Garcia by Elbert Hubbard — a short, classic read on dependability and getting things done without being told how. Linda gifts it frequently and calls it one of the best books she's ever received. Paul hadn't heard of it — and wrote it down.

                  • Recommended by Paul Ward:

                  • MSL Talk (podcast) — hosted by Tom Caravela, Managing Partner of The Carolan Group. Paul recommends it to everyone in field medical. Nearly 200 episodes, 30–40 minutes each, built around inspiring Medical Affairs leaders.  Listen Now: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS7XTUuk1XF5Tm5InADY6cA
                  • PharmaVerse (podcast) — hosted by Michael Pietrack. Broader than Medical Affairs alone — guests have included CEOs, R&D leaders, and figures like Mark Cuban on PBMs. Paul listens regularly.  Listen Now: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePharmaversePodcast

                    • About Paul Ward:

                    Paul Ward is Head of Field Medical Oncology, Hematology, Medical Value and Access at BeOne Medicines. With thirty years in Medical Affairs, his career spans field medical, regional and national director roles at companies including Lilly Oncology, AstraZeneca, and Astellas. He is a longtime member of the MSL Society Advisory Board and has attended twenty-three consecutive years of the American Society of Hematology.

                    Connect with Paul Ward on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-ward-95302b15/

                    About OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions:

                    OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions is a podcast series hosted by Linda Traylor, VP of Medical Excellence at Acceleration Point. Each episode is a candid conversation with an unsung hero in Medical Affairs or Field Medical — surfacing the mindset shifts, defining moments, and hard-won lessons that shape the leaders moving this field forward.

                    OnPoint is available on several podcast platforms, including the Acceleration Point YouTube channel.

                    Watch Now: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTXapuvAJzWZdDrMJFj-3FDz42Z3uJYAu


                    00:00 — Thirty Years in the Arena: How Paul Ward Found Medical Affairs
                    05:15 — The Mindset Shift Every MSL Needs: From Expert to Student
                    07:51 — When the Drug Fails: Leading Through the Iressa Withdrawal
                    14:12 — What Makes an Exceptional Leader: Molecules vs. People
                    20:49 — Don't Rush the Gears: Career Advice for Rising Field Medical Professionals
                    29:26 — The Future of Medical Affairs: AI, Human Connection, and What's Coming Next
                    37:30 — The Man in the Arena: Mentors, Mindfulness, and the Billboard

                    55 min
                  • A Conversation with Medical Affairs Leader Tom Caravela

                    Tom Caravela has placed leaders across some of the most recognized Medical Affairs organizations in the industry. After 20+ years, he knows what elite looks like — and what holds people back. In this conversation with Linda Traylor, he doesn't hold back.

                    This episode covers the evolution of the MSL role, what exceptional Medical Affairs leaders actually have in common, why adaptability is no longer optional, and where the profession is headed. Tom also shares the mindset shift that changed everything for him — and the habits he wishes he had built sooner.

                    Whether you lead a field medical team, are building toward a leadership role, or are just entering Medical Affairs, this conversation has something for you.

                    About Tom Caravela:

                    Tom Caravela is the Managing Partner of The Carolan Group, a search firm dedicated to the Medical Affairs and MSL industry. He is also the host of the MSL Mastery podcast and the author of Job Search Mastery: How to Win Your Dream Job.  

                    You can connect with Tom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomcaravela-executiverecruiter

                    About OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions:

                    OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions is hosted by Linda Traylor, VP of Medical Excellence at Acceleration Point. Each episode surfaces the unsung heroes of Medical Affairs — leaders whose work and wisdom deserve a wider audience. New episodes drop regularly. Subscribe so you don't miss one.

                    00:00 Chapter 1: The Accidental Recruiter — Tom's Origin Story

                    06:25 Chapter 2: Growth Mindset, Failure & Resilience
                    12:41 Chapter 3: What Elite Medical Affairs Leadership Actually Looks Like
                    20:58 Chapter 4: The MSL Role Has Changed — Are You Keeping Up?
                    25:43 Chapter 5: Adaptability, AI & the Future of Medical Affairs
                    32:03 Chapter 6: Habits, Mentors & the Legacy You're Building

                    50 min
                  • A Conversation with Medical Affairs Leader Dr. Davida White

                    In our inaugural episode of OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions, Linda Traylor, VP of Medical Excellence at Acceleration Point, begins a new podcast series designed to uncover the mindsets, habits, and behaviors that define exceptional leaders in Medical Affairs.

                    Inspired by The Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss, each episode follows a consistent set of reflective questions that reveal how accomplished mentors think, lead, and develop others. This series shines a light on the people behind the titles by talking to those who elevate teams through authenticity, curiosity, and purpose-driven leadership.

                    To open the series, Linda welcomed Dr. Davida J. White, M.D., Head of CVM Field Medical Affairs (National Team, Strategy & Ops, Training & Development) at Johnson & Johnson. Together, they explore how mentorship, empowerment, and gratitude shape enduring leadership in Medical Affairs.

                    Connect with Davida on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davida-j-white-m-d/

                    OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions Podcast delivers engaging conversations with Medical Affairs and Field Medical leaders on the power of mentorship and coaching. Hosted by Linda Traylor, each podcast uncovers practical strategies, personal stories, and lessons to inspire and prepare the next generation of medical leaders.

                    OnPoint is available on several podcast platforms, including the Acceleration Point YouTube channel.

                    Davida’s Recommended Book:  Mindset: Changing the Way You Think to Fulfill Your Potential by Dr. Carol S. Dweck

                    [00:00]  Welcome to The Mentor Sessions: Why This Podcast Exists 

                    [04:20]  Meet Dr. Davida White: A Leader with Purpose
                    [10:15]  The Mindset Shift: Scaling Impact from One Patient to Many
                    [17:40]  What Exceptional Leadership Looks Like in Medical Affairs
                    [26:55]  Career Growth, Networking, and Lessons Learned
                    [36:10]  Future-Ready Skills: AI, Agility, and the Power of Continuous Learning
                    [44:50]  Habits, Mentors, and the Leadership Mindset
                    [54:20]  What We Do Matters: Davida’s Message to Medical Affairs

                    55 min

                  About OnPoint: The Mentor Sessions

                  From the publisher's feed

                  Linda Traylor, VP of Medical Excellence at Acceleration Point, hosts engaging conversations with Medical Affairs and Field Medical leaders on the power of mentorship and coaching. Each podcast…