Medical Advisor After BDS: Job Roles, Salary & Growth Potential
Written by: Dr Aarushi Trehan, Reviewed by: Dr Sushmitha
Medical Affairs after BDS turns your scientific insight into strategy, innovation, and influence. You don’t have to give up your medical background when you leave clinical practice.
Watch this podcast and see how one of our clients landed a role as a medical advisor with no extra qualifications but just a BDS degree.
Who is a Medical Advisor?
A medical advisor is a medical expert who works for pharmaceutical, medical device, animal-health, or biotech companies.
The primary role of an advisor is to provide scientific support to develop strategies for healthcare products & develop clinical insights.
Assisting the company in developing and marketing medical and healthcare products.
Continue reading to gain a deeper understanding of the medical advisor’s role.
Understanding the Medical Advisor Role in the Healthcare Industry
Medical Advisors play several crucial roles, such as:
Source: ncbi(1)
Can a BDS Graduate Become a Medical Advisor?
Yes, you can become a medical advisor after BDS, especially if you are interested in:
- Healthcare
- Clinical research
- Pharmacovigilance
- Medical device industries
- Product or drug development
Transitioning into the role of an advisor may not always require an additional degree.
The skills taught in dental/medical school are often sufficient to land a job in this field.
Strong communication skills, an analytical mindset for evaluating clinical data, and the ability to plan and coordinate medical activities are the most important qualities.
If you want to start your career as a medical advisor, click the button below.
Start Your Medical Advisor Journey
Let’s get you started
Let’s look into the kind of roles you can take up as a medical advisor.
What are the Career Scopes for a Medical Advisor in India?
The role of a medical advisor is dynamic in India, offering a wide array of opportunities across the healthcare, pharmaceutical, insurance, biotech, and medical device industries.
Different Types of Medical Advisor Roles Across Industries
Here’s a breakdown of the career scope for different medical and dental clinical advisors:
Learn More About the Role
Connect with our expert
Medical Advisor Role: Educational and Professional Requirements
Ideally, pharmaceutical companies prefer graduates in pharmacy or an MD in pharmacology.
Apart from this, various companies also hire BDS and MBBS graduates.
BPharma and MPharma graduates also have a great scope in this field.
The requirements usually differ from organisation to organisation. There is no specific qualification criterion.
Are There Any Necessary Qualifications After BDS?
There are no necessary qualifications for the medical advisor role after BDS.
Many companies hire dental graduates with strong clinical knowledge.
Hence, it is essential to stay up-to-date with the medical industry.
Relevant Certifications and Courses
There are numerous free courses available that you can take to get that extra edge.
At Odigio, we don’t recommend taking paid courses until necessary.
Our clients did not undergo special training for the medical advisor role; they were hired based on their clinical skills and knowledge.
What are Some of the Personal Skills Required for the Role?
According to our subject experts, the skills required to land a role as a medical advisor in the healthcare industry are:
- Networking
- Strong communication skills
- Ability to collaborate across teams
- Analytical thinking to interpret clinical data
- Strategic thinking to organise medical activities
What are the Key Responsibilities of a Medical Advisor in India After BDS?
- Train internal teams, such as sales and marketing.
- These professionals also develop strategies related to various healthcare products and therapies.
- They also conduct advisory board meetings and provide insights on the latest clinical developments.
- Interpret clinical data and hand it over to the product team for new product development and launch.
- Medical advisors play a critical role by providing clinical and scientific expertise to internal departments, such as marketing and sales, as well as to external stakeholders.
Difference Between a Medical Advisor, a Medical Science Liaison, and Medical Affairs
Read the table below to know the difference:
- Primary Role: In-house medical expert providing scientific and strategic guidance to pharma/healthcare companies.
- Work Location: Office-based (HQ or regional office)
- Core Responsibilities: In-house medical expert providing scientific and strategic guidance to pharma/healthcare companies.
- Interaction With: Internal teams (marketing, sales, regulatory, R&D)
- Typical Background: MBBS, BDS, BPharm, MPH, MSc, PhD + experience in pharma or medical content.
- Skills Required: Scientific communication, compliance, cross-functional collaboration
- Goal: Ensure medical/scientific accuracy in company activities
- Growth Path: Senior Medical Advisor → Medical Affairs Manager → Medical Director
- Primary Role: Field-based role building relationships with doctors, researchers, and KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders)
- Work Location: Field-based (frequent travel to hospitals, conferences, etc.)
- Core Responsibilities: Engage with KOLs- Present data on products- Gather insights from the field- Medical education support
- Interaction With: External stakeholders (doctors, researchers, KOLs)
- Typical Background: Similar to Medical Advisor; often MBBS/PhD/MSc/BDS/BPharm + strong communication
- Skills Required: Strong interpersonal skills, scientific knowledge, and field communication
- Goal: Build scientific credibility and foster clinical relationships
- Growth Path: Senior MSL → Regional MSL Lead → Director of Field Medical Affairs
- Primary Role: Umbrella department responsible for medical accuracy, strategy, and ethical compliance
- Work Location: Both office and field-based, depending on the role
- Core Responsibilities: Manage medical strategy- Approve scientific content- Oversee compliance and communication across teams
- Interaction With: Cross-functional teams + both internal and external experts
- Typical Background: Diverse — includes MDs, PhDs, PharmDs, MPH, life sciences grads
- Skills Required: Strategic thinking, communication, and regulatory awareness
- Goal: Maintain scientific integrity and drive ethical medical strategy
- Growth Path: Medical Director, Therapeutic Area Head, Global Medical Affairs Lead
Let’s explore the types of companies that hire for the role of a medical advisor in India after completing a BDS degree.
What Kind of Companies Hire Medical Advisors?
Primarily, pharmaceutical companies hire medical advisors because they have a dedicated team and require extensive expert clinical advice.
Many product manufacturing, biotech, and AI-based health-tech companies also require healthcare professionals as advisors.
Now that you know which companies to target, developing relevant skills is equally important.
Read the section below to know what skills these companies prefer.
What do Companies Look for in a Potential Candidate?
Companies look for the following skills:
- Strong communication skills.
- The candidate should have great networking skills.
- Presentation skills are important because, when presenting a product at a conference, you act as the company’s face.
What is the Average Salary of a Medical Advisor?
A candidate’s salary depends on how effectively they present their clinical knowledge and other skills mentioned above to the recruiter.
You can expect a salary between ₹ 8 Lakhs and ₹ 15 Lakhs per annum at an entry-level position.
The salary increases over time, with exposure and experience level.
Let’s summarise what we’ve learned so far.
Conclusion
Becoming a medical advisor after BDS in India is a promising role and is possible for dental graduates who want to build a career beyond clinics.
These roles enable you to combine your medical/clinical knowledge with strategic thinking, research skills, networking abilities, and communication skills across the healthcare ecosystem.
Like product development, scientific communication, or shaping healthcare strategy, it offers significant career growth.
You don’t necessarily require an additional degree to start with this role; your clinical skills, background, and willingness to learn will take you far.
This might be your ideal path if you want to make a significant impact on healthcare while remaining connected to science.
Book a call with our expert and start with the transition.
Talk to a Career Expert
