1️⃣ Storytelling Made Patient Centricity Real

We say “patient centricity” a lot Medical Affairs. But this year at MAPS 2025, it didn’t feel like a slide deck talking point, it felt like the heartbeat of the event.

The keynote featuring Kalahn Taylor-Clark where she highlighted her and her family’s personal health journies gave me goosebumps. Ponni Subbiah, and Anna Walz didn’t just talk about patients. They brought their stories into the room.

They shared moments that were raw, personal, and unforgettable.
You couldn’t scroll past them in your mind. They stuck.

Even the most seasoned industry experts leaned into storytelling and the effect was powerful. Because great stories aren’t soft. They’re strategic. They grab attention, deliver emotional context, and drive action.

More of that, please.

If you want to improve your storytelling skills, check out my Storytelling for Impact online course. It’s specifically designed for complext data. 

2️⃣ Insights & Impact: Still Hot Topics, but Finally Practical

Discussions around insights and impact in Medical Affairs have been going on since dinosaurs roamed the earth. Usually? Same conversations, different year.

But not this time.

For example, the session “A Paradigm Shift in Coaching Insights Generation and Implementation” with Melissa Santiago, Linda Traylor, and Marsha Walkup was fun, engaging, and packed with real implementation tactics.

Across the sessions I attended, people shared tools, templates, coaching methods, and lessons learned.
Frameworks weren’t just presented, they were stress-tested in the room.

It felt like we were finally done admiring the problem. And ready to do something about it.

3️⃣ MedTech Took the Spotlight

A few years ago, MAPS was all big pharma. Small pharma often felt left out. MedTech barely registered.

This year? That changed. MedTech dominated.

→ On stage
→ In sessions
→ In the audience

John Pracyk’s influence was everywhere and it added a new layer of depth to the entire conference. From who was speaking, to who was attending, to what was actually being discussed. It added new perspectives on evidence, value, and how Medical Affairs operates outside of traditional pharma models.

As someone more steeped in pharma, I walked away realizing that I have a lot to learn. And honestly? That made the whole experience even more exciting.

4️⃣ AI? Still in the “Hmm” Phase

Surprisingly, I didn’t attend any GenAI sessions but I still heard about it. And while energy was high, so was skepticism.

People are experimenting. Curious.
But cautious. We’re not chasing shiny objects. We’re trying to figure out how to use AI with purpose.

→ Can we trust the outputs?
→ What about privacy and compliance?
→ Does it actually add value?

That skepticism doesn’t worry me. It excites me. Usually this means that people haven’t actually tried it yet. 

The feedback about my prompts was phenomenal. It was amazing to hear about how they actually got people excited. Try some now:

• Pre-meeting planning
• Uncovering what KOLs value 
• Automating research
• Building KOL profile
• Turning papers into podcasts
• Analyzing insights
• KOL Profile Templates

5️⃣ The Content Leveled Up 

It wasn’t just what we talked about. It was how we talked about it.

→ Less abstract, more applicable
→ Less theory, more real-world execution
→ Less “what if,” more “here’s how we’re actually doing it”

And for the first time, leadership content had a real presence. Sessions on influence, coaching, and cross-functional leadership weren’t just side conversations, they were main stage material.

That didn’t exist a few years ago.

Now we’re finally treating leadership as a core Medical Affairs competency, not an afterthought.

And that shift? It matters because the field is evolving, and so are we. The bar for these conversations has to get higher. And this year it did.

MAPS 2025 Conclusions: We’re Not Just Talking Anymore

MAPS 2025 was intense. It was huge and spreadout. I was overstimulated. I was tired. I got lost between sessions (multiple times).

But I also left feeling energized. Because it felt like real progress.

This year didn’t feel like another round of inspirational soundbites. It felt like Medical Affairs is finally leaning into real execution:
→ Broader perspectives
→ More diverse voices
→ More clarity on how to actually move forward

The field is changing and so is the conversation. Let’s keep pushing it in the right direction. What are your thoughts on MAPS 2025? Share with me! I want to know!