The One ChatGPT Task Every MSL Should Set Up

I’ll admit it when ChatGPT launched the new Tasks feature months ago, I was really excited. But I completely ignored it.

Which is hilarious because I’m the person always talking about time management. But I hadn’t tried it. Not even once.

Then a few weeks ago, I finally gave it a spin. Now I’m obsessed.

One of my favorite Tasks is a daily affirmation pulled from my gratitude journal. Another is a customized feed of AI news that helps me spot trends without doomscrolling LinkedIn.

But the Task that really lit up my brain?

An idea for MSLs and Medical Affairs professionals who are constantly trying to stay on top of the literature. With 2 papers being published every minute, it’s a constant struggle.

And the last thing you need is another news aggregator. You’re already following Fierce Pharma. You’ve seen the same updates on Endpoints. And still you miss things. Or worse, you don’t know what matters.

That’s where this ChatGPT Task is different. This is all about staying on top of the literature without getting buried by it. And helping you figure out what actually matters. You need a signal booster. A strategic scan that actually helps you do your job.

This is the one ChatGPT Task every MSL should set up.👇

Not Just an Aggregator. A Strategic Signal Booster.

I built this prompt specifically for Medical Affairs folks who are tired of sifting through endless alerts, trying to figure out:

→ Is this paper important?

→ What might a KOL ask me about it?

→ Do I need to flag this for cross-functional partners?

→ What does this mean for our product, our competitors, or our strategy?

This isn’t just a feed. It’s a strategic TA aggregator. If you are ever only going to set up one ChatGPT task, this is the one every MSL should set up.

Here’s what it does:

• Scans PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, Fierce Pharma, Endpoints News, and top journals in your therapeutic area
• Summarizes what happened and what it might mean
• Suggests what to be prepared for in a stakeholder conversation
• Includes direct links to the sources so you’re never hunting for the paper again

It’s like having a Chief of Staff who reads everything for you, highlights the 3 things you can’t miss, and hands you the Cliff’s Notes.

How to Set Up the Task

Here’s how to create the one ChatGPT Task every MSL should set up. Here is a lite version of your weekly strategic scan to stay on top of the literature without getting buried by it:

1️⃣ Login ChatGPT (at the time of writing, it requires the paid plan but it’s 100% worth). Start a new chat and select the o4-mini or o3 model.

2️⃣ Paste this prompt into the chat, replacing [YOUR THERAPEUTIC AREA] with your specific focus (e.g., “HR+/HER2− metastatic breast cancer” or “pediatric atopic dermatitis”). The more context the better your results will be. If you don’t get a lot of hits, make it more general:

“Create a weekly task that scans PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, Fierce Pharma, Endpoints News, and top journals for new updates in [YOUR THERAPEUTIC AREA]. Summarize 3–5 key items. For each, include:

– Title – Source (with link)

– Date – Key finding

– What a stakeholder might ask about it

– What I should be prepared to say or explain

Schedule this task to run every Monday at 6:00 AM.”

3️⃣ Open your calendar and create a recurring 15-minute time block labeled “Strategic Literature Scan.” Make it part of your Monday morning routine. Or whichever day is best for you!

4️⃣ Each week, open the Task, scan through the summary, and click into any source links you want to explore further.

5️⃣ Use the findings to prep for upcoming KOL meetings, cross-functional conversations, or just to feel a little more in control of the firehose of publications coming your way.

6️⃣ Save relevant takeaways and share with your colleagues to look smart and on top of things.

This one small daily habit is a massive upgrade over the usual pile of unread email alerts and endless scrolling.

Want the full version of the prompt? It includes upgrades like:

• Buzz check scoring
• Trial and guideline flags
• Suggested stakeholder prep

You can get it by joining my newsletter (click button in the top right to join) or by DMing me.

Why It Works (Even If You’re Already Pretty Organized)

Most MSLs aren’t missing literature because they’re lazy. They’re missing it because they’re overloaded and stuck in reactive mode. This Task gives you a simple, proactive way to:

• Stay one step ahead of your KOLs
• Know what’s gaining traction in the field
• Be ready for cross-functional questions
• And actually feel on top of your scientific knowledge

Plus? No more cold starts when you’re prepping for a meeting. No more awkward pauses when someone references a new study you haven’t seen.

Just a clean, clear scan of what matters, tailored to you.

Conclusion: The One ChatGPT Task Every MSL Should Set Up

If this one Task already has you thinking, “Why didn’t I set this up sooner?” imagine what happens when your whole workflow starts working for you.

In my AI for Medical Affairs training, we teach teams to:

• How to build prompts that actually save time
• How to connect literature scans to insight gathering
• And how to stop reacting to information, and start leading with it

And if you want to go deeper on AI and staying on top of the literature, I’ve written a few pieces you’ll love:

→ Overwhelmed by the Scientific Literature? An AI Tool to Help MSLs
→ Use AI to Put Scientific Literature into Context
→ How AI Can Turn MSLs into Instant Disease State Experts

If you try the Task, let me know how it goes. And if it saves you from a cold-start moment with a KOL? I want to hear about that too.

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