Integrated PhD & MSc in Clinical Research program at IIPH-Delhi

“Modern medical advances have helped millions of people live longer, healthier lives. We owe these improvements to decades of investment in medical research”- Ike Skelton

Why Clinical Research is important?

The importance of quality and ethical research for improving human health should be nurtured into the young minds right in the graduate courses. Further, these skills should not be limited to those pursuing basic sciences who are engaged in bench-side research or only to health care professionals and public health care providers who are engaged in bed-side research. There is also a need for good communication between the bench-side and bed-side researchers. Hence, to translate a research idea into a usable product, you need support from multiple disciplines; and multiple disciplines should be able to understand this common language. However, currently, only a few under-graduate courses highlight the importance of research in the curriculum.

Courses to pursue

There are several courses focused on topics such as clinical research. A diploma, degree, certificate course, say for example in research coordination or pharmacovigilance are typically knowledge-based and focussed on a particular topic. This might be helpful as an add-on to those who are professionals and looking for training in a particular topic. However, a Masters's level course gives you an opportunity to move to higher levels of learning (from remembering to analytical thinking). Higher degrees of research such as PhD moves you to create new concepts.  Hence, a Master’s in research or a Master’s with a strong research component is a mandatory prerequisite for pursuing a PhD.

After a medical or para-medical professional degree, pursuing a research degree of two years will introduce you to research skills that you may not have been exposed to during your graduation. For graduates from pharmacy and biotechnology, it broadens the horizon in research and research communication skills. For graduates of life sciences, such a course is valuable to give a whole new direction to their career as well as to pursue a PhD.

Scope of Clinical Research

A graduate in clinical research, irrespective of the undergraduate course, can choose to be a clinical research associate who primarily coordinates research. This is considered as the first stepping stone as a clinical research professional and could move on to become the project manager of a research project. Research coordinators can make or break a project and hence hold a lot of responsibility. However, this is not the only option. A Master’s course that imparts you with technical skills in data management and statistical software, critical appraisal, and effective research communication widens the job opportunities in industry and academia. 

Hence, while looking for a Master’s course, you must pay close attention to the curriculum. A course with the equal focus to research design, conduct, analysis and communication is of more value for time and money than just focussing only on research coordination. Further, the time that goes into hands-on training in doing your own research gives you an experience that can never be gained by rote learning. Additionally, it is important for me to emphasise that a research course can be pursued by any science graduate, but all you need is the thirst for knowledge, hunger for learning newer skills and an open mind to newer ways of learning.

“The important thing in science is not so much to obtain new facts as to discover new ways of thinking about them.”― Sir William Bragg

About the author

Dr Niveditha Devasenapathy is an Associate Professor at PHFI Delhi - Indian Institute of Public Health

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha