What are the job opportunities after getting a degree in Clinical Research?

The domain of clinical research requires people working in different areas together to execute a proper trail. There are a number of different career paths in clinical research starting from administrative positions to technical job roles.

In today’s time when new ailments are being diagnosed among people, the need for medicinal advancement has become a must. To create the right medicine for every ailment needs an expert in clinical research. People working in the clinical research field have to practice trials on the different medicines before they make it the shelves of a pharmacy and in to people’s home. The clinical research industry, worth over $26 billion, today employs over two lakh people every year globally. There is a huge scope for those who have a degree in clinical research and job opportunities that offer attractive salaries both in India and in countries such as Singapore, the USA, etc.

The domain of clinical research requires people working in different areas together to execute a proper trail. There are a number of different career paths in clinical research starting from administrative positions to technical job roles. Let us discuss the most important and well-paying clinical research jobs in our country:  

Different clinical research job roles

Clinical Research Associate (CRA)

Clinical research trials aim to cure different unknown diseases and to test the different medicines and treatment modalities postulated by scientists and doctors. A proper trial is executed with the combined effort of different executives. All these executives part of a clinical trial are supervised by a CRA. The scope of their job includes reviewing case reports, prompt data collection and documentation and performing investigations on trails. They assist in the research of pharmaceuticals, devices, and biologics.

Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC)

Clinical research coordinators are individuals who are under the immediate direction of the investigator. These professionals are responsible for directing clinical trials along with the clinical research associates or principal investigators with the help of good clinical practice. CRCs monitor trails and help in preparing the site, recruit trials, screen and enroll participants. With proper education and experience, the CRCs are able to move up to CRA roles.

Data Manager

This is an important job role in a clinical trial. Data managers are the architects of the system that produce and monitor data. Since there is a great deal of data involved in clinical trials, a data manager has to be incredibly thorough, analytical and strategic. The data managers would review the protocol for the trail. They are also responsible for instructing the people on the trial and help to implement the protocol. Data managers ensure that the information collected makes sense and is well-maintained in the database. They also prepare protocols, review regulation and help the managers to keep the trial on track.

Clinical Research Scientist

The primary clinical research scientist put forth their years of experience of working on clinical trials into performing scientific tests and monitoring samples. The CRS should be familiar with the state regulatory framework, the submission, and the assessment process and a lot more.

Bio-statistician

The job of the bio-statistician begins when the product of the trail and the data begins to get compiled. For the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve a product, it is required that it meets certain quality criteria. The responsibility of the bio-statistician is to set up the parameters for data collection. They will also analyse all the data of the trial and compile the reports.

Quality Assurance Auditor

These professionals inspect the documents and the processes of the clinical trials so as to make sure that they comply with the standard guidelines of good clinical practice. These professionals should also ensure that the trial adheres to the standard operating procedures. They should also stay up to date with the rules and regulations of clinical trials as they keep changing often, so as to maintain consistency in their procedures.

Clinical Safety Analyst

The job role of the clinical safety analyst is to monitor, organise, code and track the adverse events that happen during the trial. These professionals are required to be empathetic and serve as client-care advocate. They should track both the positive and negative results of the trial and ensure that no person is harmed in the course of the trail.

Medical Writer

The most important part of any experiment is documentation. After completion of the clinical trial, there is a great deal to write about it. Every single finding of the clinical trial is required to be documented for publishing. Medical writers are hired by those running the clinical trials, pharmaceutical companies, government agencies, hospitals, and even marketing companies. The reports are to be documented appropriately as the reports will be read and reviewed by hospitals, physicians, pharmaceutical companies and also by common people.

Research Assistant

The research assistant follows the progress of the client closely during the clinical trial. They record any adverse reactions properly and also help in prompt documentation of patient information. Apart from patient monitoring, they also update and maintain database and distribute supplies related to the trial.

Patient Recruitment Specialist

A patient recruitment specialist is responsible for recruiting the volunteers to participate in a clinical study. These professionals ensure that volunteers have diverse demographics. They are responsible for following proper protocol in the entire recruitment process. They are also responsible for the retention of volunteers.

Career prospects for CRAs

A career in clinical research is not only well paying, but is interesting and provoking. It is one of the interesting jobs in the healthcare industry.