Unber Mahmood's case study interview about her experience with the Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC) certification program February 2024 Graduate

In preparation for further accreditation for CCRPS, we are conducting case studies with graduates to discuss their experience in our course in 15-30 minute interviews with our clinical research educator, Courtney. We invited students to share their feedback asking extensive questions on why they chose the course, what they felt while taking the course, and how the course has helped them after completion. Today, we share Unber Mahmood's case study reflecting a highly positive experience with the CCRPS's Clinical Research Coordinator program, which not only met her educational needs but also supported her professional growth in the clinical research field. Her feedback provides valuable insights that can help in refining the program further, particularly in enhancing the visual and interactive components of the course.

Key Takeaways

● Unber particularly appreciated the self-paced aspect of the course, which allowed her to balance her responsibilities as a mother and a professional without feeling overwhelmed.

● The course provided all the necessary basics and details needed for a thorough understanding of clinical research, comparable to on-the-job training.

● The availability of instructors for queries and the interactive nature of the platform were crucial in assisting her whenever she encountered difficulties, contributing to a positive learning experience.

● Her motivation to enroll stemmed from a need for a flexible, affordable, and detailed-oriented course that could provide her with the specific knowledge required for a career in clinical research.

Career Impact and Advancement:

● Completing the course significantly boosted Unber's confidence, particularly in applying for jobs where her new credentials were recognized. She noted an immediate impact on her career, with advancements in her professional role within the clinical research field following the course.

Support System:

● The availability of faculty for consultation through email was highlighted as a critical support feature, aiding her whenever she faced difficulties understanding the course material.

Motivation for Enrollment:

● Unber's decision to enroll was driven by her interest in clinical research and the need for a manageable course that fit her busy schedule and financial constraints. The program’s flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and the depth of its curriculum were decisive factors in her choice.

Positive Experience with Course Format:

● Unber emphasized the self-paced nature of the course as her favorite aspect, which significantly reduced her stress by allowing her to manage her learning schedule alongside her responsibilities as a mother and a medical professional.

Course Content and Accessibility:

● Unber appreciated the comprehensive and detailed content that did not skip essential parts despite the course's short duration. The platform offered a variety of courses, making it a one-stop resource for various certifications related to clinical research.

@0:32 Courtney Fulkerson: "How are you? Good. So thank you so much for tuning into this call and first of all, congrats on completing this CCRPS program. We're pretty much just going to take some time to go through some questions and kind of hear your feedback on the program and things that you liked about it, things you didn’t and kind of help us tailor the program from here on now. So once you're ready."

@1:00 Unber Mahmood: "Experience. So when I started this course, the most important and the most my favorite thing is that the course was self-paced."

@1:11 Unber Mahmood: "Yes, that was the best part because as a mom and as already working in the job, when I started this course, I did not feel any kind of pressure doing that course that I had to meet the deadlines or I had to do my questionnaires or I actually enjoyed the course only because it was not giving me any kind of pressure. It was self-paced. It was it gives me a time to read it properly and so this was the main part I really enjoyed doing it."

@1:48 Courtney Fulkerson: "Yeah, we get a lot of good feedback on the self-paced portion of it so it definitely helps."

@1:55 Unber Mahmood: "I was in a program where you're looking for when you chose CCRPS and where you pleased the content once you got started. Actually, when I started, I was already working in over-hospital, actually I'm a foreign medical doctor, and I'm already working in a Fairfax hospital. But I always have an interest in clinical research, and because when I was in my university also, I participated in one of the researches with my senior doctors."

@4:00 Courtney Fulkerson: "And looking back, is there any aspect of the course that you feel could have been enhanced to make the learning experience even more rewarding?"

@4:12 Unber Mahmood: "Actually, at some point, I didn't think that it should be, but most of the part was okay, but I think if there was more of a, you know, the drawings part, you can say?"

@4:30 Unber Mahmood: "Because for me, I don't know for other people, like for me, if I'm reading something and it's with the drawings and it's with the charts or it's with the, it becomes more interesting to read to just, to just like prevent that, oh, it's boring just to read the same, just to read the lines. But overall, but it, I don't feel like more often, but yeah, that you could enhance, but if you don't do it also, it's okay."

@6:05 Courtney Fulkerson: "It was the actually the whole website to navigate is very easy."

@6:10 Unber Mahmood: "Like, this is the actually that's the first step. Anybody could actually get attracted to CCRPS because the website itself is very easy to understand. As soon as you open the website, even still, I think I’ve done my course like a little bit in the past. But even still, if I wanted to repeat something, if I wanted to remind something in my in my course, I just sign in, I just go back to my course and just read it again, you know, just to make it understand. So the website itself is very easy. It's just you just see it on the first front page too. It's very easy to navigate to sign in to make your username, password and everything. So it's very easy."

@7:39 Courtney Fulkerson: "Would you ever consider revisiting the course for a refresher? And is there anything specific you want to see within a refresher course?"

@7:47 Unber Mahmood: "In the, um, the refresher course, just keep it self-based."