What Is a Clinical Research Associate?

Jul 30

Clinical research associates are those responsible for the planning, setting up, and coordinating of clinical trials. They provide technical assistance for experiments, make sure that the scientists involved in the clinical research trials comply with regulatory standards such as ICH-GCP, and also collect results during the clinical trials. When the trials are over, they are also involved in the public results presentation.

The amazing part about being a clinical research associate is that jobs are available for them in both the laboratory and office settings.

SPECIALIZATIONS
They focus on the following:

Designing and implementing clinical research trials
Training staff, which could be enhanced by taking the Clinical Trials Assistant Training course.
Monitoring progress
Screening test subjects
Presenting findings
Helping maintain the database of all clinical research trainees

SKILLS
As a clinical research associate, you should have the following skills:

Communication skills
Science knowledge
Strong mathematics knowledge base

These core skills are what you need in the clinical research profession.

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
As a clinical research associate, you should have one of the following:

High school diploma and 6,000 hours of experience.
An associate degree in clinical research fields and 4,500 hours of experience.
A Bachelor's, Master's, or Registered Nurse degree and 3,000 hours of clinical research experience.

You can come from a variety of medical sciences or health-related fields, or from a nursing background as an RN. Courses offered in hospital and clinical related ethics, team management, and research methodologies will be valuable to your education. Consider advancing your career with certifications like the Advanced Clinical Research Project Manager Certification or the Advanced Principal Investigator Physician Certification.

SALARY
The median salary of a clinical research associate boasts of $90,310 annually and it is always on the rise. Plus, there is always a ready market for clinical research professionals.

Explore more about this field with specific courses like the Clinical Research Coordinator training, Pharmacovigilance Certification, or the CRA course. These certifications will equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in this growing industry.

Take courses from CCRPS and learn more on how to become a clinical research professional.

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