How to Get a Job as a CRA

There's an article on BioSpace written by Somaraju Lokaranjan, PM, i3 Research titled, "How to Get a Job as a CRA." The author notes:

The average salary for a CRA ranges from 40,000 to 60,000 USD but is also country specific as per national standards and subsequently better within life science jobs.

That's a bit on the low end, but it's a reasonable starting range. Advanced CRAs can make over 80-90k per year. Then again, when you're talking about salary ranges for positions that are found both in academia and industry, you'll find a very wide range of potential salaries.

Clinical research job opportunities for physicians

Some physicians may choose to leave the bedside and pursue careers in the world of clinical research. What types of industries and organizations would be willing to employ you?

Let's take a look at this list or industries/companies/organizations/employment settings:

• Biotechnology
• Clinical laboratories
• Clinical study/investigative site - includes academia/medical research facility
• Contract research organization (CRO)
• Drug development/Clinical trials consulting
• Government
• Independent CRA (clinical research associate)
• Medical devices
• Pharmaceutical sponsor/biopharmaceutical/biologics
• Trial/Site management organization (TMO/SMO)

So, where do you start? I'd suggest looking at different CROs. There are some small, local CROs that focus on niche therapeutic areas and there are huge CROs that have a global presence. A CRO is a good place to gain experience and to learn about the world of clinical research and the health care industry.

Advanced Good Clinical Practice (GCP)

Looking to strengthen your Good Clinical Practice (GCP) skills? Perhaps you'd like to attend this course:

Advanced GCP
July 19-20, 2010 | Philadelphia, PA

Course Description

This course provides an advanced, in-depth review of the structural elements of Good Clinical Practice (GCP). Participants will learn practical application of GCP regulations and guidelines for critical components of the clinical research process. Specific attention will be given to how quality systems, or a lack thereof, impact overall data quality and regulatory risk. This program is designed for professionals with at least two years of experience in the clinical research industry.

Learning Objectives

* Develop and implement site-specific approaches for corrective action of non-compliance
* Describe the elements of a functional Quality System
* Define key GCP terms
* Examine recent trends in non-compliance
* Identify the universal and local components of GCP
* Explain the differences between the legal and procedural elements of GCP
* Recognize key differences in pharmaceutical, device, and biologics GCP
* Describe the overlap between GCP and GMP

Fundamentals of Clinical Research

The Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) has a two-day course coming up. It's called: Fundamentals of Clinical Research

Sept. 10-11, 2009, Houston, TX
Oct. 15-16, 2009, Alexandria, VA

Fundamentals of Clinical Research is designed for those who aspire to the following roles: clinical research professionals managing studies at clinical research sites or monitoring studies, product managers, clinical investigators, institutional review board members, clinical pharmacologists, and research pharmacists.

Here are the learning objectives (you can receive continuing education credits):

* Discuss the main historical events which led to the increasing regulation of the development of medicinal products, devices and biologics
* Explain the differences in the development processes for medicinal products, devices and biologics
* Identify the roles and responsibilities of clinical research professionals in the overall process of conducting a clinical trial and how each professional contributes to that process
* Apply the principles of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) in their daily functions
* Identify the main regulations which govern the practice of clinical research
* Observe the additional rules applicable to research funded by the Federal government and bodies like the NCI and NIH
* Identify ethical issues involved with conducting clinical research
* Identify the protections given to human subjects in research
* Describe the process of obtaining informed consent from human subjects
* Describe the respective roles and responsibilities of clinical research professionals notably Clinical Research Coordinators (CRCs), and Clinical Research Associates (CRAs)
* Identify and evaluate Unanticipated Problems
* Define the criteria for reporting unanticipated problems and adverse events

If you're interested in pursuing a career in clinical research, then you may want to evaluate your skills and competencies based on the learning objectives listed above. How well can you explain/identify/describe/discuss/etc. each of the points listed above?

For more information about this course, click here.