For becoming a CRA, the knowledge of ICH-GCP guidelines, regulatory guidelines of that particular nation where you want to be a CRA and sound knowledge  of all aspects of a Clinical trial, is necessary.

The basic work of a CRA is to monitor the trial sites (mostly by catching the errors of study coordinator/CRC). so, as per my opinion, it is better for a CRA to start his/ her career with a CRC and then progressively goes for CRA........then only he/she can effectively catch up the common errors of a CRC/ do effective monitoring.

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Ask yourself why you want to be a CRA.

check this out and then make your decision - click here

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I would join a company at all costs, specially if you do not have any experience. Most of the companies do not want to hire people with no experince, they do not want to take their time to train any unexperienced employee. Please think about it before you refuse any job because of the pay.

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Decide what specific tasks you would like to do as a CRA and then work out whether you are best to work in Pharma or a CRO. Is it the inhouse tasks you like doing or is it the monitoring that you want to do.

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Also determine whether you will get proper training with the potential employer or whether you would be expected to be able to do the job from the moment you join them

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What is a Clinical Research Coordinator?

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I do not know the answer for most people though it would be very good to know the situation/circumstance about how people first find out about becoming a CRA

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This is the first posting for the discussion. Please add your comments below.

We have been inundated with questions about how to become a new CRA in the clinical trial industry. We thought it would be good to try use everyones expertise to develop a top ten tips for becoming a new CRA.

We will take from the discussion (when it happens) the top ten and create a new article giving full recognition to the users who contribute points to this.

Please make suggestions below.

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Traveling, traveling, traveling... Great honor to all familes' understanding of CRAs.

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hi

 i'm  medea is anybody here ?

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Is it the same in all countries that CRAs just travel, travel, travel?

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Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC) is a specialized research professional works with and  under the direction of the clinical Principal Investigator (PI). Principal Investigator is primarily responsible for the management of the clinical trial in the site, whereas the CRC will assist the PI in the way such as recuriting, IP dispensing , follow-ups, IP management, document submission to Ethics committee, Maintaining the documents in the site.CRF filling. CRC should perform the clinical research duties that is delegated by the PI. CRC's are directly posted by CRO, SMO ,Pharma or directly by investigator.

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Hi,

  First of all your education background should be lifesceinces. In India geting a CRA job without any experince is quite difficult one, so as a platform you can take CCRP ( Certified Clnical Research Professional ) course from any good institute, through that you can gain knowledge about the importace of  clinical research, guidelines, etc.... After this course try to get some experinece in this field as CRC ( Clinical Research Coordinator) because knowledge and the practical experience is very important.

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here is a tip:

When applying for jobs as a CRA before any interviews have a conversation and Q&As with a real life CRA working in the same sector, eg Pharma or CRO

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I would like to add a couple of thoughts.

I would not join a company at all costs. The stress that you will encounter will be enormous. If you join a company at all costs then you will probably be paid very little. Once paid very little and with limited training you would not be able to afford to do the training, conferences, etc that Rebecca describes above.

'At all costs' you may be able to become a CRA but would you enjoy doing it and would you be able to build a proper career?

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Do CRCs and more to the point do CRAs know anything about the science behind the trials? e.g. the different designs and rationale behind trials or are they just monitors who do routine checking and site management?

I ask the question because it is apparent that many CRAs progress to positions including PM, CRScientist etc and design trials from the scientific aspects without having any knowledge in the area.

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When applying for an open position, the company should be able to provide an estimate of how much travel is required.  Keep in mind though that this is an estimate and can fluctuate significantly.

Due to the high costs associated with travel, most companies seem to be trying to employ regional CRAs.  This means that the CRA would live in relative proximity to their assigned sites and would therefore minimize the travel time and budget.

As for suggestions on how to become a CRA, I would certainly agree with many of the comments noted above but I will elaborate.

• If Clinical Research is a foreign concept, be sure to find out what it is all about.  If possible, speak to people already in the industry to get a sense of what their job entails and how they started.  Everyone will have a unique experience on how they came into the field, and how their interests and position evolved over time.
• Start at the bottom and work your way up.  There is an abundance of technical jargon, as well as rules and regulations that you need to learn.  I would also agree that starting as a Clinical Trials Assistant, or the like, is an advantage as it presents you with the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the terms and the documents.
• If the company has a formal training program, this is a definite asset.  If not, you may want to enroll in a program or course to learn some of the basics.
• Depending on the structure within the company, you may be able to interact significantly with the study team, and learn from their collective experience.  As you feel comfortable with your assigned tasks, try your hand at some others.  Perhaps you can go to a site visit with one of the site monitors.  You may even be able to assist with some of the on-site tasks!
• Be sure to check the company's requirements for becoming a CRA.  Some may require a certain degree, or level of education.  Be realistic.  While exceptions are sometimes made, do not expect to be offered a position if you do not meet the hiring requirements.
• Once in the industry, try to attend training and conferences to learn more, and keep up to date with new developments.

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agree, joining a company just to become a CRA is not the right approach. Support and Training are vital for a long career (and a happy time outside of work rather than working 20 hours a day and stressed out of your head)

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That is a really good question.

I would suggest that you took a CRA role 'at all costs' as you put it if you really do want to be a CRA. It may be very stressful and it may also be very demoralizing but it will be the entry on the CV that might just start your career.

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Hello

Is it easier to become a CRC or a CRA?

Is the CRC a role specific to India? and approx how many CRCs are in India and how many are, as you say, directly posted by

a) CRO

b) SMO

c) Pharma

d) PI

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Here is one to start with:

Be realistic - be prepared to be a Clinical Trial Assistant, CTA, as a start to become a CRA. Sometimes this can be a nice introduction to the role.

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That is a great set of advice!

One thing I would ask everyone is whether it is worth taking a CRA role 'at all costs'? let me explain. It is difficult to become a CRA, therefore if a company offers you a CRA role for very little pay and with no training is it worthwhile taking the role just to get the 'experience' on your CV or is it better to decline the offer?

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