In the contemporary pharmaceutical sector, there is a growing demand for the posts of clinical research associates. As per an estimation, the job vacancies for clinical research associates will grow double in the upcoming decade. The clinical research associates take part in clinical trials which are comprised of a systematic study of the effects, benefits and any risks in relation to a new or ongoing drug in the market. If you are looking for pharmaceutical jobs to work as a clinical research associate you need the following qualifications.
The first formal education required to pursue a clinical research associate is a life or medical science degree. You need to have one of the degrees such as biochemistry, pharmacology, physiology, immunology, toxicology or nursing in order to be eligible for the post of clinical research associate. You may also get into other fields of formal education like anatomy, veterinary, physiology, microbiology or medicine to get yourself eligible for clinical research associate’s post. In order to get qualified in the recruitment, you may need one to five years of working experience in research, medical or pharmaceutical fields.
Most employers in pharmaceutical sectors prefer and give priority to candidates who are experienced in clinical data coordination. You may not be expected to yourself participating in the clinical trials while considering the experience but at least support for the trial is a must. The support for the trial may include scheduling and overall office support, keeping abreast of paperwork along with computer skills, database management, excellent communication skills both writing and oral, very good organizational and administrative skills, and internalization of the importance of time management and good clinical research. The employers in many pharmaceutical industries also seek driving license if they have the need for field travel of the clinical research associates.
The recruiters while recruiting the clinical research associates to emphasize on the capabilities of working without supervision as the clinical research associates have to often work alone even form their home. They need to travel to the trial centres as well as to the office of the physicians and hospitals as part of their work. Many pharmaceutical companies permit on-job training or OJT before or during the appointment. However, they prefer a candidate who has already completed an accredited clinical research assistant program. The clinical research assistant programs educate key concepts and other information required in pharmaceutical fields. They also teach the roles and responsibilities of clinical research assistants and other criteria requirements of the job.