If you enjoy being immersed in medical research, then you should seriously consider becoming a clinical research coordinator. As a clinical research coordinator, you can contribute research that directly impacts the production of new medical devises. Your medical research may help in the production of a new pacemaker for those who have suffered a cardiac arrest. You may be responsible for assisting in the development of new ankle braces for athletes who have suffered sprained ankles on the field. Your research will help a medical company to avoid liability for design defects too. You can feel satisfied in knowing that your research has helped a company to avoid a lawsuit worth millions of dollars. Maybe you have wondered, “How do I become a clinical research coordinator?” If you want to enter into this profession, then you should pursue a degree that specializes in the study of the healthcare industry. You should also try to gain experience by working for a medical production company during your college years.
What’s it like to be a clinical research coordinator?
As a clinical research coordinator, you may be responsible for testing out new products. A medical company will expect you to design research studies that test the effectiveness or safety of medical devises. Ultimately, you will be responsible for helping the company to design products that are safe for the public to use. You will need to make the management aware of any issues that a product has. You may also help in the design of a safer product for the masses. You may also work with pharmaceutical companies in order to construct research studies for testing new drugs. You will have to help companies design medications that can be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As a clinical research coordinator, you play an important role in ensuring that a company adheres to safety regulations.
Education Requirements
You can have a variety of degrees in order to be successful as a clinical research coordinator. You can have a background in nursing or medicine in order to be successful. The key is that you should have a strong understanding of the medical industry. You should also know how to create research studies and make experiments that can successfully test products. If you have a degree in chemistry or engineering, then these types of degrees can also prove to be helpful for a career as a clinical research coordinator. You should always try to pursue an internship with a pharmaceutical industry during your college years in order to expose yourself to the industry. By having an internship experience, you will also be able to attend seminars hosted by pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer. These seminars and conferences can introduce you to professionals in the industry and give you a more realistic view of the healthcare industry.
Salary & How to Get a Job
The starting salary of a clinical research coordinator is $45,000 to $70,000 a year. You should try to get a job in this field by developing strong connections with medical professions. You can also apply for positions with pharmaceutical companies upon your completion of a degree program.
References
1. http://www.ehow.com/facts_6792854_responsibility-clinical-research-coordinator.html