About
It’s not easy to find information online about clinical research as a career path, or insider knowledge about the industry. The information is available, but it’s scattered across different resources and forums on the web. ClinicalResearchAssociateCRA.com was founded in 2013 to solve that problem.
This website serves as an educational and informational resource for clinical research professionals and students wishing to break into the field of clinical research. ClinicalResearchAssociateCRA.com is also aimed at helping those who want to get the Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) certification offered through SOCRA.
Many students express some level of difficulty in studying for the SOCRA CCRP exam. Between a full time work schedule in the office, traveling to sites, and other obligations, it can be hard to find the time to aggregate all of the information needed to pass the exam. The vast and dense information out there is cumbersome and, in many cases, difficult to understand. Students need summarized information in an easily-digestible format to help break up the information.
The SOCRA CCRP Exam Mastery Study Guide on this website is exactly that. The study guide was created from the notes the author took when studying. From these notes, the author was able to pass the SOCRA CCRP exam with a score of 96%. If you’re new to the industry or you are planning to take the SOCRA CCRP exam, this resource is here to help you. Check out the blog for more information on the topic, and make sure to leave a comment letting everyone know you’ve passed the exam!
Hi,
I am researching how to become a clinical research associate. I have no experience in clinical research. My experience is in Pharmaceutical sales and I have a degree in Pharmacology.
My understanding is that I can’t get CRA certification if I don’t have experience in clinical research.
Your advice will be appreciated.
Hi Tosin,
Getting experience is the key for me (that was how I got into clinical research). Lower clinical research positions may be something to consider. These include being a Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC) at a hospital or clinic or a Clinical Trial Assistant / Associate (CTA) at a drug/device company. Relevant experience definitely helps when applying for these positions. Your science background definitely will help. Applying to as many positions as possible and be willing to take not so ideal position to get into the door can help. When I first started, I worked as a CRC recruiting patients at a hospital working at night and weekend. But that position allowed me to get into the industry and progressed from there.
Also, I would not rule out getting into a clinical research training program. You can do this at the same time while working at one of the positions described above. There are programs (either full time or part time) that are offered through colleges or universities that focus on clinical trial design and management. However, it’ll cost you to attend and there are no guarantee that you will get a clinical research job afterward.
It’s difficult to get that first position in clinical research. It’ll take time, work, and going through lots of “No” before a “Yes”. But once you are in, then there are room to move up the rank for sure. Please see https://www.clinicalresearchassociatecra.com/getcra/ for more information. I hope this helps.
Ernie S.