How to get CRA certificate?

Should I just take an online course or is there an exam for it? Thanks in advance!

To become certified through an organization, eg, ACRP (Association of Clinical Research Professionals) or SoCRA (Society of Clinical Research Associates) you must have clinical research experience. The experience can be either in a clinic setting as a Clinical Research Coordinator or some other clinic role, or working in the pharmaceutical industry. I have my experience working for a big pharma company for many years in roles in study management. It can be any role in clinical research as long as someone in HR or a manager will attest to your years of experience in writing. You must have this documentation to sit for their exams. I'm not sure how many years they require. You'll have to check their websites. You can also sit for the exam with a combination of education and fewer years of experience. This requires some type of formal educational training. Once you've provided all the documentation and paid the fee to take the exam, they'll send you 'study material.'

To get the formal training I mentioned, many Universities offer graduate certificates and masters programs in Clinical Research Administration. The certificates generally take about a year to complete. Many of these courses are now offered online.

DWF in Michigan said: To become certified through an organization, eg, ACRP (Association of Clinical Research Professionals) or SoCRA (Society of Clinical Research Associates) you must have clinical research experience. The experience can be either in a clinic setting as a Clinical Research Coordinator or some other clinic role, or working in the pharmaceutical industry. I have my experience working for a big pharma company for many years in roles in study management. It can be any role in clinical research as long as someone in HR or a manager will attest to your years of experience in writing. You must have this documentation to sit for their exams. I'm not sure how many years they require. You'll have to check their websites. You can also sit for the exam with a combination of education and fewer years of experience. This requires some type of formal educational training. Once you've provided all the documentation and paid the fee to take the exam, they'll send you 'study material.'

To get the formal training I mentioned, many Universities offer graduate certificates and masters programs in Clinical Research Administration. The certificates generally take about a year to complete. Many of these courses are now offered online.

I forgot to mention that neither being certified by an association nor obtaining a graduate certificate or masters degree will necessarily help with landing a CRA position. Most CROs and pharmas require direct field monitoring experience. I have 18 years in study management, a graduate certificate, and am certified by one of these organizations and I'm having trouble finding a CRA position. You need to find that one company that will give you a break or probably the best way is to work as an in-house CRA for a CRO.

Why are u having trouble finding a job with so much experience, if that is all they require. Is it possible to get a job without certification and 2 years of experience as clinical research associate from India.

I just spoke with a recruiter from a contract placement company and she said that most of their clients want 3-5 years field monitoring experience. She suggested finding a CRO with a training program.

Most CROs that I've seen want 1-2 years experience and more for senior level positions. If someone has field monitoring experience regardless of where they got it, I think it would help them obtain a position. What I was trying to say earlier was that education and certification really don't mean a lot in this business unless you have the actual field monitoring experience. Good luck!

Possibly if you have experience with ICH GCP and Fed Regs. If not, it's doubtful. They're looking for industry experience where you're exposed to all aspects of clinical studies and the different phases of studies from Phase 1-4: knowledge and understanding of good clinical practice (GCP), conducting clinical studies in accordance with ICH and FDA Code of Federal Regulations to ensure subject safety, data accuracy, and overall objectives of the project are met.

The recruiter today told me that many clients like to actually see the CRA title on a resume.

I have seven years experience in clinical coordination. I have successfully completed over 80 research studies. I am looking to break into clinical monitoring for a change of pace. I don't mind traveling as long as it's not more than 75%. I am having trouble getting interviews as I have no experience in monitoring. It's frustrating when no one will give you training or the chance to get experience. I think after seven years I have a very strong basis of knowledge regarding clinical research. GCP, FDA regulations, etc. Any suggestions? I have no interest in signing a contract for years of service to a CRO who wants to send me to a training seesion.

I am recent graduate of Chemical Laboratory technician- pharmaceutical (3 year diploma program). Recently, I have applied for the job clinical research associate based on my pharmaceutical knowledge. I have been selected for interview. Can anybody please tell me the role of CRA in details? I am also planning to apply for CRA certification. Can anybody please tell me what is the requirements and which colleges/universities are best to go?

Thank you so much for your time.

Hi sharon,I am still reseraching abt the CRA course and job description as soon as i get any info i will inform you ... i was wondering how was the chemical labortaory technician course ? did you take it at senecca ? is it like any of the courses Toronto institue of pharamcology is offering in pharmaceutical quality control and quality assuarnce ?

thanks

Saima in Toronto, Ontario said: Hi sharon,I am still reseraching abt the CRA course and job description as soon as i get any info i will inform you ... i was wondering how was the chemical labortaory technician course ? did you take it at senecca ? is it like any of the courses Toronto institue of pharamcology is offering in pharmaceutical quality control and quality assuarnce ?

thanks

I went to Seneca college for three years. This program is really good if you're planning to work in pharmaceutical companies, research labs, or any chemistry or biochemistry related jobs.

Hello there,
I m Devang from Burnaby, I would like to know what the colleges , universities or other institute in british columbia or else in canada which runs the program of clincial research associate
I m very much interested for CRa course and i m ready to do on distance learning basis too
Also pl tell me hows the scope or CRA course in case of getting jobs after its completion

Ok thanking u alot

Please visit www.cquaint.com
Call me at 778 285 3864
Our company in coloboration with CRAssociate running a certificate training program. Along with online course you will have 6 Saturdays 2 hr contact program
We are waiting for minimum 6 member to enrol to begin this Spring session
Lakshmi

Devang Patel in Burnaby, British Columbia said: Hello there,
I m Devang from Burnaby, I would like to know what the colleges , universities or other institute in british columbia or else in canada which runs the program of clincial research associate
I m very much interested for CRa course and i m ready to do on distance learning basis too
Also pl tell me hows the scope or CRA course in case of getting jobs after its completion

Ok thanking u alot

Hi, I have a Foreign Pharmacy degree and planning to get CRA certificate. Please tell me from where to start?

hi there palak even i m looking for CRA programm but i m looking for distance learning i have one in my mind but i dont know its valid and its value its kriger.com its world wild so u can do CRA from that too but first inquire all the details
ok even if u get some idea from where to do or even a small detail regarding CRA pl mail me
bye tc

hi ,
i completed my b.pharmacy in india,iam looking for CRA program in nj.
can any one help me in finding good university please and is this cra program good please help me ,
thanku

Hi.. This is Hareesh,,,
I am done with my B.Pharmacy....... And now am in MS Clinical Research Administration.....
What are my chances to get in to this clinical research jobs.... i mean the CRA's .......
Please help me..... in this regard,,......

Hi, Im from Argentina and am a Biochemist but I have always been working in a Clinical Lab and Blood Bank settings. As a Life Science Graduate I was offered some training courses to become a CRA, for example, that from Kriger. My questions is : is it worth it? It's kind of expensive and I dont want to waste my time and my money for nothing. Of course, they say (Kriger) I have the right educational background so, I could make it. What do you think about it? What can you suggest me concerning this matter?
Thank you all.

Carlos in Río Cuarto, Argentina said: Hi, Im from Argentina and am a Biochemist but I have always been working in a Clinical Lab and Blood Bank settings. As a Life Science Graduate I was offered some training courses to become a CRA, for example, that from Kriger. My questions is : is it worth it? It's kind of expensive and I dont want to waste my time and my money for nothing. Of course, they say (Kriger) I have the right educational background so, I could make it. What do you think about it? What can you suggest me concerning this matter?
Thank you all.

Please read all other discussions on this forum, they are right there isn't any certification that can directly land in to CRA job. It has become a trend in the industry to ask for 3- years of fieldd experience, some times Quintiles and PPD run adds for entry level CRAs, apply and see wheter you get selected. Best suggestion is work with any Research centre as Coordinator that will take you to CRA job.
To join as a Coordinator your certification will be helpful
visit Please visit www.cquaint.com
from there follow link to CRAssocite for online training.
If it is in Vancouver Canada, I coordinate that training where I offer 6 contact classes, by professionals from Industry. Idea is to provide practical training and network with industry people.

Lakshmi

Hareesh Reddy in Ypsilanti, Michigan said: Hi.. This is Hareesh,,,
I am done with my B.Pharmacy....... And now am in MS Clinical Research Administration.....
What are my chances to get in to this clinical research jobs.... i mean the CRA's .......
Please help me..... in this regard,,......

hi harish
where did u complete ur b.pharmacy?
iam also planning to do MS
how is it ?
can u help me?

sindhu in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey said: hi ,
i completed my b.pharmacy in india,iam looking for CRA program in nj.
can any one help me in finding good university please and is this cra program good please help me ,
thanku

.. Iam currently enrollred in MY MS. in Clinical research administration... i hope i can help you..
here is my emial: hareesharsha@gmail.com
u can post ur quires

sindhu in New Jersey said: hi harish
where did u complete ur b.pharmacy?
iam also planning to do MS
how is it ?
can u help me?

I am from.. Barat institute of tech ... hyderabad

Well i wanna start working in one of these pharmaceutical companies. I just graduated with a BSc. what qualifications would i need for the most entry level position in the clinical research.Could someone guide me?

Being a physician from France, do I have any chance without previous experience in Clinical Research? I do have Clinical experience... Will an online training help?

PLZ i did cra from kriger center since nov 2006 but looking for a job ,even i couldnt find the entry level,somebody can do for me it will be nice ,some contacts of CROs ,or pharma companies .

Hi,

I completed my Bachelors in Microbiology and my Masters in Biochemistry in 2001.
I got married and came to US,I didnt goto work.
Now I would like to start my career as a CRA. I went online and searched for some training program.

Recently I came to know about a CRA training program that is not online. Its a 6
months training course and after the training they are giving internship for a year.
After that they say they have some projects and we can work for them or we are on our own.

It is expensive and my question is will this training help?
If they didnt provide the internship, is it possible to get a job?

Kat in Mount Arlington, New Jersey said: Hi,

I completed my Bachelors in Microbiology and my Masters in Biochemistry in 2001.
I got married and came to US,I didnt goto work.
Now I would like to start my career as a CRA. I went online and searched for some training program.

Recently I came to know about a CRA training program that is not online. Its a 6
months training course and after the training they are giving internship for a year.
After that they say they have some projects and we can work for them or we are on our own.

It is expensive and my question is will this training help?
If they didnt provide the internship, is it possible to get a job?

Hi
Did u go with the course?? Mail me at makeit444@yahoo.com,will be happy to hear from you.

sindhu in New Jersey said: hi harish
where did u complete ur b.pharmacy?
iam also planning to do MS
how is it ?
can u help me?

Hi Sindhu
Did u find any direction,kindly mail me makeit444@yahoo.com,we can plan together.

hey kat.. where did u move from? well i talked to this recruiting agent and i asked her how i could start a career in clinical research .. u know at an entry level and she said that i should probably work as a research assistant under a co-ordinator and then build up my career

i looking jobs as CRC in houston .i have 2 year exp as CRC and also i have 5 year exp in health.
pls email me if know ant postion in houston tx.
dr_naveed786@hotmail.com

i looking jobs in houston tx
CV
MD 2001.
CRC certificate 2008
CRA certificate 2008
phlibotomy certificate and bord certified
5 year exp as doctor other country.
2 year exp as CRC exp in houston.

Hi I have more than 5 years of clinical research experience in India. To gain experience in an international platform I am planning to give ACRP exam in this sept. and i would like to know where can i get the study material. Hope if any one helps me in regarding this.

I´m studying this online course. I ve experience as GMP auditor, so sending this adittional informatio

Another opinion got from web site, as good Summary

I have read a few posts here about online ICH GCP training courses, especially mikemenb's on Kriger. I have also taken the Kriger CRA course and based on my experiences, I will give you the pros and cons, and I'll be fair.

Pros.
* Provides a lot of materials, definitions and sample documents (i.e. CRFs, SOPs, etc.)
* They do test you on the content (70% pass/fail line)
* They give you a pdf version of the GCP certificate when you finish
* There is both US FDA and Canadian TPD material
* Has a decent reputation overall, a friend of my took the course and got a job w/ a CRO, but she was just at the right place at the right time

Cons.
* Online materials have too many spelling and grammatical errors
* Some of the sessions seem out-dated
* There were some dead links
* Responses to every submitted question were replied with what seems to be pre-constructed responses, as though an automatically generated email is given when a Session's question is submitted
* The 4 projects do not give you practical experience
* Not all CROs or agencies recognize Kriger

Overall:
For the price they charge: approx. $1200-1900 USD, they should have someone full-time monitoring the responses and update the online materials. Their claims about ppl working w/in 2 months maybe misleading and out-dated, especially since on their own careers site, their posts ask only for CRAs with 2+ years exp. I can say the course is satisfactory, but not great, especially for the price they charge.

Check out other places, such as Humber College, which has the best reputation for getting ppl work, and it's a 1-yr f/t program. McMaster also has a decent program as well. I also found another online program the gov't endorses:
www.biotalent.ca/courses/courselist.asp?eventtype=1

So, I hope this helps, good luck.

HI
I did my Masters in Microbiology in India 10 years back Now I 'm in USA and I want to take AMT Medical technologist certificate.can any one of you tell me if I'm eligible for the exam as they are asking a degree in Medical Technology.does my Microbiology comes under Medical Technology program.

So a CRA is a "guild" system for 3rd world science students? What a scam, nothing a CRA can do would be difficult for anyone with a masters (or Ph.D.) from an American University; its just a turf issue, like teaching public school (which CANNOT be done without a horrid Ed Degree)

Hello All,

My name is Gaurav and I will be completing my PhD in Pharmacology. I wanted to shift from basic research to clinical research and looking for clinical trials management/clincial research associate as one of the good options for me. Can anybody suggest me how can I enter into this industry considering the fact that I will be needing H1 visa.

In regards to Kriger - Was the CRA course helpful? Was the internship anything that gave you leverage into the industry? Considering taking the course and would appreciate any insight you might have.

I finished KRC CRA course 2 weeks ago. I'm applying as a CRC now, not as a CRA because it's hard to find a CRO that would take an entry level CRA. So far, I've only applied for 8 CRC positions, got a response from 3 of them, got a face to face interview with one of them... My chances of getting in are slim, in my opinion, but I'll keep applying and i'll post if something new comes up. My suggestion is don't get a CRA course from the internet just yet. It's not a guarantee to land a job that you want.

I am aware of some training opportunities available at well established hospitals and CRO's in New jersey area. Interested people, contact me

Kavita Misra,

Hi, I'm interested of training opportunities in New Jersey area. How can I contact you?

Carl Soon in San Francisco, California said: Kavita Misra,

Hi, I'm interested of training opportunities in New Jersey area. How can I contact you?

email me at camanamisra@gmail.com

clinical research professional in San Mateo, California said: Hi I have more than 5 years of clinical research experience in India. To gain experience in an international platform I am planning to give ACRP exam in this sept. and i would like to know where can i get the study material. Hope if any one helps me in regarding this.

Hi,

I am in same kind of situation. Please contact me at drgiri2k@gmail.com so that we can discuss further.

thanks..

DWF in Michigan said: I forgot to mention that neither being certified by an association nor obtaining a graduate certificate or masters degree will necessarily help with landing a CRA position. Most CROs and pharmas require direct field monitoring experience. I have 18 years in study management, a graduate certificate, and am certified by one of these organizations and I'm having trouble finding a CRA position. You need to find that one company that will give you a break or probably the best way is to work as an in-house CRA for a CRO.

If you are seeking a CRA position please contact the Alcon Ft. Worth R&D contract recruiter Charlotte Franks at Charlotte.franks@alconlabs.com

Alcon Recruiter in Carrollton, Texas said: If you are seeking a CRA position please contact the Alcon Ft. Worth R&D contract recruiter Charlotte Franks at Charlotte.franks@alconlabs.com

Hi Charlotte,

I am an experienced CRA looking for contract CRA opportunities. Please let me know what kind of positions you have and I will be glad to forward my resume.

You can reach me via email at: kndrpmehta@gmail.com

Look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,
Kandarp

n

Kavita misra in Newark, New Jersey said: I am aware of some training opportunities available at well established hospitals and CRO's in New jersey area. Interested people, contact me

Please let me know the details of any CRO or hospitals providing training for CRAs. I am about to finish my CRA course but looking for internships or entry level positions. Any leads would be much appreciated.

Michelle Santoro in Edison, New Jersey said: I attended the program that you are talking about at American Scitech and upon completion I recieved two job offers one from a CRO in pricenton NJ and one from American Scitech International their affilated CRO and I chose American Scitech International their affilated CRO. It is almost impossible to get a job without at least one year of practical experience and American Scitech Institute offers you the practical experience.

Interesting to know that you got a job through Scitech CRA school. Can you tell me how much was the course and their phone number and any tutors name etc. I would like to be in touch with them. Can I mention your name to them? How do you find your first job as CRA with them?

Thanks for any suggestions.

DWF in Michigan said: To become certified through an organization, eg, ACRP (Association of Clinical Research Professionals) or SoCRA (Society of Clinical Research Associates) you must have clinical research experience. The experience can be either in a clinic setting as a Clinical Research Coordinator or some other clinic role, or working in the pharmaceutical industry. I have my experience working for a big pharma company for many years in roles in study management. It can be any role in clinical research as long as someone in HR or a manager will attest to your years of experience in writing. You must have this documentation to sit for their exams. I'm not sure how many years they require. You'll have to check their websites. You can also sit for the exam with a combination of education and fewer years of experience. This requires some type of formal educational training. Once you've provided all the documentation and paid the fee to take the exam, they'll send you 'study material.'

To get the formal training I mentioned, many Universities offer graduate certificates and masters programs in Clinical Research Administration. The certificates generally take about a year to complete. Many of these courses are now offered online.

Hi, could you please advice which university provide such a online course in US?

Because I want to have some CRA experience at some stage in the future in US, so very keen to have a well-recogonized qualification in US.

Many thanks

American Scitech is misleading potential students.

1. The Clinical Research Associate (CRA) training program lacks structure and organization. There have been 4 classes and a syllabus summarizing the topics covered along with the course timeline has not been distributed to date.
2. Class instruction time is not as advertised. It either starts late or ends early or in some cases both.

Hi Im pursuing my Masters in NYU.POLY Brooklyn and will graduate in Dec 2008. I am planning to take a CRA certificate course. Need all your valuable suggestions, please help me. Awaiting for the replies. Mail me @ jijithnambiar@gmail.com

Regards

Jijith

Kendle has a CRA 1 training program.