Certification for CRA, which one is better? ACRP or SoCRA?

Hi, can anyone help me with the question as above? From the employer's point of view, which one is more attractive to them if you put your certification information on your CV?

I also get quite confused about some postgraduate certificate programs, will this be even better than one of the certifications from professional associations?

Any comments would be much appreciated! I would like to make the right decision and spend my money wisely!

Better get certified from CRS- Clinical Research Society. It's validated, accepted in the industry and doesn't cost as much. They have the CCRA certification for CRAs.
Alex

The preferred certification depends on what you want in your career. If you'd like to work in the industry (pharm companies/CROs)- pick ACRP's CCRA certification. If you want to work in a university health programs or hospitals, pick SoCRA's CCRP certification. If you do not have any monitoring experience and want to look attractive to employers, try CCRP with your coordinating experience.

I have not seen anyone benefit from post-grad certificate programs. A Master's degree can help you move from CRA into management, but won't help in getting entry level jobs- the work experience means more than the schooling.

NOTE: I don't know about Australia, but in the USA, ACRP and SoCRA certifications are the ONLY legitimate certifications. There are several scams out there that don't require experience, so beware. Never heard of the CRS certification mentioned by Alex.

Hi Arif and Alex
I will be very happy if any of you can answer my question.

I live in Holland and I graduated as research scientist in 2011 but I cannot work as CRA because I do not have any experience or training or certificate of CRA or ICH GCP. Whenever I read a job position I read that CRA training is a must. What do you suggest me to do?

I cehecked other jobs such as regulatory affairs or clinical trial assistant but I did not find anything.

What is the website to get this training? There are hundreds of pages offering this education.

The only places I would recommend to get CRA education are:

1. ACRP: acrpnet.org (association of clinical research professionals)
2. SoCRA: SOCRA.org (professional society of clinical research associates)
3. Barnett International : barnettinternational.com
4. For more diverse positions, ensure that the course is certified to use as CEUs for professional organizations!

Evren, since I haven't met any other People from Holland on this forum, I highly suggest that you do some networking and take a current CRA working in Holland out to lunch. Talk to them face to face and have a good conversation about the job over a lunch. This will be the best way for you to learn about what you need to get your career started.

Thank you so much. I appreciate this information. I will try to Network people. Can I also contact you via Linked In? If you also like to add me you can find me as Evren Sener.

Arif in Brooklyn, New York said: The preferred certification depends on what you want in your career. If you'd like to work in the industry (pharm companies/CROs)- pick ACRP's CCRA certification. If you want to work in a university health programs or hospitals, pick SoCRA's CCRP certification. If you do not have any monitoring experience and want to look attractive to employers, try CCRP with your coordinating experience.

I have not seen anyone benefit from post-grad certificate programs. A Master's degree can help you move from CRA into management, but won't help in getting entry level jobs- the work experience means more than the schooling.

NOTE: I don't know about Australia, but in the USA, ACRP and SoCRA certifications are the ONLY legitimate certifications. There are several scams out there that don't require experience, so beware. Never heard of the CRS certification mentioned by Alex.

I have heard of other CRA certification programs such as one given by Kriger Research Group. How does this agency size up and is it acceptible in the clinical arena?

I have heard of other CRA certification programs such as one given by Kriger Research Group. How does this agency size up and is it acceptible in the clinical arena?

Hi David,

I think it is really important to point out the difference between a Certificate and a Certification. Kriger is a for-profit training company that issues certificates to people that complete their course. ACRP and SOCRA are non-profit professional organizations that are committed to education, training and improving standards in the field. Completing the Kriger course will NOT make you a CCRA- this term is registered and can only be used by those with ACRP. It is also important to note that Kriger does not have NCCA approval (national commission for certifying agencies). Therefore, you do NOT become a certified clinical research associate by completing the Kriger course.

Evren in Rotterdam, Netherlands said: Thank you so much. I appreciate this information. I will try to Network people. Can I also contact you via Linked In? If you also like to add me you can find me as Evren Sener.

Hey Evren,
I was reading this thread on this forum and I was curious to see if you made any progress in breaking into the clinical research field. I started as a CRC with BD in New Jersy. I was just wondering how the clinical research job market is in the Netherlands. If you want you can contact me via linkedin or email me @ ArpitC1@hotmail.com. Hope to hear from you. Good luck.

Best regards,
Arpit Chokshi