Career Change Advice

Hi,

Has anyone ever completed this CRA training program www.cra-training.com? I wanted to get some feedback.

Mgarci17 in Chicago, Illinois said: Hi,

Has anyone ever completed this CRA training program www.cra-training.com? I wanted to get some feedback.

Yes, I did in Sept. 2006. I was able to get a good entry-level job with a pharma shortly after I completed the course. The instructors are knowledgeable, and the material is current and is what you'll need to get started in clinical research. I recommend the program.

Hi!

Actually I took this course in October a couple of years ago and it was really really informative and helpful. In fact, in a couple of months I am going to quit my nursing job and do research monitoring full time! Jill the creator of the course is so incredibly invested in each of her students. She set me up with my first job and I am still working for her today. I believe that this course is probably the closest thing that you can get to field experience without actually working on a study. I would definitely recommend that you take this course. Good luck!

Mgarci17 in Chicago, Illinois said: Hi,

Has anyone ever completed this CRA training program www.cra-training.com? I wanted to get some feedback.

did somebody make a training course with Kriger international ....does it bring something finally to get a job

Thanks for your comments Jessica and Juliet. What were you guys working in before you got into clinical research? I am a career changer trying to break into the industry so want to get as much training as possible. In the fall I'll be moving to San Diego as well so hopefully, this training will get my foot in the door.

did somebody make a training course with Kriger international ....does it bring something finally to get a job

Hi Mgarci,
I have been a RN for 5 years now. I just got burned out in that field and was looking for a change. I heard about clinical research monitoring from my sister in law who happened to stumble into the field. My medical background helps, but you certainly do not need to have a medical background or be a RN to be a CRA. The toughest part of this job is breaking into the industry because no one wants to hire someone without research experience. It is a really unique job. That is why Jill's class is so important. Not only is it really educational, but it also gives you that break that you need in order to join this industry. Jill has been working in this field for many years and subsequently works with many companies for various jobs, tasks and training seminars. This class well definitely get your foot in the door. I was so hesitant to take the course because it is alot of money (I paid for it myself) and it is a big change. But it is the best thing that I could have done. This job is so flexible, autonomous and rewarding. I highly recommend taking this step! Good Luck again!

That's good to know :) My cousin is a CRA and her background was in Fashion Design Marketing! I'm hoping when I get to San Diego I will just be at the right place at the right time. I will definitely be looking into this course. Thanks alot!

--Melissa

What does it take to be a successful CRA?

ORGANIZATION! SELF DRIVE! This job is so autonomous. You work out of your home office most of the time. You travel to research sites by yourself. Basically you are in control of your own schedule and time, thus you must be really self driven and organized. No one is going to tell you that you should get to work except you. Otherwise you just need to be trained. The main purpose of a CRA is to protect the rights, safety and well being of the research subjects. Thus you are there to make sure that the site is doing what they are supposed to, to be a resource, and to be the middle man between the site and the sponsor. There are basically 4 types of site visits. The first type is a site evalutation visit. You go to the site, meet the staff, look at the facility and determine if they are qualified, competent and have the resources to meet the goals of the study. The second is the site initiation visit. This is where you go to train the site on the drug, device, reporting system and review key elements of safety and the study. The third is the monitoring visit. This is where the site has enrolled patients and you are going to make sure that the patients were consented properly and that the site has entered the information into the report forms correctly from the patient's medical document. The last is the closeout visit where you tie up all loose ends, make sure everything is correct, collected and taken care of. The rest of the job you do from home. It really is a great great job and I am so happy that I took the leap to look into it. Good Luck to you!