From Academic PhD to Clinical Research – How to Take the Leap
By: Sarah Misenko
Clinical research is a huge industry that encompasses many different professional roles - including medical writers, clinical trial managers, and biostatisticians. In such a complex industry, the professionals come from a wide range of backgrounds. As doctoral students, we are primarily trained in an academic setting and don’t have experience in clinical work. Being interested in a career in clinical research, I have met with various scientists in the clinical field at Daichii Sankyo to discuss their roles in company. The differences between research in a clinical setting as opposed to an academic setting became apparent to me very quickly. I began to wonder what can I, and other doctoral students, do to become a more competitive job candidate for a career in clinical research? Below are some of the tips I have collected on how to get your first job from people who have taken the leap!
Know where to start:
When transitioning into the clinical research field from a science background, it is good to know what experience you have, what positions you are interested in, and what careers are most appropriate for your background. For example, patient care-oriented positions will require an MD due to the importance of patient safety. While there are many career opportunities in clinical research, it can be hard to get your foot in the door so some common points of entry into the field are:
- Clinical Research Associate (CRA): A CRA is a highly administrative position. CRAs are responsible for ensuring that the patients of the clinical trial are not being compromised and the data being collected is accurate. This mean a CRA spends a lot of time visiting clinicians who are performing the clinical trials and must be willing to travel. CRAs typically work for Contract Research Organizations (CROs), though there are CRA positions in larger pharmaceutical companies. Working for a CRO means most CRAs are “project oriented” and often paid hourly rather than salary based.
- Clinical Research Coordinator: A clinical research coordinator is responsible for the administrative aspects of the clinical trial. However, unlike the CRA, a clinical research coordinator works for the investigator. Therefore, clinical research coordinators work for the hospital or institution where the clinical trial is taking place and are not required to travel.
- Clinical Research Scientist: Clinical research scientists offer scientific support to the operational aspects of the study by planning and conducting experiments to test the new medicinal product. The tasks of a clinical research scientist range from document design, to data analysis, to report writing. Clinical research scientists are mostly office based and can work in hospitals, universities, or pharmaceutical companies.
Get to know clinical research regulations:
A reoccurring theme was that potential candidates applying for any position in clinical research need an understanding of regulations, ethical aspects, and good clinical practice (GCP). Clinical trials are highly regulated and every person on the job must understand the strict guidelines the clinical trial must operate under. Coming from an academic setting, we may not have experience working with regulated environments and GCP. Before going on interviews, become familiar with the regulatory requirements of clinical research and be able to show that you’re knowledgeable. Formal training can be done by online training courses or courses at a university, such as Rutgers’ course “Practical Aspects of Clinical Trial Design/Conduct”.
Experience - how to highlight what you already have:
Most entry-level positions in clinical research, including the three described above, require 1-3 years of experience. So how do you get past this catch-22? Many skills we learn during our doctoral training are transferrable and can be relevant for clinical research. Clinical trials are strictly regulated and require a lot of documentation. During your doctoral study, you learn good documentation practices and reporting, strong verbal and written communication skills, and how to explain your research to someone not in your field. Having a background in research, you also have knowledge of sample handling and storage and standard operational procedures (SOPs). Since clinical research encompasses many people from varied backgrounds, being able to work as a team and in collaborations is also a necessity. Being able to show how your current skills are relevant to clinical research not only highlights that you’re an ideal candidate but also that you are aware of what a career in clinical research entails.
With a strong background in science and the ability to grasp new and complex subjects quickly, a PhD can be advantageous for clinical research. Becoming familiar with the business and regulatory aspects of clinical trials and highlighting your current skills appropriately can make you a strong candidate for your first job in clinical research!
For more on PhD transferrable skills, visit our previous post by Jennifer Casiano-Matos here:
Discover the Transferable Ph.D. Skills that Make You Employable