Jobs opportunities in Clinical Research

Clinical researchers are hired across all healthcare product manufacturers. Whenever a company introduces or plans to introduce a new product into the market, it has to go through a stringent evaluation process. 

The global clinical trials market is growing rapidly. According to a report by Grand View Research, the global clinical trials market is expected to reach $68.9 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 5.7 per cent during the forecast period. With India being one of the prime contributors to this global industry, it is expected that clinical research in India is going to grow bigger. This growth will be possible only when more and more people opt for this job profile. So if an aspirant is looking to make their career in clinical research, Shiksha gives you an insight of this job opportunity.

About Clinical Research

Clinical Research is a branch deriving out of sciences which deals with measuring the efficacy and safety of all healthcare-related products. These products can range from drugs to electronic devices to complex treatment regimens.

Clinical researchers are hired across all healthcare product manufacturers. Whenever a company introduces or plans to introduce a new product into the market, it has to go through a stringent evaluation process. In this stage, the product's compliance with industry standards, safety parameters, effectiveness and side effects are measured. Based on this evaluation, the product can either be approved for sale or disapproved until it satisfies the clinical research guidelines.

Now, most of this evaluation is done by a third party, namely a Contract Research Organisation (CRO). Manufacturers outsource their work to these organisations who in turn provide reports to both the manufacturer and a regulatory body (such as Food and Drug Administration or FDA in the US). The individuals who work on these reports are designated as Clinical Research Associate.

Clinical Research Degrees

To bag a job in the clinical research segment, an aspirant needs to be well-versed in multiple disciplines, but mainly in medicine and biology. After completion of 12th board, the aspirant has to opt for a three-year bachelor’s degree in life sciences.

Three-year degrees:

• BSc in Clinical Research
• BSc in Life Sciences (Biochemistry, botany, zoology, biotechnology, toxicology, microbiology)
• Bachelor in Nursing

Four-year degrees:

• MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS, BUMS, BSSM
• Bachelors in Physiotherapy, Pharmacy, Pharmacology

After completion of their bachelor's degree, it's highly unlikely that an aspirant will land a job in CROs with the exception of BSc in Clinical Research. Therefore, they need to pursue another two-year Master’s degree. This should specifically be in Clinical Research. The ideal degree is Masters. in Clinical Research offered by various universities.

Clinical Research Job Opportunities

Once an aspirant has completed their studies in clinical research or related fields, you can get employed at various pharmaceutical companies or CROs. The field offers its own ladder to climb and you can go from a research associate to a unit or project manager.

Here are the job opportunities or roles available in Clinical research field:

Clinical Research Associate: This is like an entry-level job in the clinical research field where you'll be handling the testing and instrumentation of various medical devices. Even though this is an entry-level position, high competence and accuracy are often required for this position. As a CRA, you'll be responsible for preparing research protocols, gathering and designing data, and managing regulatory paperwork.

Eligibility: B.Sc in Clinical Research, M.Sc. in Clinical Research

Clinical Research Physician: CRPs are qualified doctors who've completed MBBS and have worked in the industry for quite a few years. Some of the roles assigned to a CRP are investing for bioavailability, developing pharmaceutical documents, to facilitate communication among various multi-disciplinary divisions and guiding the CRA.

Eligibility: MBBS, BDS, or similar degree, upto five years of working experience.

Medical Research Coordinator: Research coordinators work as a point of contact between the research team and trial conducting team consisting of CRAs and CRPs. They also facilitate research side of things, like what needs to be done to get to the desired result or why something is working/not working.

Eligibility: MSc, PhD in clinical research, Work experience

Programmer - Clinical Research

A programmer is one who handles the computerised documentation and visualisation of clinical trials. This is used by all the teams in the organisation. Candidates are required to be well-versed in multiple programming languages along with basic clinical research techniques.

Eligibility: B.Tech, MSc, M.Tech in computer science, work experience in clinical research

Scientific Advisor: A scientific advisor is a top-level job position in any pharma or CRO company. He or she provides insight and recommendation to the working team to bring the product to market. In other words, everyone looks up to him or her when it comes to what needs to be done.

Eligibility: MBBS, PhD in Clinical research, 10+ years of working experience

Project Manager: The project manager is another top-level job position in a pharma or CRO company who handles and oversees a project from inception to execution to successful completion. He guides the team and set guidelines for each team member.

Eligibility: PhD in clinical research, MBBS, MBA, up to 10 years of working experience

Management-related Career Options 

Now, if aspirant is not particularly from life science stream, they can still make a career in the field of clinical research. Most CROs and pharmaceutical companies hire managers, sales executives, business development managers, and marketers who are from a management background. An MBA or PGDM degree is the main requirement.

Clinical research is an extremely rewarding and fulfilling discipline in itself. With grit, passion, and determination, they can make a mark of themselves.