Introduction:
CRA or Clinical research Associate interview is assigned the duty to perform clinical trials and other medical activities. But before you get into this profession, you have to clear an interview. To ace this interview, you’ll need to practice mock CRA interview questions before the interview. So in this article, we will provide some frequently asked CRA interview questions to help you polish your preparation.
Mock CRA (Clinical Research Associate) interview questions with answers:
Ques 1: Are you experienced in various medicinal areas like Diabetes, cardiovascular, CNS, etc.?
This question is mostly asked because the interviewer wants to know your area of knowledge. The purpose is to make sure that you are acquainted with all these medical areas. You can’t lie in this question. You have to tell relevant experience. But in case, you don’t have much experience with any particular health area, you can highlight the relevant experience in other areas.
Mock answer: Sir, I have a primary knowledge about all these fields. But I did not get the opportunity to show my skills in all these areas. However, I do possess fundamental experience in the cardiovascular field. I recently had an opportunity to assist specific working teams. In the past also, I worked closely with experts for site monitoring visits.
Ques 2: Would you be able to manage extensive traveling?
In a CRA job, you might be required to travel extensively for site visits, study visits, and much more. Through this question, the interviewer wants to see your ability to work under pressure and how would you manage a busy traveling schedule. You have to stay positive and list some steps through which you’ll easily handle extensive traveling for work.
Model answer: Sir, I know that this job would require much traveling, but I will manage the same by planning early. Work-life balance is the key to success. So, I will try to manage between the two by prioritizing. To ensure that I don’t forget anything essential, I keep a to-do list.
Ques 3: Please elaborate upon your problem-solving skills in the CRA job.
Problem-solving is much required for this job because you never know what kind of challenges you would face on the site. Accordingly, the interviewer might expect you to show your presence of mind and how you have handled problems effectively in the past. The best way to answer the question is to mention any experience and support it with relevant techniques you used.
Model answer: I understand the importance of problem-solving in this job. Therefore, whenever I face a difficult situation, I first analyze the issue and its causes. Next, I do some brainstorming and look for possible solutions. After sorting the solutions according to their usefulness, I use the one that can satisfy every stakeholder at minimum cost. Through this method, I was able to solve several problems in my previous project.
Ques 4: Suppose you are working on a site and you came to know that the sponsor has not been informed about adverse drug reaction (ADR), what would be your response?
Questions like this, which are related to practical exposure are normal in CRA interviews. It would help if you keep yourself updated with all the duties of CRA on site. In a situation like this, you have to take the best possible solution in the minimum time. The best response, in the present situation, would be to report the matter to the sponsor immediately.
Model answer: My first response would be to inform the sponsor about ADR as soon as possible to prevent any further damage. Then I would look into the reason for which the matter was not reported. If there’s some serious problem, my next aim would be to solve the same.
Ques5: If you are in charge of staff training, what would you do to ensure efficient and timely site training?
Since training is an essential part of enhanced productivity, the interviewer might like to put you in such a situation. You have to give a practical answer. Show that you understand the importance of training for the success of the work. Next, elaborate on an effective strategy for staff training.
Model answer: On-site training is indeed an essential step towards competent staff. So to ensure efficient and timely staff training, I would first decide what kind of training is much required. Rather than putting the pressure in one go, I’ll try to make training a daily activity. To ensure better results, I would have assessment tests to track the progress of my staff.
Ques 6: What do you understand by clinical research and name the various types of clinical research?
This is a direct question. You must have a good command of the medical terminologies to answer this kind of question. So, don’t forget to go through these basic terms and concepts before going for a CRA interview.
Model answer: Clinical research is made of two words. Clinical meaning treatment of patients and or related to medical work, and research means to investigate or study. Together clinical research means a process to study the medical and related effects of a product on humans. We can divide clinical trials into various types like prevention trials and diagnostic trials.
Ques 7: Elaborate the pros and cons of participating in a clinical trial.
This is again a knowledge-based question. The more familiar you are with the core concepts, the more are the chances of your selection. In this question, you have to simply mention the benefits and harms if a person participates in a clinical trial.
Ans: Clinical trials can give certain benefits like:
- You can get those medications that might not be available for a long time.
- You get an opportunity to work closely with health professionals and understand the health care system.
- You volunteer for a social program and help in trials of various new medical inventions.
The cons associated with participation in clinical trials are:
- You are prone to side effects from new medications that are being tested
- The experiment might prove hazardous for you.
- The volunteer has to take out his time and undergo complex medical processes.
Ques 8: How do you keep a track of your performance and fellow workers on site?
The interviewer wants to know the importance of productivity in your eyes and how you ensure the same on-site. You have to show that you give preference to quality over quantity, and accordingly you keep a track of your daily performance. Whether you maintain your fellow workers’ productivity record depends on your job duties. Some jobs might specify this, or some might have an individual record.
Ans: Sir, I understand the importance of keeping track of my performance in the success of my company. Therefore I keep a list of my tasks and a timetable. Then I see if I can meet all those targets or not. Based on that, I note down the areas of improvement and work on them. As far as the productivity report of my fellow workers is concerned, if my seniors have given this duty, I would keep an excel sheet handy for this purpose.
Ques9: Have you ever handled a large chunk of data in your previous job, and how did you ensure its security?
The answer to this question can either be affirmative or negative. If you answer in a yes, elucidate about how you managed that data and ensured security and organization. Try to avoid saying no because in a CRA job you have to handle a large data on sites. Even if you don’t have the experience so far, you can explain how you plan to maintain data in an organized and secure manner in the future.
Mock Answer: Yes sir, in my previous jobs I had to keep a record of data and was in charge of its verification. To prevent any misuse and keep it secure, I first utilized the present data before collecting new data. To keep the data confidential and to properly organize the data which can help in timely filtering, I used various software and computer tools.
Ques 10: Do you want to ask any questions from us?
This is usually the last question. It’s always recommended to ask a few questions from the interviewer to show your interest. You can ask your queries, or you can ask from the questions listed below:
- What are the most difficult challenges that I would face in this job?
- How would you describe a suitable candidate for this job?
- What will be the parameters for becoming successful in this role? ,etc.
Final words:
Interviews can be grilling and hectic. But through the correct guidance and practice of mock questions, you can excel in any interview. Go in the proper attire and keep crucial documents like your resume handy with you. If you feel that the interviewer is not satisfied with your answer, you can ask occasionally, Should I elaborate more?
Stay confident and calm, and through your presence of mind, you can do wonders.
