Associate Clinical Research Coordinator Job- Their Duties, And Salary

Associate Clinical Research Coordinator Job

Every candidate in their life desires to pursue a career in which they have their academic interest. Such a career helps one to boost confidence and lay a path of a career that they could enjoy in the long run. One such career path that is mostly preferred by students in today’s time is Clinical Research. Here, let’s know about Associate Clinical Research Coordinator Job.

Becoming a Clinical research head is not easy and you would first be assigned the role of associate clinical research coordinator. This position has a lot of requirements that a candidate needs to fulfill. After the successful completion of this position and undertaking trials in different clinical situations, a candidate can leverage their career path to becoming a head clinical researcher. 

So, want to know more about associate clinical research? You are on the right path. The article includes all the necessary details regarding the job description, duties, and salary of the candidate in the profession. 

Who are associate clinical research coordinators?

An associate clinical research coordinator is often responsible to conduct clinical research under a designated manager. They work with team engagement and administer the clinical trials that are carried under the guidance of a lead clinical researcher. The candidates also shoulder the responsibility to collect data from the trials and record them into dedicated systems for further usage.

Apart from that they also study different objectives and make questionnaires whenever required. The CRA is also responsible to facilitate, and organize the daily activities of the trial under a principal investigator (PI). The researchers also work with various departments, sponsors, and institutions that can support them through any personal issues and financial compliance. 

To walk through the matter in simple words, the CRA is responsible to manage the day-to-day activities and look whether all the operations are carried out as designated by the lead. 

Job description

The job description of Associate Clinical Research Coordinator often included details like the medical background and educational requirements. Prior experience can be mandatory for the field of study. A typical job description can look like the one below.

“We are looking for candidates who are extremely sound in medical knowledge and have a prior experience of at least 0 to. 1 year in the field of research. The job at the organization will require the candidate to be good with both technical and interpersonal skills. The candidates will be responsible to carry out clinical trials adhering to the standards and regulations of the organization. He/ She will also be responsible to look after administering questionnaires, look at the subject material, carry out recruitment if required, and look out for the team and their duties.

The research associate will also be required to engage with subjects and explain to them what the basic purpose of the clinical trial is. To do so, a candidate having good communication skills will be preferred. “

A job description will often include the above requirements. Different organizations will have a requirement slightly above or below the description provided above. 

Duties

An associate clinical research coordinator is often engaged in multiple duties and responsibilities. The primary duties and responsibilities for the candidate are listed below.

  • Ensuring the clinical trial takes place smoothly and efficiently. The trial needs to be free of any kind of trouble, errors are accepted on the human level but troubles are not. 
  • The candidate needs to analyze the data retrieved from the research and curate it into coding and other forms of resources. This could be required for further administration of the research and future use.
  • A budget needs to be maintained by the candidate; an underestimation of the budget can lead to improper clinical trials that can prove malicious to any research content.
  • Administering the clinical trials and ensuring that they are carried out in adherence to the regulations and guidelines. They also need to administer questionnaires and look after the participants that engage in the trial. A strict policy of rules needs to be followed.
  • To ensure that every trial conducted is ethical and does not harm the sentiments of any participant.
  • Collate the data and specimens present in the trial and record the data with at most accuracy. Perform labeling, sorting, and storage of the data. 
  • To look at the equipment required for the research and to ensure that every piece of equipment is present in the trials. Their equipment needs to be stocked and should be in good working conditions.
  • To engage with subjects of the trial and work with them to understand and explain the basic requirements. 
  • They need to conjugate with doctors, consultants, and other professionals for trials.
  • Prepare final documentation, and train the onsite staff.

Educational requirements

To become an associate clinical research coordinator a candidate must also possess the basic required educational criterion mentioned below.

  • The candidate must have an associate degree, that is a four years bachelor’s degree in nursing, medical technology, microbiology, public health, or another related field.
  • Two years master’s degree for management positions.
  • Subjects like biochemistry, biostatistics, healthcare management, epidemiology, human anatomy, and others need to be included in the basic study.
  • They need to possess 2+ years of experience in healthcare and other fields of study in any organization.
  • A basic communication skills course or certificate can add as an additional benefit to the candidate and help them in getting the desired job easily.

To land a competitive job you need to have prior work experience in any of the related fields like,

  • Pharmaceutical research
  • Data work
  • Medical sales
  • Nursing.

Without the experience, you would be starting at a very lower scale. Many companies recruit graduates for the above-mentioned positions.

Salary

The average salary for an associate clinical research coordinator can range from $48,000 to $60,000 per year depending on the experience, seniority level, responsibilities, and organization. The higher you climb the ladder of experience the salary will also take an exponentially upward curve and provide you with better results. 

Skills

An associate clinical research coordinator does need to be proficient in his/her skills to conduct in-depth research. Apart from the traditional knowledge they also need to be versatile in other skills that help them bring out the best of the team in the job. The additional skills that can be included in the checklist.

  • A CRA needs to be efficient in communication skills. Clinical research associates are often engaged in building teams and conveying the details in written and oral form, thus a good communication ability is required by the candidate to build relationships. 
  • They must have the ability to motivate others. CRA works in the research industry; this industry often does not have fixed outcomes and the period for a certain project can significantly vary. This calls for CRAs to be extremely patient, and able to motivate the team whenever required.
  • CRAs also need to multitask and think of quick actions for different prospects of their job. 
  • They need to have an eye for detail and analyze things on an in-depth scale. 
  • They must also possess knowledge of organizational aspects and administrative skills. Research associate jobs required the candidates to record the data and findings in a digital form. This requires the candidate to be technically apt in using systems that can preserve their data for any future reference.

Career prospect

Clinical Research associates can often aim higher in their career and work upon developing their skills to reach a more senior level in the field. The different career prospects for a Clinical Research associate involves,

  • Lead Clinical Research 
  • Project manager
  • Director of the team and clinical operations
  • Head of the Clinical Research organization
  • And many more.

Conclusion

Being an associate clinical research coordinator comes with a lot of responsibilities. You would be needed to complete your basic education and gain some prior work experience to gain the position of a researcher under a principal investigator. After you receive the job you need to make sure to learn and fulfill all the demands of the position ranging from engaging the trial participants, conducting trials, to recording the final documents of the data recorded. 

In the end, if you have completed all the milestones, your career path can take an upward trajectory and your efforts will pay off as you take the senior-most position of becoming the clinical head of the organization. 

So, if you dream to be a head clinical researcher, practice hard and work towards your goal. And finally, congratulations cause you are going to make it to the end with your efforts.

FAQ

  1. Where do clinical research coordinators work?

The clinical research coordinator often works for an organization or principal investigator that owns an individual clinic or association. They spend most of their time in treatment rooms and prepare the equipment for trials and record the data.

  1. What is the current scope of the profession?

The clinical research coordinator is a highly skilled professional that is involved with different clinical trials. Given their importance to the medical field they are one of the most in-demand candidates in the market. The job prospect for this position has risen to 36% in the past five years. 

  1. Do I need to have prior experience for the job?

Most organizations prefer experienced candidates. Though not a mandatory requirement. 

Associate Clinical Research Coordinator Job- Their Duties, And Salary

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