There has been a growing trend in the number of clinical research jobs across the world and there seems to be no decline in the coming years. With that being said, now is the best time to enter into this exciting field.
Regardless of whether you are seeking employment in the public sector as a project manager or perhaps as a clinical trial administrator in one of the many pharmaceutical companies, there are many opportunities available and many more to open up.
In order to help you with your job search, this simple guide has been created to find out exactly what it is like to work in this exciting field.
Knowing The Difference Between Research and Clinical Research
Clinical research tests are designed for the overall safety of drugs that are to be used in the healthcare industry. Whereas basic research is used to gain a better understanding of specific aspects of biology at a basic level.
Research is a very broad term that is used in the general investigation of materials and sources in order to establish facts and come to fact-based conclusions. While examining medical research there are three essential areas of research: basic, clinical, and translational.
Basic Research: Basic research is where it all begins, the process of basic scientific inquiry. The general goal of basic research is to fully explore the understanding of concepts through the process of creating and refuting various theories that have been developed to explain certain phenomena.
Clinical Research: Clinical research is the branch of medical science that is designed to explore the effectiveness of medications and treatments in a better understanding of how to treat patients effectively. Through the use of stringent clinical trials, researchers are able to monitor the progress of a patient and understand the efficiency of a new drug or treatment.
Translational Research: Translational research is a singular branch of biomedical sciences that brings together a number of researchers from a wide variety of fields…bridging the gap between basic and clinical research. This research will build upon the initial findings of basic research advancing to the applications of discoveries.
What Work Is Done In Clinical Research?
Clinical research involves the participation of human individuals to help gain a better understanding of basic research that involves new and unique medications and treatments. One of the most common forms of clinical research study is the controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are grouped into a number of unique stages that are referred to as phases. These phases will increase in scope and size and the study progresses further along and more data is collected.
An example of this would be a Phase 1 trial in which researchers are studying the side effects of a potential new medication and will generally only observe about a dozen individuals.
Whereas a Phase 4 trial may get to the point where well over thousands of people participate in the clinical research aspect and testing to determine if the medication is better than a traditional one.
Every clinical operation is subject to specific standards that align with ethical and scientific practices. With this in mind, it is essential that all clinical research associates adhere to the Good Clinical Practice while performing various trials.
There are a number of various therapeutic areas that also fall under clinical research including mental health, education, health services, pathophysiology, physiology, and epidemiology.
Is Clinical Research A Good Career?
Clinical research offers good salaries as well as an incredibly bright outlook, making it an excellent career choice. If you desire to be on the forefront of unique findings and create treatments that are going to better the lives of individuals, this is the perfect career for you.
The clinical trial industry employs millions of individuals across the globe with jobs available in India, Europe, Australia, Singapore, and North America. It is expected that the clinical trial market is going to rise to 68.9 billion by the year 2026, it is reasonable to see why it is such an in-demand career.
Check out these clinical research associate jobs.
How To Begin A Career In Clinical Research?
One of the starting points is to have either a graduate or post-graduate degree in a field that is relevant to the studies. In addition to clinical research, it is advisable to have an interest in some of the other sciences including pharmacology, biochemistry, epidemiology, nursing, chemistry, physiology, and pre-med.
While studying for a career in the clinical research field, it is wise to gain as much physical research experience as working in a lab or a clinical trial setting. One of the best ways to do this is by applying for a clinical research internship to help further your career as well as offer essential contacts.