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Who is a Clinical Research Coordinator?
Our profession is the only one which works unceasingly to annihilate itself ~Martin H. Fischer
In a career as a clinical research coordinator, individuals ensure the well-being of patients through proper medical trials and pharmaceutical applications. Without a doubt, a career as a clinical research coordinator is all rosy and bright. Perhaps, clinical research coordinator is one of the rarest professions that get so much respect and recognition in society. The core responsibility of a clinical research coordinator seems to be quite simple -conducting clinical trials in the medical world.
An individual in a clinical research coordinator career path is found to be practising medicine in various settings, including public health organisations, private practices, group practices and hospitals. Students can pursue Health Care Management courses to opt for a clinical research coordinator career path.
Here, in this article, we will discuss is clinical research coordinator is a good career, what does a clinical research coordinator do or clinical research coordinator roles and responsibilities, clinical research coordinator salary in India, what are the clinical research coordinator skills, how to become a certified clinical research coordinator or how to become a Clinical Research Coordinator in India.
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Clinical Research Coordinator in a Nutshell
Careers in clinical research are the most diverse and challenging sectors and a worldwide well-respected career. A clinical research coordinator is someone who helps people with their medical problems by coordinating appropriate research and medical trials so that standard medicine can be developed for a particular disease. It is not always possible for a clinical research coordinator to be successful in clinical trials however a clinical research coordinator must be able to make a considerable progression.
More than half of clinical research coordinators work in a hospital setting, either as a clinical research coordinator or a clinical research supervisor. An individual in the clinical research coordinator career path examines people of all ages within a particular society. A clinical research coordinator is also known as a backbone worker in a patient’s healthcare. A clinical research coordinator is responsible for finding a medicinal cure for all sorts of ailments. Keep scrolling and find out the whereabouts of becoming a clinical research coordinator, its scope, job outlook, work environment, and various such factors.
Quick Facts for Clinical Research Coordinator
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Industry
Healthcare
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Average Salary in India
₹21000
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Suitable for
Male, Female
Yes, both women and men can have a career as clinical research coordinators. The profession is gender-neutral. Anyone with appropriate skills and educational qualifications can perform a clinical research coordinator job. A good clinical research coordinator must be good with people and must know how to do his/her work.
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Any special needs
Yes
In a career as a clinical research coordinator, one needs to be detail-oriented and considerate because trial on a person’s body is a matter of extreme patience and seriousness. People who are physically well can only perform the clinical research coordinator job. Hence, the profession is not suitable for people with special needs.
Table of Contents for Clinical Research Coordinator
What is the role of Clinical Research Coordinator?
Are you thinking about what are the clinical research coordinator roles and responsibilities and the clinical research coordinator job description? then we have covered everything for you. The individual in the clinical research coordinator's career path is involved in supervising all successful drug trials and medical research. A clinical research coordinator is required to gather patients for medicinal trials by recruiting them and verifying them to be sure they fit the guidelines for trials. Additionally, he or she is also responsible for ensuring that the materials and supplies to be used in the trials are to be kept safe before and after the trials.
Along with this, a clinical research coordinator is also responsible for maintaining proper documentation recorded during the trial period. A coordinator is also required to make sure that trials being conducted meet all the guidelines and regulations including those regarding safety, government rules and regulations, and company or hospital ethics.
A coordinator is also required to keep track of patients in terms of health and progress in order to report them to the company. As a coordinator, one is also responsible for finding funds for their research, either through private funds or grants. Not only coordinators are required to apply for the grant, but also figure out how much grant or funding they require. Cost analysis comes as an integral part of a coordinator’s job.
A coordinator is responsible for figuring out the budget including how much the research will cost, as well as payroll, travel, supplies, technology, pharmacy, and other costs that will affect the budget of the trial. So how to become a clinical research coordinator in India and what does it take to become one?
Management
The clinical research coordinator roles and responsibilities are to manage various things such as ensuring the diagnosis and treatment-related services are provided within the research firm at all times. A clinical research coordinator is also responsible for the smooth, efficient, and cost-effective running of the medical equipment.
The job of a clinical research coordinator is to maximise flexibility, teamwork, and innovative working practices. A clinical research coordinator's job is that he or she must ensure that efficient use of medical resources is applied.
Types of a Clinical Research Coordinator
In this section, we will discuss the Clinical Research Coordinator career options or types of a Clinical Research Coordinator.
Laboratory Technician: Laboratory technician is a professional responsible for managing and using laboratory equipment in order to perform certain functions related to medical trials or research belonging to different areas of science.
General Physician: A general physician provides primary care to his or her patients and prescribes medicine according to the diagnosis. A general physician spends most of his or her time running tests, interpreting them, prescribing medicines, doing rounds in the hospital, making notes on patient's physical conditions, and talking to them about further treatment.
Clinical Research Supervisor: Clinical research supervisors are professionals working in the field of medicinal research and discovery section of the healthcare industry. As a clinical research supervisor, one is responsible for overseeing and leading the medical staff responsible for conducting the trials. The final decisions related to any research are made by the clinical research coordinator. Read further to learn how to become a certified clinical research coordinator.
What is the workplace/work environment of Clinical Research Coordinator like?
A career as a clinical research coordinator requires working in treatment rooms in hospitals and medical centres during different diagnoses and trials, and they also work in research laboratories. Individuals who opt for a career as a clinical research coordinator are expected to be up to date with the patient’s medical history and current health status.
Before beginning the diagnosis and trial, the clinical research coordinator and the team determine which treatment equipment and techniques are to be used. This section contains in-depth details about the work environment of the clinical research coordinator.
In a career as a clinical research coordinator, individuals spend their most important time in the treatment room, where he or she is required to prepare different sets of machines and other treatment equipment necessary for the particular treatment along with verifying its functionality. Once the patient is connected to the machine, along with performing the diagnosis and treatment, the clinical research coordinator is responsible for continuously monitoring the patient’s status.
Does Clinical Research Coordinator require travelling?
Likely
An individual in a clinical research coordinator career path requires little to no travelling. A clinical research coordinator is required to work in one healthcare area and generally spends 90 per cent of his or her time in the OR suite for trial cases. In other cases, they find their responsibilities extending to areas such as the medical intensive care unit and medical laboratory.
Employment Shifts
Full Time
Typically, clinical research coordinator jobs require working overtime 60 hours per week and also might be required to be present on call on some nights, weekends, and holidays. Depending on the treatment, call responsibilities can get rigorous. In certain facilities that perform a large number of trials, a clinical research coordinator may work in shifts to ensure that a trained staff is available 24 hours a day.
Employment Nature
Permanent
An individual in a clinical research coordinator career path involves employment on a permanent basis. Hence, the nature of his/her work is permanent. Medical centres or third-party medical companies employ clinical research coordinators for permanent posts.
Work Place
Laboratory, hospitals
A career as a clinical research coordinator requires working in treatment rooms in hospitals and medical centers during general diagnosis and trials, along with this, they also work in research laboratories. The working hours for clinical research coordinators vary greatly as they must answer the call of medical emergencies when needed. They might work overtime if the diagnosis and trial stretches to be too long.
Presence in Geographical Area
Semi-urban, Urban
Tier-1 cities such as New Delhi, Gurugram, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Pune are hubs for world-class healthcare treatments making it a big hub for opportunities for healthcare workers working in several sectors. Clinical research coordinators in Chennai, Tamil Nadu earn an average of 10.6 per cent more than the national average. The clinical research coordinators also find higher than average salaries in Bangalore, Karnataka (4.4 per cent more). The lowest salaries can be found in Mumbai, Maharashtra (11.5 per cent less).
Time Pressure
Likely
A clinical research coordinator is mainly required to work in treatment rooms in hospitals and medical centres during general diagnosis and trials, along with this, they also work in research laboratories. The clinical research coordinator jobs for clinical research coordinators vary greatly as they must answer the call of medical emergencies when needed. They might work overtime if the diagnosis and trial stretch to be too long.
Overtime Details
Quite often, a clinical research coordinator is required to work overtime. Clinical research coordinators are required to work under various circumstances that involve long hours and weekends too. In a career as a clinical research coordinator, individuals might also be required to report medical emergencies. Hence working overtime is quite common in their profession.
Weekly Hours of Work
Min 45 Hours
Usually, a clinical research coordinator is scheduled to work eight hours per day starting from 9 AM to 8 PM. However, depending on the requirements and the diagnosis and trial schedules, the clinical research coordinator might be required to work under certain shifts.
How to become a Clinical Research Coordinator?
Steps to become a Clinical Research Coordinator
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What are the skills and qualities required to become a/an Clinical Research Coordinator?
This article describes how to become a certified clinical research coordinator. Here, in this section, we have discussed some of the clinical research coordinator skills.
Patience: A clinical research coordinator faces critical situations where he or she is required to stay calm and make decisions that might be an important factor in a patient’s future. A clinical research coordinator is one of the most essential members of the diagnosis and trial team. The work he or she does helps in keeping critically ill and medically unstable people alive. Situations like these required them to stay calm and level-headed.
Physical strength: In order to have superior stamina and mental focus, a clinical research coordinator is required to stay fit and keep themselves healthy. The profession of a clinical research coordinator requires him or her to stay alert during trials that could last as long as 6-8 hours or more which is not possible without mental stamina and focus.
Communication skills: The ability to communicate effectively is one of the most necessary skills required by a clinical research coordinator in order to perform their job. The team working for a trial must be closely knitted which can be achieved through strong communication, communicating effectively becomes important in a high-stakes team environment.
Science skills: Nothing can be achieved without a deep understanding and interest in the subject. In order to become a clinical research coordinator along with excelling in the career, it is important for candidates to have a deep interest in science and technology. A good academic background is a non-negotiable requirement in the profession that can be achieved only through knowledge and a deep interest in science and technology.
Attention to detail: In a career as a clinical research coordinator, individuals are required to make important decisions during medicinal and drug trials. Hence, he or she is required to pay meticulous attention to detail to produce highly accurate work even when under pressure. Paying attention to small details is essential during the treatment and analysis.
Critical thinking: Management of medical trials requires sharp critical thinking skills which involve using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems. Individuals who opt for a career as a clinical research coordinator are required to exhibit strong critical thinking and analytical skills which can be used in tough situations.
Learning skills: Learning skills are one of the important skills required to become a clinical research coordinator they involve learning tasks like conducting tests and inspections of equipment, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance, adjusting actions in relation to others's actions, determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job, controlling treatments of equipment or systems, and selecting and using training or instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Popular Online Medicine Courses and Certifications
Which certifications and internships can be helpful in becoming Clinical Research Coordinator?
We have mentioned below major certification courses that individuals who wish to opt for a career as a Clinical Research Coordinator can opt to upgrade their skill sets.
Advanced Certification Programme in Digital Health and Imaging
Advanced Certification Programme in Digital Health and Imaging
Introduction to Health Economics and Health Technology Assessment
Internship Availability
Internships are a great way to learn and develop technical expertise in the industry and have a comprehensive understanding of all the factors responsible for medical diagnosis and drug trials. There are plenty of internships available in the field since the profession requires a practical approach and practice. There are many healthcare organisations that offer assistantships in various sections of the medical industry. In order to get these internships, students are required to follow the eligibility criteria specified by each health organisation. Students with excellent medical records and practical understanding are the first choice of healthcare organisations.
Also, students in their final year of study programme are eligible for the internship. The students learn various industrial critics and treatments performed in the medical houses outside the diagnosis and treatment room. They are introduced to various technical and critical equipment with relevance to their applications in the specialisation they choose in diagnosis and treatment. The internship offered to the students is mostly unpaid. Students are required to handle their expenses themselves. However, these internships hold much importance since experience in the health industry is a non-negotiable factor in getting a job.
Career Path Progression for Clinical Research Coordinator
Junior Clinical Research Coordinator: A Junior Clinical Research Coordinator is a professional who works under the guidance of a Senior Clinical Research Coordinator. A Junior Clinical Research Coordinator collect data from research, oversees the functioning of clinical trials and assists the seniors in the study.
Senior Clinical Research Coordinator: A Senior Clinical Research Coordinator is an experienced professional who helps the junior Clinical Research Coordinator train and lead the team. A Senior Clinical Research Coordinator is responsible for the analysis and coding of the data obtained from research and manages the research budget.
Clinical Research Coordinator Jobs and Salaries
Junior Clinical Research Coordinator
- Average Salary 16000
Job Description
The Junior Clinical Research Coordinator job description includes engaging the subjects and overseeing the smooth running of clinical trials. A Junior Clinical Research Coordinator collects data, labels, stores and transports all specimens and takes care of all equipment and supplies.
Salary Description
The estimated Senior Clinical Research Coordinator salary in India ranges from Rs 0.9 Lakhs to Rs 3.5 Lakhs with an average annual salary of Rs 2.0 Lakhs per annum. The Senior Clinical Research Coordinator salary in India may vary depending on the various job factors.
Salary Source: AmbitionBox
Senior Clinical Research Coordinator
- Average Salary 26000
Job Description
The Senior Clinical Research Coordinator job description includes monitoring the participants of the research and adhering to research regulatory standards and ethical standards. A Senior Clinical Research Coordinator maintains records as per FDA guidelines and liaises with laboratories.
Salary Description
The estimated Senior Clinical Research Coordinator salary in India ranges from Rs 1.8 Lakhs to Rs 6.5 Lakhs with an average annual salary of Rs 3.2 Lakhs per annum. The Senior Clinical Research Coordinator salary in India may vary depending on the various job factors.
Salary Source: AmbitionBox
What is the job outlook for Clinical Research Coordinator?
The clinical research coordinator salary of a clinical research coordinator career path is based on experience and technical skills. The entry-level salary could be up to four lakhs per year and eventually, it could be above six lakhs per year depending on the skill and experience. Salaries in this profession, are based on the skills, experience and projects where the research associates are involved in. The entry-level pay is up to five lakhs per year, and gradually it could be more than ten lakhs per year.
For an entry-level post of a medical doctor, the average total compensation offered to a medical doctor is somewhere around Rs. 35,000 per month. After gaining intermediate experience in the industry, a medical doctor earns a monthly package of Rs. 55,000. The top-level salary of a medical doctor is somewhere around Rs. 1.5 lakh per month. For entry-level positions, a clinical research coordinator can expect a monthly pay of Rs. 18,000 per month.
After gaining some experience, he or she can easily earn up to Rs. 25,000 per month which includes tips, bonuses, and overtime pay. The top-level salary for a clinical research coordinator is somewhere around Rs. 50,000 per month. Providing healthcare facilities is a high-priority industry and a major source of employment globally. According to WHO standards, India has a major shortage of doctors, nurses and technical staff. This shortage of healthcare professionals gets more and more acute as we move towards the rural areas of the country.
In order to grow the healthcare industry along with expanding employment opportunities, it is necessary to implement the right policy framework, skilling, partnerships and enabling digital standards and connectivity. The government of India is committed to making improvements in health coverage with the announcement of Ayushman Bharat. This will surely entail the creation of different sectors of the healthcare industry like preventive, promotive, and curative sectors. In the near future, it is estimated that the healthcare industry will become one of the top three employment generators in India, providing stable and quality healthcare employment across all levels of economic cycles.
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Frequently Asked Questions for Clinical Research Coordinator
Que. What does a clinical research coordinator do?
Ans.A coordinator is also required to keep track of patients in terms of health and progress in order to report them to the company. As a coordinator, one is also responsible for finding funds for their research, either through private funds or grants. Not only coordinators are required to apply for the grant, but also figure out how much grant or funding they require.
Que. How much does a clinical research coordinator earn?
Ans.For entry-level positions, a clinical research coordinator can expect a monthly pay of Rs. 18,000 per month. After gaining some experience, he or she can easily earn up to Rs. 25,000 per month which includes tips, bonuses, and overtime pay. The top-level salary for a clinical research coordinator is somewhere around Rs. 50,000 per month.
Que. Where do clinical research coordinators work?
Ans.A clinical research coordinator spends his or her most important time in the treatment room, where he or she is required to prepare different sets of machines and other treatment equipment necessary for the particular treatment along with verifying its functionality.
Que. What is the scope of becoming a clinical research coordinator?
Ans.The scope for a clinical research coordinator in the healthcare industry is huge. A clinical research coordinator is a highly skilled professional and a critical member of the medical team. As a clinical research coordinator, he or she is mainly responsible for working in core diagnosis and treatment, but he or she also participates in various other surgeries. The job of a clinical research coordinator is to ensure the well-being of patients through medication and drug trials.
Que. Is Clinical Research Coordinator a good job?
Ans.Yes, Clinical Research Coordinator is a good job. You must have all the required relevant skills, and educational background and must have at least a few years of work experience.
Que. What are the skills required for a clinical research coordinator?
Ans.The skills required for a clinical research coordinator are interpersonal skills, detail-oriented, communication skills, accuracy, IRB, compliance database and others.
Que. What does the clinical research coordinator do?
Ans.The clinical research coordinator oversees the functioning of the clinical trials, collects data manages the budgets and communicates the participants with the study objectives.
Que. Is it hard being a clinical research coordinator?
Ans.It might be hard being a clinical research coordinator as it will be working and managing investigators and you might also stay for longer hours to check on patients and to complete the tasks.
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Did you know?
Fact 1
About 64% of clinical research coordinators report working overtime. Some physicians may work as many as 60 hours per week.
Fact 2
The earliest documentation for a formal hospital with a clinical research coordinator that treated the ill comes from the 5th century BC in Sri Lanka.
Fact 3
Hippocrates (460–377 BC) is commonly called the "Father of Medicine" or the "Father of Western Medicine."
