A Career In Clinical Research

Sumasri
May 19, 2023

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic, which affected everyone’s lives around the globe, reemphasized and taught us all, the value of the clinical research industry by bringing up not just one, but multiple vaccines. Through this challenging yet fulfilling career, professionals are continuously looking for solutions to tackle diseases that were once thought to be incurable. Interestingly, the field, being interdisciplinary in nature, can be explored by students from diverse backgrounds including non-medical students. Moreover, the career offers lucrative income for the ones with the relevant expertise and skills to excel in the field.

This article discusses everything about a career in clinical research in India. Read on!

Educational Qualifications Required

In India, there are primarily three types of clinical research programs, which are described below:

Degree Courses: Undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral-level degree programs are available. The duration of these programs usually varies from 2 to 5 years.

Diploma Courses: UG and PG Diploma courses are also available which can be completed in 10 months to 2 years.

Certificate Programs: Certificate programs are offered at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Their duration usually varies from 3-12 months.

Note: The minimum qualification to work as a clinical researcher is a graduate’s degree in biomedical-related fields like medicine or life science. However. some positions may require a Masters, a Ph.D., or relevant experience based on the job profile.

Undergraduate Degree Courses

Course Name	Duration	Average Fees
B.Sc. in Clinical Research	3 years	INR 20,000 - 3,50,000
B.Sc in Life sciences	3 years	INR 10,000-1.50,000
B.Sc. Clinical Research & Healthcare Management	3 years	INR 40,000- 3,50,000

Source: Collegedunia

Eligibility for Undergraduate Courses

Students must have completed class 10+2 or equivalent examination from any recognized school or board with at least 50% marks.
Students must have Chemistry, Biology, and Physics as their primary subjects in their class 12th.
Entrance examinations for the courses are also conducted wherein students have to clear the minimum cut-off as stated by the respective colleges.

Diploma Courses

Course Name	Duration	Average Fees
Diploma in Clinical Research	10-12 months	INR 10,000 - 1,50,000
PG Diploma in Clinical Research	12 months	INR 20,000 - 1,50,000
PG Diploma in Advanced Clinical Research	10 months
Advanced PG Diploma in Clinical Research	6 months- 2 years	INR 35,000 - 2,00,000

Source: Collegedunia

Eligibility for Undergraduate Diploma Courses

The eligibility for diploma courses may differ from course to course. While some courses may require students to have passed 10+2 in Physics, Biology, and Chemistry with atleast 50% marks, others may require completion of graduation in a relevant discipline with at least 55% marks. Some courses may even require students to clear entrance exams conducted by different universities.

Certificate Courses

Certificate name	Provider	Duration	Fees
Clinical Research Certification Program	ICRI	3 months (60 hours)	INR 30,000
Clinical Research Certification Program for Investigators	ICRI	3 months (60 hours)	INR 30,000
Industry Certificate in Clinical Research	IGMPI - Faculty of Clinical Research	3 months	INR 32, 500
Online Clinical Research Training & Placement Course	CRBTech	6 months	INR 95,000
Introduction to the Principles and Practice of Clinical Research (IPPCR)	NIH	12 months	N/A

Source: Shiksha, Official websites of respective providers

Eligibility for Certificate Courses:

The eligibility for certificate courses may differ from course to course. While some courses may require students to have passed 10+2, others may require completion of graduation in a science subject. Some courses may even require some experience in the field.

Postgraduate and Doctoral Degree Courses

Course Name	Duration	Average Fees
M.Sc. in Clinical Research	2 years	INR 5000 - 2,00,000
Ph.D. in Clinical Research	3-5 years	INR 6000 - 3,00,000
MA in Clinical Psychology	2 years	INR 1,00,000 - 3,00,000

Source: GetMyUni

Eligibility for Postgraduate and Doctoral Degree Courses:

To pursue PG courses, one must score at least 55% marks in graduation in a relevant discipline.
To pursue Doctoral courses, one must complete a master's in a relevant discipline with a minimum of 55% marks from a recognized university.

Top Clinical Research Colleges In India

Institute of Clinical Research [ICRI], New Delhi
Institute of Clinical Research [ICRI], Bangalore
Apeejay Stya University, School of Bioscience, Gurgaon
Institute of Clinical Research [ICRI], Dehradun
Institution of Clinical Research [ICRI], Mumbai
Institute of Clinical Research [ICRI], Ahmedabad
Indus University, Ahmedabad

Scope Of A Career As A Clinical Researcher

The field offers several key positions for those interested in using their skills to improve healthcare and advance scientific research. A clinical researcher can work in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research organisations (CROs), academic and research institutions, Non-Profit Organisations, private and government hospitals, and government agencies. Excellent students can even get recruited by popular institutions such as AIIMS or foreign institutes.

Job Profiles In Clinical Research

Job Profiles	Description
Clinical Research Associate	The key responsibilities for this entry-level position include designing, implementing, and monitoring clinical trials and ensuring compliance with clinical trial protocols.
Clinical Research Managers	The responsibilities include drafting and supervising study designs, generating case reports, and informed consent forms for clinical trials. They may also include mentoring clinical research staff, and approving budgets, and regulatory documents.
Clinical Trials Auditors	Clinical trial auditors conduct audits to assure compliance with the regulations in established guidelines.
Drug Safety Associate	Work of a Drug Safety Associate involves managing and relaying drug safety information and summarize clinical safety data.
Clinical Research Coordinator	This entry-level job in clinical research involves working along with a Principle Investigator to support, facilitate, and coordinate all the clinical trials while ensuring the quality and safety of clinical trials. His duty also involves ensuring that all clinical research activities are conducted in compliance with regulatory authorities and sponsor policies.
Clinical Data Manager (CDM)	A CDM has to collect data from various medical research projects and research on critical aspects based on clinical trials, along with managing the data well, and preparing reports, data charts, and other medical presentations for the management or research team.
Regulatory Affairs Manager (RAM)	A RAM has the responsibility to communicate with various pharmaceutical companies and government agencies to bridge the gap between them, and to ensure legal compliances, track legislation processes, and register documents for filing.
Biostatisticians	A biostatistician performs statistical and programming designed to statistically analyze the cause of issues affecting a living organism. He is also responsible for the submission of Biological License Applications and New Drug Applications, preparing statistical input, summaries, and reports based on his research, and interpreting final clinical trial data.

Roles And Responsibilities

Conducting a systematic study of new drug compositions for determining safety and efficacy
Conducting human trials, identifying and verifying clinical, and pharmacological factors, and adverse effects from the data collected
Maintaining required records of study activity, including case report forms, drug dispensation records, or regulatory forms
Monitoring study activities to ensure compliance with protocols
Communicating with laboratories or investigators regarding laboratory findings and handling paperwork
Recruitment and screening of participants suitable for the target study
Briefing the participants and investigating team on how to conduct the trials
Submission of all the relevant documents to funding organizations upon study completion

Skills Required

Communication skills
Strong decision making
Patience and Attention to detail
Coordinating and Cooperating Skills
Laboratory, Analytical and Mathematical skills
Time management and organization skills

Expected Salary And Remuneration

Job Profiles	Average Salary
Clinical Research Managers	INR 10 LPA
Clinical Research Associate	INR. 3.5 LPA
Drug Safety Associate	INR 3.8 LPA
Clinical Research Coordinator	INR 2.4 LPA
Clinical Data Manager	INR 5.5 LPA
Regulatory Affairs Manager	INR 13.6 LPA
Biostatisticians	INR 4 LPA

Source: AmbitionBox

Top Entities Hiring For This Job

Max Healthcare
Cipla
Springer Nature
IPatientCare
Indegene
Augustus Health Care
Fortis Healthcare

Conclusion

A career in clinical research may bring newer challenges every day but one may also get the chance to travel to different research areas, interact with hundreds of people, and write comprehensive reports. To sum up, if you are passionate about science, medicine, and improving patient outcomes, a career in clinical research may be the right choice for you!

Medbots.in wishes you all the best!