If you are a physician who wants to explore job opportunities other than direct patient care you might want to consider clinical research in the pharmaceutical industry. This is not the only path and indeed, medical doctor degree gives you the opportunity to grow professionally in different directions. However, clinical research is an interest of mine and I’m happy to share with you why.
A physician could apply the acquired theoretical knowledge and hands on experience to identify unmet clinical needs and analyze medical significance of the preclinical findings. Working on the project from the start allows a medical doctor to be a creator of the clinical trial along with the team of course.
Physicians could contribute to identifying a target population where intervention is expected, developing clinical end points and reviewing the safety aspects of the study.
While the study is conducted, the top priority is to monitor well being of the participants. The data delivered by investigational sites is carefully analyzed, and the discrepancies are queried until resolution.
Furthermore, medical doctors could be expected to communicate with investigators and the experts in a particular field on aspects of clinical trial development and conduct. This role provides an opportunity to work in the team with diverse educational and professional background that can really enrich the experience and the mindset. Please be prepared, it might hurt your ego but in a healthy way…
Providing medical insights for communication with regulatory authorities and publications are among other kinds of exciting projects.
If this sounds attractive, then the next question is how to get into this role.
I started my journey in industry as a Medical Science Liaison and soon realized my true interest is in clinical trials. I joined a small startup in clinical development stage and soon began acquiring tasks of clinical development role. Looking back, I may say that my path could’ve been more strategically streamlined. However, there were no training programs, coaching or mentorship programs specifically in clinical science that I could find, until I met Lakshmi Rao at Excel Career Services. The package included a specially oriented training program along with interview coaching. Apparently, one of the best investments I ever made.
Comments