Clinical Trial Coordinator/ Clinical Research Associate Review

I enjoyed the company I was working for and the travel opportunities however did not feel the office work was challenging enough.

Most people were very friendly and welcoming especially my managers. Some colleagues higher up in the company treated us more like students.

My manager provided support when needed however was field based and so I did not see management in person often.

Ranging from extremely busy to periods of little work

Given real protocols to work on as the sole Clinical Trial Coordinator with real responsibility.

The work undertaken will not help much with my final year of university however the skills gained will greatly help me in the work place.

The general atmosphere was friendly and department meetings were enjoyable as most colleagues would make effort to get to know each person on an individual basis. Socials were organised which were enjoyable. Most positions were field based meaning that day-to-day office environment was variable depending on which staff were in for meetings etc.

The opportunities throughout the placement were good however organisation at the beginning was not great. A lot of staff and managerial rearrangement was taking place at that time which consequently led to placement students taking a while to be allocated work, a manager and get settled. There could have been more placement support by having an in office manager.

A lot of time was invested in our clinical research associate training which will be useful to take past university. 8 weeks spent training for CRA position and a lot of shadowing time throughout the placement. Also had the opportunity to fly to Dublin for 2 days in order to undertake good clinical practice training.

I would look for opportunities within the company upon graduation however would probably not consider going back to the Global Clinical Trial Operations department. However this is more due to personal interest. I enjoyed the company values and culture and believe it would be a nice work environment for the future.

There were 7 other placement students based in the same office and many more working for the same company based in a different office. There was good social scene as the placement was based in London and so surrounded by lots of activities/ social events. Had the opportunity to attend 3 other shadow days of the different company sites with all placement students.

Cost of living in London is high. However London based placment salaries tend to be higher to compensate for this. Cost of socialising is also higher than in other areas but also tends to be more events to chose from and so easy to tailor to cheaper budgets if needed.

London offers the opportunity of lots of different types of nightlife if wanted. It is also to travel at night and so easy to get around in little time. Lots of different bars and clubs available and nightlife tends to be open on most days of the week which makes it easy to plan social events.

Quite a few social events organised however most were drinks. Could have been more activities.