Applying to Clinical Research Positions

[ama23]

Hey Guys,

I'm a recent graduate interested in securing a clinical research position for a 2 year gap experience. Primarily, I have been sending out resumes by applying to "Clinical Research Coordinator" positions on medical center websites. As a Biology major, I did some wet lab research (not really my thing) along with some community health research both abroad and domestically. I have clinical exposure through volunteering in different settings, but I have no formal experience with clinical research. I understand that there are different tiers of Clinical Research Jobs avaliable based on formal qualifications and experience. I was wondering if anyone out there could give me some general advice of how to go out applying for such jobs without experience. Are there positions for clinical research that I should be looking for that usually require no initial experience? I feel that I'm a quick learner and can easily learn the ropes if given a chance. Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[solitarius]

It's a decent-paying professional job. It will be hard to get with no connections or experience.

 

[ama23]

Are there specific positions out there in clinical research that I should be looking for, especially without any experience?

 

[solitarius]

Are there specific positions out there in clinical research that I should be looking for, especially without any experience?

Consider:

- how difficult it is to find a decent paying professional job these days.
- how many aspiring medical school applicants want these jobs before they finally apply to medical school.


These jobs sometimes are not posted and are filled internally. The people who hire for these jobs will usually tap someone with experience and who they know or can be vouched for by people they trust.

The people who get these jobs usually have clinical research experience, or an MPH, or some hook. I've seen these jobs being filled by people with just a bachelor's, but they've usually volunteered in clinical research and developed a track record of trust and competence. Just so you know, it can be difficult to get a clinical research volunteer gig these days as well.

So without a connection and solid experience, it will be tough...

Let me just say that I'm in an area with bad unemployment and my experience is at an academic research hospital, which tends to have higher barriers to entry.

Source: Observation and Experience

 

[calgirl1234]

if you look on craigslist, there are a lot of research assistant/technician job openings (at least from where i live)

 

[cs24]

Hey Guys,

I'm a recent graduate interested in securing a clinical research position for a 2 year gap experience. Primarily, I have been sending out resumes by applying to "Clinical Research Coordinator" positions on medical center websites. As a Biology major, I did some wet lab research (not really my thing) along with some community health research both abroad and domestically. I have clinical exposure through volunteering in different settings, but I have no formal experience with clinical research. I understand that there are different tiers of Clinical Research Jobs avaliable based on formal qualifications and experience. I was wondering if anyone out there could give me some general advice of how to go out applying for such jobs without experience. Are there positions for clinical research that I should be looking for that usually require no initial experience? I feel that I'm a quick learner and can easily learn the ropes if given a chance. Thanks!

I don't see what about you qualifies you to be a coordinator...why not email physicians in your area that are active in research and try to get a less prominent position working for one of them initially? If you have two years to fill and no real reason for them to want to pay you, it may help you if you volunteer for someone for a while on top of another real job and then tried to use that to get your foot in the door as far as a paid position.

As far as looking for posted position, I would look for tech/assistant jobs (as suggested above) in addition to coordinator.

 

[pyrrion89]

At some med schools, such jobs are posted on their employment page, but the postings have already been filled BEFORE the job was posted. The posting is just a formality, and so is their interview offer: The job has already been promised informally and secretly to someone else (someone who has a connection with the one who is hiring).

 

[aesculapian]

If you're still dead-set on applying to these jobs anyway, knowing what all the previous posters have said, note that research jobs are sometimes ranked as Position XYZ I, II, or III. Generally, the higher the Roman numeral, the greater the number of responsibilities and the more qualifications you would need to be considered.

 

[CarlosDanger]

At some med schools, such jobs are posted on their employment page, but the postings have already been filled BEFORE the job was posted. The posting is just a formality, and so is their interview offer: The job has already been promised informally and secretly to someone else (someone who has a connection with the one who is hiring).

I was very afraid of this bias when I applied to research jobs, because I had no connections in my current city and I thought it would be really hard. Turned out it wasn't that hard. I did have a lot of prior experience and expertise though, so keep in mind that other applicants will too. I actually found out after being here for the past year that these competitive research positions are almost never filled internally. I work in a shared space with 3 other labs (clinical and non-clinical) who open up all their new entry level type positions to whoever is the most qualified from wherever in the country. We've gotten new people from Cali, Michigan, New York - wherever has the best candidate (I'm on the east coast). Don't be too cynical, the employers usually really do want the most qualified person for the job, and this usually requires opening up to the pool a good bit.

 

[PinknGreenMD]

I think mostly you find these jobs by word of mouth (networking) or through just researching various labs in your area and just calling trying to get from one contact to another (reporter style) until you get to the person in charge of hiring.

Case in point: (Not bragging for those few that stalk my posts to harass me and always seems to think people are) yesterday while I was shadowing, I was talking to a staff member about the MCAT and she told me about her daughter who took the MCAT, did well but decided she wanted to stay in research. she graduated about 2 years ago with a Phd and she currently runs a research lab. She called her daughter so I could talk to her and she said she'll train me for what she wants me to do if im a little rusty. She says she doesnt post on job boards, she prefers referrals.

also a lot of schools have clinical research positions that you can find by cold calling department to department and asking them to setup an interview with you (explaining over the phone you already have a degree in biology etc.. ) When you call ask the department which professors are currently doing research or that will be starting a new research project soon and how to reach them *via email or calling* directly.

 

[SN12357]

Some people here are being overly negative, IMO. It depends on exactly where you are, but if you're in a city with academic medical centers, entry level research positions should be available. It's not a cakewalk to get them but it's not impossible either. I'm in Boston and everyone I know who has wanted a clinical research position has been able to find one, with the right approach.

A few notes, from someone who started at an entry level clinical research position and has since been involved in hiring for new entry level positions.

1. The best way to get a job, as said above, is networking. So try that if you can.

2. 'Coordinator' jobs are generally not entry level, but one or two steps up. So you can try applying to them but I wouldn't get your hopes up. 'Research Assistant' positions are almost always entry level, and sometimes they may also be called 'Research Associate'. Read the job descriptions carefully to make sure it makes sense to apply. Look on the job websites of universities and teaching hospitals.

3a. Have a good one page resume and write good cover letters. 90% of resumes we see are crap to look at and read, even if the experiences are good. Having a clear, nicely formatted resume and a nice cover letter automatically makes you stand out from the crowd. Make sure the file name includes your name, and isn't something generic like 'my resume'. Think about how the skills you gained in previous experiences will help with the listed responsibilities of the job you're applying for.

3b. You'll probably have to interact with the godawful job application software most places these days use. Have a plain text version of your resume for copying & pasting into those horrible forms, but if there's a place to upload docs you can still upload the pdf version and cover letter.

4. Don't worry if you don't have extensive research experience. When we hire entry level research, we're more interested in getting people who will be responsible and interact well with patients. We can teach the basics of our research. It's harder to teach diligence and empathy.

5. Be patient, apply broadly. It's been rough with the sequester and other funding uncertainties. Hiring can happen sporadically and at unpredictable intervals.

6. Don't be afraid to say you want to go to medical school. A lot of entry level research positions are designed for people who will leave after a certain period of time--sometimes it's even listed in the job description. However, make it clear that you are prepared to stick around for a useful time commitment (generally 2 years).

7. Always display interest in the research when you're looking for a research job, even if you'd actually take any research job offered and don't care about the specific field.

8. As a candidate with a bachelor's degree, be aware that in this job market you are competing with a LOT of underemployed masters degree holders. I've argued strenuously at my workplace that a master's degree isn't necessary or helpful for the entry level positions, but there's still a strain of thought among the higher ups that more education is always better. You can still get the jobs, but you need to demonstrate why you're a good bet.

Anyway, hope that was helpful. Good luck!