Clinical Research Coordinator for gap Year

[chris24j]

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Hey guys!
I am planning on applying next cycle.
I was looking at several offers from Clinical Research Coordinator positions
I wanted some advice on what would be the best for the application.
I have two options, one is for a clinical research lab. It is more NIH funded.
the other is a departmental clinical research position, managing different clinical trials. By its nature, it does have a bit more of pharma sponsored researches, but also some of PI initiated research with paper possibilities.
The research subjects of both areas are very interesting (both neurology/neurosurgery), well paying (relatively) and plenty of patient interactions for both.
So i think it comes down to how much possibility there is to get involved in writing and publishing a paper. Both do claim to have a lot of publication opportunities but I am taking them with a grain of salt.
Do you guys have any experience in either of these fields and tell me how easy/difficult it was for you to publish papers or to get a meaningful experience rather than just administration work?
I would very much appreciate the help.
Thank you!

 

[masnerj]

How do you have offers already for a gap year job? Its barely August....

(I actually am curious, as I plan on applying next cycle as well and need to find a gap year job)

 

[chris24j]

I've been applying all summer to all kinds of jobs.

 

[mellie0]

I think it's mostly self-initiated. Yes, there are opportunities but YOU have to seek them, and working on a paper, for example, will be on top of your usual responsibilities. So be prepared to have to do a ton of administrative/coordination work and working on the research side of things on your spare time at home in the evenings or in the weekends. Also, I don't think anyone is going to approach you and ask you to join their paper. You need to show initiative and contribute enough so that you're an author. Or come up with your own project and talk to the PI to get permission to use the data and write the paper.

 

[masnerj]

I've been applying all summer to all kinds of jobs.

Are you joining the job in the next few months or next fall? I am a current student that plans on doing a gap year after I graduate next year and am trying to figure out when the application/acceptance run on ideal gap year positions (clinical research coordinator, scribing, etc) happens.

 

[chris24j]

I think it's mostly self-initiated. Yes, there are opportunities but YOU have to seek them, and working on a paper, for example, will be on top of your usual responsibilities. So be prepared to have to do a ton of administrative/coordination work and working on the research side of things on your spare time at home in the evenings or in the weekends. Also, I don't think anyone is going to approach you and ask you to join their paper. You need to show initiative and contribute enough so that you're an author. Or come up with your own project and talk to the PI to get permission to use the data and write the paper.

Of course. I do understand that I would need to show a lot of my own initiatives and fully expect to put in the work necessary. Which job are you talking about btw?
I was thinking that clinical research lab would have a bit more data and support for a paper. But Clinical Trial position would get more into contact with different PI's so it might have more opportunities.

 

[chris24j]

Are you joining the job in the next few months or next fall? I am a current student that plans on doing a gap year after I graduate next year and am trying to figure out when the application/acceptance run on ideal gap year positions (clinical research coordinator, scribing, etc) happens.

I see the confusion. I graduated and am planning on joining the research team in September.

 

[mellie0]

Of course. I do understand that I would need to show a lot of my own initiatives and fully expect to put in the work necessary. Which job are you talking about btw?
I was thinking that clinical research lab would have a bit more data and support for a paper. But Clinical Trial position would get more into contact with different PI's so it might have more opportunities.

I was just talking about my experience as a clinical research coordinator.

 

[hubbsbubbs]

Also a crc over here. I'm a departmental crc and I have lots of publication opportunities. I would definitely recommend it over working in a team of crc's for a large trial. The crc's I know that work in large teams over many trials do not have any opportunities to pursue their own research interests, where as I spend about 50% of my time on my own research. Though for job one, if it's a lab, you may have good opportunities there. But personally, of the ten or so crc's i know, I definitely have the best position and I'm in an academic apartment. YMMV at diff institutions, so grain of salt

 

[hellowalnut]

Are you joining the job in the next few months or next fall? I am a current student that plans on doing a gap year after I graduate next year and am trying to figure out when the application/acceptance run on ideal gap year positions (clinical research coordinator, scribing, etc) happens.

Jobs are not really like medical school applications, there is no set period where all jobs start hiring for positions. CRC positions are posted all-year long based on respective needs. A lot of academic CRC positions have very long hiring processes and are very competitive so make sure you apply as early as possible (i.e. 3-4 months before).