Entry-level positions for aspiring Clinical Research Associates at a Biotech Company
Kimberly, a Clinical Research Associate (CRA), found the role to be "a mix of client-facing and back-end work," broader than initially anticipated, encompassing data, documentation, and training across diverse areas like gene therapy, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices within the evolving healthcare and health tech landscapes. The complexity and variety across the healthcare industry surprised Kimberly, highlighting the multifaceted nature of a CRA position.
Healthcare Industry, Clinical Research, Data and Documentation, Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Industry
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
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Traits
Kimberly Sern
Clinical Research Associate
Public Biotech Company
University of California, Santa Barbara
UCLA Anderson FTMBA 2024
Biology & Related Sciences
Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical
Research and Development (R&D)
Video Highlights
1. The role of a Clinical Research Associate (CRA) involves a mix of client-facing and back-end work, including data handling, documentation, and training.
2. The healthcare industry is complex and spans various sectors, including biotech, pharmaceutical, medical devices, and health tech.
3. The CRA role offers a wide range of experiences and exposure to different areas within the healthcare industry, such as gene therapy, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. The industry is also evolving with the rise of AI and telemedicine impacting the field.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
My role as a Clinical Research Associate (CRA) is something I wanted to understand better before I took on the position. The CRA role involves a lot of different themes, and the specific tasks can vary greatly depending on the company.
I initially thought working at a tech startup would be purely administrative and client-facing. However, it turned out to be a mix of client-facing work and back-end tasks involving data, documentation, and training. This gave me a great breadth of experiences.
I'd say this is true for the healthcare industry as a whole. I primarily worked in biotech, leaning towards pharma. Even then, it's quite complex and can span many different industries. For example, in biotech, I first worked in gene therapy, which is more pharma-based.
Then I moved into medical devices, a mix of pharma and medtech. There are also many health tech apps emerging, especially with telemedicine and the rise of artificial intelligence. Healthcare is integrating AI to see how it can better help patients.