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Clinical Research Assistant
The clinical research assistant has a very important and very rewarding career. They are settled with the task of researching, analyzing and verifying various new drugs and treatments for most types of diseases. A clinical research assistant must have a background in the medical field which will include both a degree as well as prior work experience in the medical and science fields. The Bachelors degrees accepted to enter into this type of position include nursing, biology and zoology. You may achieve your Bachelors degree through various distance learning programs offered by many of the best online colleges in less than the typical four years. In addition, the on the job training you receive when working in a hospital or medical setting after graduation will help you earn the job you strive for as a clinical research assistant.
Training for Clinical Research Assistant
The training you need to enter into the field of research is a Bachelors degree in either nursing or the sciences field. While many people think that you must go to a traditional college to earn an accredited degree in nursing, this is no longer the case. You can now go through various top online universities to achieve your online Bachelors degree in nursing while completing your clinical training at a medical facility in your area. In addition, throughout your degree program, no matter what your major is, you may also choose various elective courses that pertain to the research field; giving you experience and knowledge before you graduate college. Some institutions do require a Masters degree in nursing or science which can also be done in less than 2 years and can be completed through distance learning at an online university.
Duties
The duties of the clinical research assistant will vary depending on what type of facility you work for and what type of clinical trials you are involved in. For instance, you may work for a drug manufacturer to develop and implement various types of medication for illnesses. In this case, you will be in charge of implementing the drug to the trial participants and then study them through at least the first 24 hours of the medication which is generally when a patient may show side effects from the medication. They may also work in various institutions such as teaching hospitals where they are participating in various clinical trials such as experimental surgeries or procedures to cure or help various diseases such as cancer and AIDS. This type of clinical research assistant has a very rewarding position to help those who once had a debilitating disease and now give them essentially a second chance at a normal life. Without the clinical research assistant, we would have never come up with various procedures such as chemotherapy that extend the life of those who have what was once a terminal illness.
The starting salary of the research assistant generally starts out around the $30,000 per year range, although there are also various factors such as the type of facility you work for, the type of work you do and how much experience you have in the field. It is not uncommon to see the yearly salary jump up to the $60,000 range for those who have extensive experience in the field. If you want to be a part of this career, start by going back to school. You can change your life.
