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Do you know the value of ACRP Certification? Well I did not even know what Clinical Research was let alone the value of certification until I landed a research assistant job, very much by chance, in an academic medical center over 25 years ago. My first day on the job was the most confusing and frustrating day of my life! What is this strange language people were speaking; acronyms that I have never heard of and documents that were more complicated than any of my college text books! My boss at the time stated that we all had to learn about GCP and how it related to regulations and the work we were doing and develop SOP’s. What was GCP, what are CFR and SOP’s? It was time to dive in and learn all about it. 25 years later its time for me to help spread the word on how passing my CCRC exam helped raise the bar in clinical research. It truly is a celebration of a career and my commitment to clinical research excellence. Better yet, because of my commitment and belief in certification, I have been able to advocate to my employer to provide higher compensations to individuals who both make that very same commitment to show that they have reached a high level of understanding and excellence in their field as well.
How has ACRP Certification impacted your career? Certification was the goal but I never dreamed that it would lead to a lifelong career! In order to achieve that goal I had to set my sites on qualifying for the exam. I was certified in 1999 and have maintained that certification without interruptions ever since. I have always advocated to my employers that certification was proof of both experience and understanding in clinical research concepts. After realizing the benefits of certified employees, my employers all developed clinical research career ladders to recognize professionals who took the time to sit and pass the exam. Clinical Research is one of those fields that never get stagnant. While I started as a research assistant, my experiences lead me to pursue nursing. Once I was a nurse, doors opened in research and I have been busy ever since! I have worked in academic institutes, private practice, normal healthy clinical research centers; all exposing me to another piece of the vast field available in research. I have been on the PI side of research and on the sponsor side of research and now participate in administrating research from a site perspective. I was recently invited to speak to a group of high school students interested in a career in nursing so that I could share my career path and encourage them to look into research as an option. I have held a variety of positions within ACRP chapters and have been peer reviewing research articles for publication consideration as well!
What does certification mean to me? It means a personal sense of accomplishment and pride! If you’re looking for the same, log onto the ACRP website to learn more about it- grab a study buddy and dive into what I am sure will be a rewarding career in clinical research!
How has ACRP Certification impacted your career? Certification was the goal but I never dreamed that it would lead to a lifelong career! In order to achieve that goal I had to set my sites on qualifying for the exam. I was certified in 1999 and have maintained that certification without interruptions ever since. I have always advocated to my employers that certification was proof of both experience and understanding in clinical research concepts. After realizing the benefits of certified employees, my employers all developed clinical research career ladders to recognize professionals who took the time to sit and pass the exam. Clinical Research is one of those fields that never get stagnant. While I started as a research assistant, my experiences lead me to pursue nursing. Once I was a nurse, doors opened in research and I have been busy ever since! I have worked in academic institutes, private practice, normal healthy clinical research centers; all exposing me to another piece of the vast field available in research. I have been on the PI side of research and on the sponsor side of research and now participate in administrating research from a site perspective. I was recently invited to speak to a group of high school students interested in a career in nursing so that I could share my career path and encourage them to look into research as an option. I have held a variety of positions within ACRP chapters and have been peer reviewing research articles for publication consideration as well!
What does certification mean to me? It means a personal sense of accomplishment and pride! If you’re looking for the same, log onto the ACRP website to learn more about it- grab a study buddy and dive into what I am sure will be a rewarding career in clinical research!
