My ACRP Certification: Making a Difference

Shocked. Desperate. Crying. There I lay in a hospital bed, a young mother, with brainstem anomalies of unknown etiology. Last year, I found myself in this predicament. But quite unexpectedly, over the ensuing months, I found hope from an unexpected source–my ACRP certification and experience.The skills and knowledge I gained from the certification process and working in research became immeasurable. And my new purpose in life has emerged. Some ask: what does your ACRP certification mean to you? It means L.I.F.E - Longterm Influence For Everyone’s health. Hope for me, hope for everyone else in this world suffering from disease. My life, coupled with the diagnosis and certification, has taken on new meaning. And I no longer am the researcher, I am also the researched.
Physicians puzzled over the MRI that brought me to the hospital that October. A battery of infectious disease tests and a lumbar puncture were ordered. Would my life be shortened? Would I fulfill my family/career dreams? Such were the hard questions that constantly ran through my mind during this very bleak time. Then came the results. Results which changed the direction of my life. The answer–MS.
Shortly after diagnosis, something unanticipated started to emerge; a twist in the events which seemed so dire at first: HOPE. The first doctor I met after the horrendous diagnosis conducted clinical trials in her office. A part of me ignited–a small glimmer of hope amid my despair. Maybe just maybe there was a higher purpose for me having this disease, a purpose in being both diagnosed and trained as a CCRC. Could this possibly be a blessing in disguise? Such were the thoughts which stirred in my soul as I started this journey.
The certified researcher in me kicked in. The first time out of the hospital, I could not receive enough knowledge or research about MS. Copaxone®, Tecfidera®, Tysabri®- these were some of the disease-modifying agents I questioned doctors in depth about and researched. The treatments were exquisite–how they worked was a mystery to be understood through research. Knowing these medications had gone through rigorous drug trials gave me peace of mind. As I met with doctors and specialists, I learned of educational opportunities–lectures given by pharmaceutical companies about MS. I started attending them and attend these lectures to this day. As I sit through each lecture, admiring the rigor and intellect of the medical science, I realize countless others, probably who are certified, contributed to this research. My colleagues were on my side! I started to develop a plan to use the skills gained through rigorous ACRP certification and maintenance to work with doctors conducting MS research. I have made this my personal mission. MS now means to me – Many Serious answers to be found! Armed with certification, I can contribute my skills to MS trials, a now personal fight.
My career path: Life is not without ironies. My insatiable thirst for neuroscience knowledge began in high school. I worked hard, and was rewarded by being named valedictorian. My plans: go to medical school, become a neurologist. However, early health issues sidetracked me. I found myself very grateful to finish college in Psychology and begin my life work as a Research Assistant at the med school. After several years as an assistant, I became CRC. As soon as I was eligible, I applied for CCRC exam. Studying for it was eye-opening: I found a latent passion in learning complexities of ICH, GCP, and the CFRs. I eagerly sat for the exam, resulting in the honorable designation as CCRC.
Once certified, my confidence soared and I coordinated trials in very different therapeutic areas. I successfully prepared for several audits, using the skills honed through ACRP. Success in these audits would not have been possible without the thoroughness and training necessitated to achieve and maintain ACRP certification.
My life story isn’t over –the best is yet to come. I share this story because it contrasts despair and hope. Hope made possible through rigorous clinical trials–a field we are so blessed to be certified in. I will maintain my certification with gratitude. I will contribute to the discipline and rigor I learn through ACRP to a cause that has become personal. I will help doctors find answers. Being awarded the privilege to come to my first ACRP convention will be a most powerful tool. Networking and absorbing knowledge will further sharpen my skills and contribute to the impact I leave on this world.
Hope. Improvement. Knowledge. Today there is hope for people suffering. I see ACRP certification in a different light. Not only am I the researched, I am the researcher. I will make a difference, and you will too. Hope rings out for everyone suffering. Remember high standards we uphold directly impacts just the one. It could be someone very close, it could even be you. Let this be our time to cherish our certification and act.

My ACRP Certification: Making a Difference

I started becoming interested in research over fifteen years ago while obtaining my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Kansas State University. I gained more knowledge as I began a Master’s program at the University of Minnesota and learned more about research design and how statistics are involved. My career path then changed directions when I decided to go back to school at Southwestern Illinois College to become a registered nurse. And now I have been involved in healthcare for the past eleven years. Starting out with general medical experience, along with long term care, emergency room, family practice, home health, psychiatric and now pulmonary medicine, I have built a strong knowledge base.

With my husband's job in the United States Air Force, we have to be relocated from time to time, and a few years ago our move to Wichita, Kansas changed my career path yet again. I was lucky enough to obtain my first official research position with Heartland Research Associates, where I learned from some great doctors and research professionals. I was excited that I finally got a chance to marry my research and medical interests together. After about two and a half years as a clinical research coordinator there, I was able to advance my career by taking the ACRP certification exam. With a solid foundation in research, some wonderful mentors, and a lot of studying, I passed the exam with flying colors.

A few months ago, the Air Force decided to transfer my husband again and this time we moved to Panama City, Florida. While there doesn't seem to be a lot of clinical research in the area, I found Emerald Coast Research Associates and set my sights on working for them. They are an excellent organization that focuses on high quality patient care. My experience, interview, and references all mattered but I truly believe that my ACRP Certification was a big part of the reason that I got the job.

ACRP claims that certification promotes professionalism, validates competence, shows a commitment to quality standards, and sets people apart, and I wholeheartedly believe all of that is true. I feel that peers, research sites, contract research organizations, and sponsors all appreciate the meaning behind certification and convey a certain level of respect to those who are certified. And my personal experience has also shown that my certification has improved my job mobility and income potential. The benefits of ACRP membership are great, as well. I enjoy having access to the website, interest groups, forums, the Clinical Researcher journal, continuing education opportunities, and networking.

I pride myself in being an intelligent, hard-working, and driven woman. So when I came across the opportunity to become certified by the most outstanding clinical research association, I jumped at the chance. Now thanks to ACRP and my CCRC credential, I can continue my career with confidence. I look forward to many more years ahead, being on the forefront of clinical research.

It all started when I was given the opportunity to cover another staff member’s maternity leave on a short term contract to work in an Endocrine clinical trials department. I had been working in a diabetes management role, I had experience in this field but I was new to research. I was trained up in the role and on clinical research very quickly. I had a great mentor who taught me everything I needed to know about being a clinical research coordinator, about working in clinical research and I loved it. I enjoyed sharing the experience with the patients who were volunteering their time to contribute to research. I enjoyed the variety of the role, working on different trials and being a part of the bigger picture. I knew that I had found my passion and I wanted to learn and do more. Needless to say my short term contract didn’t end and I continued to work for a number of years as a clinical trial coordinator. I soon knew that I my goal was to be a CRA and I knew I wanted to achieve CRA certification through ACRP. This was so important to me, it was about achieving a personal goal and setting a professional standard for myself. It has been one of my proudest achievements and I am honoured to be one of the many who have achieved certification though ACRP. To be part of the wider ACRP community has been very rewarding to me. To know that ACRP certification recognises my experience and knowledge and that I am part of a very elite group of people who are dedicated to research, who are passionate about setting a high professional standard and who love what we do. Working as a CRA in Australia and achieving certification through ACRP has shown the importance of recognising a global team of people who work in clinical trials and uniting the clinical research community.

Why become ACRP certified? This is my story...
I was a nurse at the University of Illinois in Labor and Delivery for 9 years, when I had the opportunity to participate in cutting edge research in 1992, with the NIH/AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG). Our site was chosen to conduct the ACTG 076 pivotal clinical trial which proved to be efficacious in reducing maternal HIV transmission to the unborn fetus. That trial changed the face of perinatal acquired HIV infection. I still remember the day when the NIH Protocol PI called me on my cell phone in 1994 (those big clunky phones) to tell me that the DSMB had convened and we were stopping the administration of study drug and now providing open label AZT. I had to pull over on the expressway shoulder to write it all down, I was trembling to hear such fantastic news!
I was hooked! It was difficult, sad beyond words, and incredibly demanding work. I have seen many men, women and children die over the years. Yet, we all knew how important the work was. The pregnant women who enrolled in ACTG 076 were so brave to try an unknown drug in pregnancy, but yet they did because they were so scared they would transmit HIV to their baby. And I was there every step of the way. In clinic conducting the study visits every 1-2 weeks, dispensing double- blinded study drug…in L&D infusing double-blinded IV infusion to the mother, then to the newborn, and then po study drug for 6 weeks to the infant.
Subsequently, I conducted other perinatal and pediatric ACTG HIV clinical trials. I was asked to speak in Washington, DC in 1995, to other clinical research coordinators (CRC) across the country who convened at our national ACTG meeting. The highlight was when I compared the role of a CRC to a circus juggler, a person who obviously wears many hats, and attempted to juggle balls at the same time… poorly I might add. But it was a big hit, because we DO wear many hats as a CRC.
Finally, I decided in 1998 I was ready to take the CCRC exam. I passed and never looked back. There is prestige and pride in knowing you are certified in your field of expertise. It is what you do to in order to be recognized and valued as a professional. The CCRC certification has served me well. More importantly, research participants have benefitted since they have another expert on their team!
Doris Carroll BSN, RN-BC, CCRC
University of Illinois / Outpatient Care Center
Family Center for Infectious Diseases and Immune Deficiencies (FCID)
Primary Care for Adults and Children (PCAC)
1801 W. Taylor St Suite 3
Chicago, IL 60612
PH 312.996.5835
FX 312.413.1421
C 312.203.1240

I have to start with my third grade teacher who said I would be a good teacher. I replied that I was going to be a researcher. Her reply? Then you'll be a good teacher. Mrs. Kellogg was right. My medical experience started with a brother ADHD who was frequently injured; that meant I was often the kid in the car holding a dressing over a wound while one parent drove and the other was watching the kids at home. Sitting in emergency rooms taking it all in, seeing the interactions of the staff, and the way they made people better. At some point I decided medicine was for me, but not how to get there. Through the course of getting a bachelor's degree in physical anthropology, working as a rehab medicine tech as an undergrad, and a few years after graduation working epidemiology interviewing cancer patients and controls throughout Utah. I was finding I had a talent for interviewing patients and establishing rapport. I entered graduate school in medical anthropology and took courses in statistics, study design, others that continued to give me the tools I needed to provide good data. My (gfirst computer course was "Computer programming for non-programmers" in 1966, and I learned there that we avoid GIGO (garbage in, garbage out). Good motto. I worked for 17 years in NIH trials where I got to use the tools I had learned in school and continued education by taking our medical school organ system classes as I worked in different projects. When I started academic research in 1977, consent was often a handshake. Over time, we all know that has changed and I was involved in helping to make those changes, especially as I was called to act as a patient advocate. I was often the person who wrote consent forms in 1st draft because I was the person who knew the protocols intimately and also knew the patients well. About 1999, several new ACRP members in our area started meeting to form a local chapter and I saw the value immediately. I believe my membership dates to 1999 I started working with commercial clinical trials in 2000 and this was new to me; I had good local mentors and my department supported having a certified coordinator in our department. I sat for the CCRC exam in 2002 and passed. I have attended half a dozen global conferences and found a wealth of education available in both the regular program and through the workshops associated with each conference. During this time I learned the value of industry standards, the credibility we received, the confidence to make decisions, how to assess the work of others to promote training. I learned to manage research administration, regulatory affairs, and process learning. All of these things showed us as part of the bigger picture of finding cures, making life a little better, having options. In all of this, the trust of my employers, our study subjects, administrations, I have felt more autonomy in my work and the ability to choose my own work. In setting up a free-standing research clinic I found that our insurer would insure a clinic with a certified coordinator because their only claims had been where there was a on-certified coordinator. A very simple insurance cost reduction goes a long way. As I look back to a long career, I believe my certification has given me great personal satisfaction in working with patients, colleagues, and organizations outside my local research community; my colleagues and I leave behind a body of work which can be trusted, is ethical, and has benefitted countless individuals. Faces of many of the people we have helped pop up whenever I feel discouraged, and even through some redundancy, mistakes, loss of funding, their faces let me put one foot in front of the other and go forward. I'm proud to say I have made this my life's work and have ACRP to thank for being the industry standard now; we helped to make it that.

Before my father was diagnosed with cancer, I had never even given thought to the methods and procedures of cancer research. Though his doctor talked to us about him participating in research, and my father was all for participating, he was not eligible due to the location of his cancer. Instead, he underwent aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Through this experience; our innumerable visits to the various doctors, his chemotherapy and radiation treatment visits, talking with other patients and family members, dealing with the doctors, nurses, office staff and everyone else involved in the day to day activities of healthcare, I found my calling. I knew I wanted to somehow contribute to the fight against cancer.
I am in no way shape or form a nurse, but I have an immense respect for those who serve on that side of healthcare. My strengths instead lie in the processes and procedures behind research. Starting out at a not-for-profit agency writing oncology research protocols and consents, my career grew into the regulatory side of research and working with IRB’s and the FDA, and now, into me helping to start, develop, and run a research department in ophthalmology. I proved my competence for my current position through the interview by having a meaningful, knowledgeable, coherent discussion about different areas of clinical research. However, I had no formal documentation of my knowledge to give my future employers or to provide potential funding sources for a newly developed clinical research department.
While I am no stranger to graduate level classes, it felt a bit redundant to pursue a masters in clinical research when, at the time of the interview of my current position, I had 8.5 years of experience in clinical research. Instead, pursuing certification through ACRP seemed like a good way to document my proficiency in clinical research without redoing my education in clinical research. Researching how to obtain certification and proceeding through the process of certification made me realize the professionalism that ACRP endorses. From the eloquent simplicity of the study material (specific ICH Guidelines and the Declaration of Helsinki), to the composition of the test questions, it is clear that they have high standards, and take the business of credentialing to the next level. I did my due diligence in searching for study guides and suggestions, but through that process and taking the test I realized that they simply stand by their purpose. They test your knowledge in clinical research. What better way to do that then to test on the foundation document of human subject’s ethics (Declaration of Helsinki) and the federal guidelines which all research on human subjects must follow?
What has ACRP and the CCRC credential done for me? It has given me confidence in my knowledge of clinical research. It has helped me nurture my career and given me a way to validate that through the past 10 years of work experience, I have not only gained valuable, documentable knowledge about the clinical research, but I am also considered proficient in it. The CCRC certification has given credibility to my enriching experience in clinical research, it lends credibility to my resume and finally, it lends credibility to me, as a professional in clinical research.

My story is just a little different. I was ready for certification for 5 years before I could actually sit for the exam. I knew that Certification was a special and important part of my research career and I couldn't wait to take and pass the exam. I decided I would take the exam in March of 1996. However, at the end of 1995 I had a unexpected health issue which caused a brain bleed and required brain surgery and an aneurysm being clipped. There was no way I could study for or take the exam. I took years for me to get the courage up to take the exam, as it also meant driving into Boston and dealing with traffic. Finally my husband surprised me with a driver to and from the test site. I was able to study all the way in and as life would have it, those extra minutes of random reviews where the items most covered in the test that year. I am proud and excited to know and announce, that I am a CCRC and have been one for 15 years. I now encourage my staff to do the same and pay for the costs for them to reach CCRC.
Terry Stubbs MA,CCRC
President and CEO
ActivMed Practices & Research, Inc.

Being certified means I have an easier time doing my work. As the owner of a small, boutique CRO (with no advertising budget), my CCTI credential means my word-of-mouth customers will have some confidence in my knowledge and skill. The ACRP certification carries a level of credibility to help people who don’t know me. The certification helps to convey my intense interest in leading clinical trials in a credible and helpful manner. For the non-significant risk trials where a medical monitor would be a partner with me, the certification helps my clients to understand I have the training and experience to conduct the trial, keep the study subjects safe and manage the data in a responsible way.

ACRP is growing and advancing. One way to see this growth is in this particular certification contest and in the consistent quality improvements in the certification exams and credentialing processes. One change directly affecting me is the soon to be name change for my credential from CCTI to CPI as ACRP is moving to change this certification moniker to be more inclusive and consistent with the regulations. I believe this is a great idea!

For many years, I have had discussions with other PIs (most of them physicians) and we have wondered what it would take to get more research investigators to become certified. At the Mayo Clinic when I was Operations Manager for the Mayo Clinical Trials Services unit, we often had training programs and visits from investigators working in many parts of the world. We all agreed more training is helpful when the training is directly applied to the projects at hand. As the global trials become more complex and the regulations become more advanced as well as globally harmonized, new ethical boundaries are being explored. The need for a unified principal investigator certification standard is a worthy goal to help us set the bar to define these new ethical boundaries.

Another area of great discussion surrounded the concept about the rapid expansion of clinical research activities. For example, we now have good standards to support not only newly designed interventional trials for drugs (ICH E6), but also for new medical devices (ISO 14155) and we have claim substantiation guidelines for dietary supplements (FDA Guidance) explaining the number and types of clinical trials needed to have sufficient scientific rigor when supporting a marketing claim for a dietary supplement. The variety of clinical trials and the need to better understand how to reduce costs and improve quality are finally center stage. Discussions about risk based monitoring and complex reporting issues to identify signals faster and to ensure safety sooner are common place and the need for excellent, certified principal investigators has never been greater.

A unified standard and a common goal to improve the quality of clinical research are what my new CPI designation means to me. Since taking the exam in March of 2007, I have started two businesses, completed dozens of clinical trials and mentored dozens of individuals interested in clinical research. The certification was one of the big steps on my way to developing the confidence I needed to succeed.

Second best? NEVER! I savor being associated with the best in anything, whether it’s the best professional designation (MD), phone (Apple), laptop (Mac), car (Tesla). Best research professional organization – the Association of Clinical Research Professionals, ACRP! Don’t settle for average, or run-of-the-mill. Stand out as an expert in the field. Be associated with other experts. Be part of a select group that influences the entire industry.
After I received my Fellowship in the American College of Physicians (FACP) in 1992, my mother asked me if there were any more initials coming! Little did I know…When I heard about certification in 2004, I was running a solo Internal Medicine practice and had one clinical research coordinator who handled my entire research department. We were very small, doing approximately four studies at any one time. The concept of certification was very appealing. I studied for the exam, registered for the educational seminar and took the test. It was in Washington, DC, with three rather grueling days of didactic training (taught by some of the experts who wrote questions for the exam) and then a day-long exam. I passed and was part of the first 200 certifications granted! At first, it was quite a cachet to be a Certified Physician Investigator. Over time, as more colleagues have become familiar with it, it is arguably a standard for the entire industry. I have been awarded more studies as a Principal Investigator because of my CPI designation. I command a higher salary at work. Out of all my credentials besides my MD, the CPI has had the most influence overall in my career. The credibility is enormous, not to mention the very real knowledge base implicit in earning the designation. To date, I have participated in over 350 clinical trials as a Principal or Sub Investigator.
Of special importance to me, I went to the CPI seminar in Washington with a new colleague whom I admired. We both received the designation and, a very short time after that, we became a couple and were married the next year. ACRP brought us together! We’ve attended the ACRP Global Conference every year since and proudly wear our APCR (Academy of Physicians in Clinical Research) pins. It’s my favorite conference. People at ACRP know how to have fun. The meetings are well-organized. There are extensive varieties of topics to select, presented by people working in the field, not theorists. The exhibition component is dynamic, educational, and exciting. The ACRP team works diligently every year to make each Conference a better experience. Participants arrive from around the world. Each year, we meet people from other countries and hear fantastic stories in the world of research.
I have extolled the benefits of a career in medical research to many people over the years. This April, my daughter joined my staff and is now a clinical research coordinator, using her degree in Biology as a starting point. She is counting down her two years of experience so she can take the exam and also become certified. ACRP is part of our family!

Louise Taber, MS, RD, MD, FACP, CPI
Medical Director
Arizona Research Center
2525 W Greenway Road, Suite 114
Phoenix, AZ 85023
Phone: 602-863-6363
Fax: 602-863-6611
Ltaber@azresearchcenter.com
Http://www.azresearchcenter.com

What does my ACRP certification mean to me? I was initially certified in 2005 and I was one of the few growing professionals in Clinical Research in India aspiring for obtaining ACRP CCRA certification. Different aspects of the ACRP CCRA exam probed the depth of my knowledge, experience and expertise gained by working for a leading CRO - juggling between different tasks from a client management perspective, overseeing the deliverables especially when most clients ask for information “yesterday”, attending bid-defence meetings and sharing facts on how the pitfalls in managing sites effectively never losing sight of the study objectives but still keeping my foot firm when it came to never compromising on quality helped me in my growing years. Interacting with peers in the industry who have been certified in the recent times and also getting recertified every two years is a good way to ensure that we need to enhance our “learning curve” and to show the way or to demonstrate to team members that no problem is insurmountable if one has the will and wherewithal to succeed!!
It is very well-known fact that attaining ACRP certification is the gold standard of clinical research expertise. The credentialing process of certification is based on qualifying the description of expertise or higher knowledge given to someone who gains education or experiences in clinical research. ACRP certification is highly respected and is acknowledged similar to PMP certification, and I feel privileged to be a part of such a large global community.
Passing the certification exam in subsequent years was important as I needed to test if I still had it in me to compete with experienced peers across different organisations in India hence there has been anxiety to successfully pass the test. True to my Piscean trait and walking the perfectionist path I had to ensure that one methodically applied one’s learnings, mulled over tricky situations and always shared updates with relevant stakeholders as maintaining confidentiality, protection of patient’s safety and adherence to all applicable regulatory guidelines.
Maintaining my CCRA certification successfully till now has lent me the poise I need to help other budding clinical researchers focus on a career with clinical research. As I am currently working as an independent consultant for Pharma and Biotech companies, my certification has empowered me to view different angles to the problems posed by sponsor companies, predicting future outcomes and also planning for better risk mitigation. It has also lent me confidence to communicate with satisfaction about past successes of my team members in navigating through difficult situations such as discussing change orders with difficult sponsors, managing frequent staff transition at high recruiting sites, preparing for FDA inspections and other situations. I am sincerely thankful to ACRP for enabling me with a training certification that gives me confidence and the resilience to reinforce my beliefs that I will always stand by facts, ethics and use my judgement wisely to accomplish the clinical research objectives with quality, timeliness to discharge my responsibilities efficiently and effectively.

Alphabet soup is how some refer to the letters of professional certification that often trail our name. What do all these letters behind our name say about us, and why bother with the time and expense of maintaining them? The fact is the world has become a much more complicated place. Specialists are needed, even within one career field. We are no longer generalists as we once were. There was a time when a nurse was simply a nurse, or an attorney, simply an attorney. Today, professional roles are much more specific in nature. There are tax attorneys and criminal defense attorneys, maritime attorneys and real estate attorneys. We have cardiac nurses, pediatric nurses, infection control nurses, and, yes, even clinical research nurses. The training these professionals receive is similar, but their specializations, the direction in which they have honed their skills and developed their knowledge, are quite different.
Professional certification is one way that we demonstrate the expertise and skill we have developed within our chosen practice. In clinical research, this is a particularly important distinction. In order to enter the field, clinical research professionals are not bound by any particular educational degree. We come to the profession with differing educational degrees and backgrounds. Obtaining certification through ACRP sends a message to colleagues that we are specialists within our field; that we have spent time developing skills and a body of knowledge that gives us a certain expertise within the industry. Ultimately, certification demonstrates one’s commitment to the field of clinical research.
Conversely, the organizations we work for can demonstrate their commitment to clinical research professionals, and the field of clinical research as a whole, by supporting the time and expenses associated with obtaining professional certification through ACRP. When the organization we work for covers the expenses of exam preparation, the exam itself, and certification maintenance; the message the organization sends to the employee is: you matter! You are a valuable asset and we are interested in investing in you! The message the organization sends to the clinical research industry as a whole is: we want to lift this profession! We recognize the value of this profession!
When I sat for the ACRP certification exam in 2009, I didn’t fully consider the value a specialty certification holds. Ultimately, membership and certification through ACRP has given me much more than I anticipated. Yes, there are tangible benefits to membership and involvement with ACRP such as The Clinical Researcher Journal, with the many topics it covers in a variety of articles. There are the message boards for access to literally a world of industry inside information and experience. These are certainly important resources that affiliation with ACRP provides; but for me, the even greater value of specialty certification comes in the way that having a certifying body such as ACRP, defines and lifts our profession. ACRP provides an outlet for professional development and a motivator for increasing career satisfaction and shared knowledge within our industry. Additionally, it provides an avenue for Clinical Research Organizations to encourage, invest in, and develop their employees. Therein lays the true value of certification – the community of professionals that emerges, and the opportunities that having a certifying body affords the profession.
Tricia Grossman, BSN, RN, CCRC

What does my ACRP certification mean to me? It means that I can confidently make decisions about the care I provide our subjects based on industry knowledge, credibility, and ethics. I started off in research like most, I believe. I had just started a job as a medical assistant out of school when the physician I worked for at the time asked if I would coordinate a clinical trial for him. Being that I’d just started there and I didn’t want to disappoint I said yes, having no idea what it really meant. My first clinical trial taught me that there was a whole new world out there that I knew nothing about. Like a sponge, I began to explore what research was and how it impacted the healthcare field. I hounded my monitors and fellow coordinators in the field about what was the best way to move ahead in this field. The one response I always received was, put in your time and then sit for the Certified Clinical Research Coordinator test. From the beginning, I knew that becoming certified was a big deal in our field and I wanted nothing more than obtain my certification.
I was fortunate to land my current position before I became certified, and was working remotely from my superiors when I was able to sit for my test. Passing the test gave additional affirmation of my capabilities to perform the duties bestowed upon me in my new position. I was able to show that my knowledge and experience was more than just me regurgitating facts. Being a CCRC showed everyone around me that I truly understood the complexities of research and that I could handle most issues that would come my way. In time, my work would show this to people regardless but having those four letters after my name showed everyone in our field immediately what I am capable of doing. When sponsors look at our site as a potential spot to conduct their research, they can look at my CV and know that the work we do will meet their high standards because I have passed a test that is specifically designed to quiz our real-world knowledge of research trials.
I am currently a site manager for a stand-alone clinical research facility. One of my main tasks is to hire, train, and guide new clinical research coordinators. By having this certification, it shows my employees that I know what I’m doing and that they can entrust in me to lead them. Since I’ve received my certification, I’ve also been invited to be on our company’s Quality Assurance and Compliance Committee. I am able to objectively look at the work of others and know if they are upholding industry standards and I’m able to give feedback that is both constructive and concise. While it is true that most people outside of the research world do not understand the importance of what my credentials mean, to the people that matter –employers, sponsors, and colleagues, it means the difference between just working in the field and having mastered the intricacies of the profession in which we take such pride to be a part of.

Seven years ago, I began my second career. I had left my job of 12 years as an elementary school teacher, for a career in ophthalmology research. I had taught “the eye” to my former students, but I quickly learned there was more to it than “what you see.” I was brought on to manage the research administration. I knew nothing of protocols, IRBs, FDA audits, or informed consent. It might as well have been Greek!
Thanks to some amazing sponsors, monitors and IRBs, I quickly learned the basics of this new world of research. I was able to restructure and reorganize the systems we had in place for conducting the studies. I set up training sessions on GCPS and protocols to make sure the staff knew what we were doing. While I had learned enough to manage the studies we were conducting, I was always nervous about telling new sponsors or industry reps my background (and so was my boss, I think). I was afraid they would not see me, or my principal investigator, as credible.
After a year and a half of learning the medicine, I embarked on my certification journey. I first became certified as an ophthalmic assistant. I immediately jumped into getting my research certification. It was time to put some credibility into the work I was doing. After 2 months of studying, I passed the CRC exam.
Immediately, the vibe of our research changed. I was no longer embarrassed to tell people from where I had come. I now look forward to telling them my journey because I know that we are conducting good research. I have used my previous experiences in teaching to help organize and develop new methods of preparing and training for a new study. It is important that I have a clear understanding of GCPs, the consent process and the history of the development of the FDA Regulations and ICH guidelines.
I have joined the ACRP and have been part of the Minnesota chapter programming committee for 2 years. I have helped prepare chapter meetings and presentations, including a certification prep course. I have given several presentations on the research we are doing at our site as well as other topics such as preparing for an FDA audit.
Getting my certification has given me the confidence I need to help build a center of excellence in research. It has allowed me to “walk the walk” and “talk the talk.” It has helped me to discuss various aspects of the studies we do with the sponsors, as well as with my staff. It has given me confidence among my peers that I can share with them things that I have learned, or processes or tools I use to conduct research at my site. It has allowed me to speak with pride about my job. And in case of an FDA audit, I know I am qualified to do my job and manage the research that has been entrusted to me.
What does my certification mean to me: Credibility, Confidence, Assurance!

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!

During my frenzy of preparation for the ACRP CCRA certification exam, in 2003, a colleague asked me why I was so determined to become an ACRP certified monitor. “It is just a piece of paper. “ She informed me. “It really doesn’t mean anything. “
I was not experienced enough to provide an adequate response. And so I chose not to answer her question. My reasons for taking the exam were personal. I had been waiting for 3 years to take the certification exam. I knew it would boost CV content and lend job credibility. I was not aware of the far reaching and dramatic impact it would have on my fledgling career.
As I near my 11 year anniversary as an ACRP certified CRA, I see this essay as an opportunity to finally answer that auspicious question posed by my colleague, and to inform anyone considering the certification pathway, that it is a career transforming decision. For me, it replaced uncertainty with confidence; it collated a disorganized knowledge base, and made straight a once undirected career path.
I had a trial by fire inception into clinical research. Soon after nursing school, I accepted a study coordinator position with a lot of enthusiasm and ZERO experience. I rapidly gained critical knowledge; both what to do, and what not to do. At my first investigator’s meeting (intimidated and weary), I was befriended by an experienced study coordinator. That was my first introduction to the CCRC/CCRA acronym, which the study coordinator proudly displayed on her name badge (CCRC). When I asked her what the letters represented, she informed me that she has taken a certification exam sponsored by a renowned research organization, and she was a certified clinical research coordinator. To my naive perception, that certification was the proverbial gold standard of clinical research expertise. However, that initial impression was surprisingly accurate. ACRP certification is universally recognized and highly respected certification to attain, and I feel proud to be a part of such a noteworthy organization.
Passing the certification exam was a bittersweet and wonderful accomplishment. Let me preface this by saying that I am NOT adept with timed testing. I am methodical and consider every answer, which does not align with the constraints imposed on timed examinations. I was daunted to discover the 3 hour parameter of the examination. But I was determined and spent hours reviewing research regulations and guidelines, to adequately prepare myself.
I likewise felt enormous pressure to pass the exam, from several sources. Being a type A perfectionist, as most CRAs are, I placed an inordinate amount of pressure on myself to pass the first time. My then employer covered the exam fee, and had high expectations of my performance. To cap off the pressure trifecta, I was notified at the last minute that my supervisor would be taking the exam with me. Could it get any better than that?
I felt cautiously optimistic the morning of the exam. I had prepared to the best of my ability, and had to trust the effort would dictate the outcome. However that peace of mind proved fleeting once I entered the examination area and held the 125 question test in my hand. The administrator informed us that we had 3 hours to complete the test. My confidence progressively waned, replaced with worry, as I witnessed each test taker complete the exam and exit the facility. I was the second to last person to finish the exam- I stopped short with five minutes to spare, and a number of questions unanswered, I felt dejected , and my prospects for passing dismal. It was hard to fathom that all of that effort had been for naught.

Three weeks later I received the glorious letter informing me that I was a certified CRA. My hands were unsteady as I opened the envelope. I am sure my neighbors thought me crazy as I whooped, hollered and danced a jig in the condominium mail room. I did not care. I was exultant, and relieved to have passed the examination.
CCRA certification was the final proverbial milestone in my educational journey as a monitor. It confirmed my industry knowledge and monitoring proficiency. In preparing for the exam I gained a vital understanding of the regulations that govern research, which expedited future assimilation of clinical research directives and information pivotal to monitoring performance.
My answer to anyone who feels that obtaining certification does not make a difference? Trust me when I tell you, I would not have gotten as far as I have without it.

My ACRP Certification: Making a Difference
My son had cystic fibrosis. Jonathan was brave and valiant in his fight against this disease but it was a battle we were unable to win. After his death at 11 years of age, I went to nursing school. Upon graduating and receiving my RN, I worked as a staff nurse taking care of cystic fibrosis patients and then as a pulmonary clinic nurse. Every time we lost a patient to CF I would came to the same conclusion, we need better drugs. For the past 7 years I have been a Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator at Washington University School of Medicine where I work exclusively with cystic fibrosis patients moving drugs through the pipeline. The world is slowly changing for our patients and even conservative physicians are using words like “cure” and describing this disease as one that in time we will be able to manage. I cannot think of a better way to decrease suffering and leave the planet better than we found it than clinical research. I find great joy in doing my job and maybe even more joy in inspiring others that this is a work worth doing and worth doing well.
I received my ACRP certification as a Clinical Research Coordinator in 2011. This certification has allowed me the opportunity to not only preform with excellence here at my site but to contribute to my profession on a national level by speaking at conferences, mentoring other coordinators, coaching other research teams and writing for publications. My ACRP certification has given me confidence to advocate for patients, present studies accurately to our IRB, foresee issues with a particular protocol and both safely and competently manage a study. I am passionate about research and aware that real people are waiting for real drugs. I have been privileged to see game changing drugs come to market and to tell young people with cystic fibrosis that they best choose careers they like and spouses they love because we expect them to live. As a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator I am part of a team of professionals who participate in work that matters.
The 4 letters, CCRC, behind my name communicates that I have mastered a body of knowledge encompassing all areas of research from ethics and protection of human subjects, to drug accountability and SAE reporting. ACRP certification speaks to research colleagues of my commitment to the field of clinical research and, more specifically, of the training and continuing education required to maintain this certification. My experience has fueled my passion but my ACRP certification equips me both by the training it represents and the confidence it instills to move the ball forward in clinical drug trials. Battling cystic fibrosis is personal for me but really all the disease processes we are fighting against as research coordinators are personal to someone. I want very much as a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator to fight this good fight well and inspire others to do the same.

Patty Burks RN, MA, CCRC

ACRP Certification – Opening door after door professionally and personally
Little did I know the opportunities that becoming involved with ACRP and obtaining certification would have for my career and personal life back in 2008, when I first entered the world of clinical research.
I had worked since the late 90’s as a bench scientist but yearned to be more in touch with the medical community as during college I had worked in varying roles in clinics and labs. I loved being close to the patient, gaining empathy for their situations, and close to the physician, motivated by their incredible knowledge of science and medicine. Seeing the incredibly sick and hopeless obtain new hope for their health and lives, with the idea of trying new clinical treatments completely inspired me.
In 2008, I landed an opportunity as a clinical research scientist at the company I still work for and instantly became hooked on industry standards, regulations, and improving processes for the clinical research arena. I had an insatiable appetite for driving process improvements and training others on clinical research. It wasn’t long and word spread that Christina was the “go to” person for questions on GCP, process, etc. I knew I needed to up my credentials if I were to continue to serve as the guru and so I sat for my ACRP CCRA exam in 2008. Having these credentials, has afforded me opportunities to develop GCP training programs for my company (all of R&D), act as a monitor, project lead, and create new processes and programs that never existed before. Originally hired as a contractor for my company, I was brought on permanent in 2012 and have served in a variety of roles supporting clinical trials, external studies, internal consulting, and beyond. I have significantly improved my salary since my meager beginnings as a bench scientist and find ACRP certification has catapulted my career in a positive direction.
At the same time in 2008 that I started my clinical research career, I was diagnosed with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. I have been involved with a couple of observational studies myself as a patient and have stayed on the cutting edge of science and results of new studies/treatments. Had I not become so involved in clinical research, I would not have known how to interpret study results, know where to look for current studies, and not be as in control of my disorder as I am today. I now serve as a member of the Board of Directors on our local National MS Society local chapter and hope to someday be involved at the National level on reviewing current funding/research opportunities. My scientific and clinical research background, and my ACRP certification credentials, certainly played a role in my election to the board.
ACRP Certification is worthwhile and can propel your goals personally and professionally. Finding what drives your interests, get involved in that area of clinical research, obtain your certification, and reach for the sky because the opportunities are endless once you find your passion.

I have been a nurse for 17 years and I have been in the medical field for 20 years! I dabbled in research off and on throughout the years and always found it very interesting for multiple reasons. When I was 8 years old my sister was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). Over the next five years of our lives we lived on and off in the Ronald McDonald house near Birmingham Children’s Hospital. I made some very good friends and lost some as well! I watched my sister get bone marrow aspirations, spinal taps, and chemo. I remember them taking to me about what it meant to be a bone marrow donor because I was a perfect match for her. Yay! Right? Not so much in the mind of an 8 year old! Luckily we never had to cross that bridge! I will to this day donate bone marrow to anyone who needs it! My sister’s doctors spoke to my mom about a new chemo drug that was still in the “experimental phase”! Being a parent now myself I understand the risk you take to save the life of your child, but at a young age I didn’t understand and was sure my sister was going to turn green or become even weirder then she already was! Fast forward to the present and my sister is alive and well and was even able to have a child of her own which was a side effect of the experimental drug! She beat all odds. During that time I decided I wanted to be a nurse! Over the years I worked with Physicians that did a study or two here and there and was always interested. In 2005 I accepted a full time position as a Coordinator for a dedicated research center. I loved it, this was it! I could not imagine ever going back to the hospital setting ever again! I also could not imagine that two years later I would have the greatest opportunity of all and that was to join into a partnership and open up our very own dedicated research center. In 2007 my business partner and I started our company in a very tiny hallway of the physician that was interested in being our PI. We had our first study and both of us were ready for this exciting yet trying adventure in our life! In 2010 my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. Yes, the same sister that had ALL when she was 12! I was even more determined at this point to grow in this industry! In 2012 I got certified with ACRP and attendant the ACRP conference in Orlando. The connections we made were remarkable and have opened the doors to new areas for us! Since 2007 we have grown our little company to having seven, PI’s/Sub-I’s this allowing us to take on more trials in several different therapeutic areas. I love research, I love being a part of something bigger, something better! To be able to provide patients, families, parents, spouses options that are not available yet to help them or their loved ones! The possibilities are endless if we all keep fighting for a cure! My sister has survived two types of cancer! I sleep better at night knowing that I am helping to find cures or treatments that are not yet available!

The year was 1989 and I started working with the Louisiana Cardiovascular Research Center. I was a registered ICU nurse who worked at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. I always thought that the registered nurses who came into the unit for heart failure research had such a dynamic and interesting job. One day, Dr. William Smith, a local cardiologist, asked me to come and work with him doing heart failure research. I was so excited for this new job and even more excited about what the future would hold for me. For the next few years I continued to do Phase 1-4 studies. I also helped Dr. Smith complete his very first phase I study. This study would help launch his business, New Orleans Center for Clinical Research, to be one of the largest and most productive phase I units in the US.
In 1993 the coordinator exam was first developed. I decided to take the exam in 1994. I lived in New Orleans at that time. The exam was only offered at a few testing centers. I needed to go to Dallas to take the exam. I thought that my experience would be enough to pass this exam but on the plane ride to Dallas I got nervous so I decided that I better study for this exam and I read the entire Code of Federal Regulations cover to cover. I passed the exam and for the past 20 years I have maintained my certification without any lapses. My CCRC certification was instrumental in allowing me to become an independent clinical research nurse in 2003. I know without a doubt that along with being an RN, the CCRC title has helped me with my creditability as a top notch coordinator. It has put me in the role of a senior coordinator and well respected by all my colleagues. I would definitely say that being certified has helped also with the credibility of our site. For the past 11 years I have worked with Dr. Jonathan Wise, a local endocrinologist and thought leader. We do diabetic and diabetic complication studies for many different pharmaceutical companies. The name of the company is Crescent City Clinical Research Center. One thing for sure is that almost of the vendors on their pre-study forms are now asking things like, “How many employees are certified with GCP training? The CCRC certification that is received is respected by all pharmaceutical companies and allows you to be exempt from additional GCP trainings. Being certified with the Academy of Clinical Research Professionals has helped me also with maintaining the CEUs requirements for my RN licensure. All of the classes and programs are accepted by the boards of nursing so the CEUs can be used for both CCRC and RN requirements.
The experiences I have gained thru my years as a CCRC allows my fellow colleagues to come to me for clinical research advice. In addition to that, it has helped me earn the trust of the physicians I work with. It has also given me autonomy and the ability to be available to do the things in life that really matter like being a great wife and mother of three beautiful girls.

Tina Messina, RN, CCRC

The good, the bad, and the ugly. I have seen it all, and my Certified Clinical Research Coordinator certification has seen me through it. From blood samples, to urine samples, to rowdy study participants, my time in clinical research has certainly been interesting and rewarding. And I owe a great deal of it to my certification.
In 1999 I found myself learning the ropes of a new and exciting job. Late nights, early mornings, long days, it had it all. I was genuinely interested in the studies we were conducting, phase I generics. I felt good knowing that people were benefiting financially from the work I was doing, and that also placed a sense of responsibility into the mix. In 2001 I sat for the CCRC exam. Was I crazy? Did I have the experience and knowledge necessary to pass a test of this caliber? Would I get a pat on the head and a “nice try”? I shouldn’t have worried. I passed! I was no longer a Research Assistant, I was a Clinical Coordinator, a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator! And with that certification came responsibilities. I now had the responsibility of teaching my colleagues my skill set. Co-workers came to me for answers. I quickly moved into a Team Leader role as a Sr. Clinical Research Coordinator with my company. I was now trusted not only with the studies, but an entire group of colleagues, all because of my skills and the education opportunities made possible through ACRP and my CCRC certification. I was seen as a leader. And here I am, 13 years later, still a CCRC, still a resource to my team, still a leader.
In 2006, the Red River Valley Chapter was formed and became an additional resource for CCRCs to get the education they needed and the networking that we had been lacking in our area. I served as President in 2009, and Secretary in 2008. I am also a fixture on the Education Committee. The Chapter has grown so much over the years, and it has been wonderful watching it grow and prosper. We now host an annual Symposium at which attendees can earn up to 7.5 credits. It has been amazing to be part of starting something like this chapter. It has definitely been a perk of earning and maintaining my CCRC.
The CCRC certification lends a great deal to the industry of clinical research. Not only do clients know they are having their study run by trained individuals, they know that they are having their study run by certified individuals. Clients are seeing this extended knowledge base and feeling more secure with their sites. This leads to a trusting relationship between Sponsor and site. The more trust placed in that relationship, the smoother and more accurately the studies will run. They will run as a collaborative effort between Sponsor and site, keeping communication lines open and minimizing protocol deviations.
My certification certainly increased my confidence in my job. It made me a leader. It also helped me become a source of knowledge that others can rely on.

I started in clinical research as an assistant about 10 years ago. At that time, I had a strong medical background having worked as front office staff, nursing assistant, medical tech, and HUC positions but did not have a nursing degree. However, despite this, I knew that clinical research was finally the career that I felt comfortable with and loved. I worked hard along with the research nurses, learning all I could about research and coordinating. The company I worked for at the time, eventually allowed me to start coordinating some studies as they had a shortage of coordinators and knew that I did the job well. This same company eventually went out of business and I returned to the hospital that I previously worked at. I worked as a research assistant and coordinator there until I gathered enough experience and was able to sit for the ACRP CCRC Certification Exam. The hospital I worked for was very supportive of me and helped me through the certification process as they knew that the one coordinator they currently had would be leaving soon. As soon as I had my CCRC certification, I was given a coordinator position and a substantial pay raise at the hospital. My ACRP certification served as a huge stepping stone for my career in research. I then worked for 8 years at the oncology clinic at our hospital and became a very respected trial coordinator with the staff and MDs. I was never made to feel that I was inferior or unable to work as a coordinator and I attribute this to my certification.
After many years living in in Florida, I recently moved to California. My job search brought me to multiple research facilities in the area until I was approached by an oncology clinic that had a need for research staff. It turned out that they had a long time research nurse that had accepted a position with another facility and was moving from the area. The hospital job posting required that the job be filled by a registered nurse. However, finding a nurse that had research experience in our rural community proved to be very difficult. After reviewing my CV and themselves conducting research for a long time, the cancer center director and lead oncologist were impressed with my experience and knew that my certification qualified me for the coordinator position. They arranged through human resources for the position to be changed along with some modifications from a nursing position to a certified coordinator position. I now work alongside our oncologists, chemo nurses and pharmacist to coordinate oncology trials at our cancer center. I am continually told how much they appreciate me being in this position and what a good job I do.
I definitely feel that I wouldn’t have the great research career that I have without my CCRC certification. I can’t say enough about the opportunities that have been given to me because of this. I attribute my very rewarding career to my ACRP certification and am very grateful!

“Why should I do it” I complained. “I already know GCP” I insisted! After months of negotiations, my line manager was growing weary of trying to persuade me to sign up to the ACRP CRA accreditation. I’ll be honest, it wasn’t exactly my life’s ambition to be able to quote section 6 word for word. However one fateful day in June, following yet another discussion about the benefits of a professional qualification (and having thrown a hint of a potential promotion into the equation) I decided to take the plunge.

Now, all of us who have worked in the industry for a while might consider ourselves to be experts in GCP and as a monitor, I generally expect my site staff to have a reasonable understanding as well. However, haven’t we all been flabbergasted at one point or another when, during a pre-study visit, a would-be investigator asks “what is a sponsor?” Or during a monitoring visit when we discover an entire SAE form covered in Tippex!

And so I accepted that there may be some gaps in my knowledge too and set out to read the guidelines cover to cover… but let’s face it, GCP isn’t exactly a page turner and instead I ended up spending countless evenings playing the Pharmaschool GCP game which although incredibly frustrating, turned out to be also oddly addictive… in fact I’m quite sure it will be the next big thing in the world of online gaming.

Anyway September 16th, 5.36 am (being a CRA I thrive on an early morning start), I boarded the train to Manchester riddled with excitement and just a smidgen of trepidation about what lay ahead. The exam room was suitably depressing and having navigated the prison-like security procedures without too much of a hullaballoo, I cheerfully settled into 3 hours’ worth of multiple choice questions. To this day I still don’t understand the marking system so I’m just going to assume I passed with flying colours.

I proudly returned to the office the following day with my head held high and hailed a hero amongst my peers as fellow CRAs clamoured to ask questions of how I’d survived my ordeal and what they should expect as they took similar steps into the unknown.

But what about the original question I hear you ask…? Have I actually benefitted from becoming accredited…? Well despite my initial reservations and (somewhat obvious) scepticism noted above, I have in fact found this to be an overall positive experience. One week on, I’m certainly far more confident in my knowledge and was surprised by how many things that I do on a daily basis in my work are actually specified in the regulations – perhaps I owe my project manager an apology for all the times I’ve moaned about having to complete a review of the investigator site files… or perhaps I’ll just continue to moan but with a fuller understanding of the reasoning behind it!

It is too early to say just yet, how much of a long term impact this accreditation is likely to have on my career but what I hope it will bring is confidence. Not only in the way of self-assurance but also that those I work with will have greater belief in me too.

And so to the ACRP I must say thank you. As I move forward in my role I will be able support my site staff with an enhanced dimension to my monitoring and never again will a PI be able to say to me “duh, don’t you know that ALL investigators must be medically qualified!” Perhaps going forward I will be able to tell him with added conviction that that is not entirely accurate!

I would not have become a part of the ACRP nor obtained my certification as a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator (CCRC) if I hadn’t acted on a chance to dive into a career in clinical research just a few short years ago. I had just finished a Masters in Health Administration program and was in the process of looking for a job. I was not sure of the exact position that I was hoping to find, but knew that I wanted it to be in the health care industry. After reviewing numerous postings, I came across a Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC) position. I did not have any prior clinical research experience, nor did I really know what was involved with this type of position, but I knew that I had the basic qualifications that they were looking for. So I took the chance and applied, and was pleasantly surprised when I got the call to come in for an interview. I was determined to show that I was enthusiastic about wanting to learn more about the field, so prior to my interview I began researching clinical trial information and education opportunities, and that’s where I had my first introduction to the ACRP. During the interview process I did not let my lack of research experience become the main topic of discussion, and instead, highlighted my skills that I thought would be critical to such a position, like organization, communication and working in a team environment. I’m happy to say that my determination paid off and I was ultimately hired for the CRC position.

This determination and desire to learn more about my field is what ultimately led me to becoming a member with ACRP. I knew that as soon as I was able to, I would join the organization and once all qualifications were met, I would sit for the CCRC exam. So away I went, with my Guide to Coordinating Clinical Research book and began studying, because I knew how important obtaining this certification would be. To me, becoming a certified coordinator establishes credibility and a dedication to continual learning. It raises the bar by establishing our profession as an important contributor to the health care industry. It also shows leadership and a responsibility to the advancement of clinical research, improves professional development, and above all, brings important autonomy to our research efforts.

Personally, I feel that having the CCRC designation has shown my colleagues and industry partners, how committed I am to my career. Due to increased competency and confidence in my abilities to manage multiple ongoing trials, our department’s clinical trial portfolio has continued to grow. After attending various chapter events as well as my first Global Conference last year, I have been able to apply many ideas into practice - being a CCRC has helped me take on additional research compliance initiatives to ensure our department is continually vigilant in our approach to privacy of PHI, and upholding human subject protection and patient safety.

Overall, with certification comes more responsibility, not only in practice but also in providing guidance and support to those professionals who are just coming into the field. That’s why last year I, along with other certified members, decided to take part in ACRP’s Beta CCRC Exam. The beta test was developed to help improve the current certification examination, with more high quality test questions that would better reflect the rapidly changing research environment that we are currently in. It is my hope that our feedback from this beta test offered new insight into current research issues and practices that the Academy can implement into their future programs, seminars and of course the final CCRC exam.

Five plus years have now passed since that initial interview into the unknown world of clinical research, and I know without a doubt that it is where I am supposed to be. Being involved with ACRP and becoming a CCRC has made me more certain of the conduct of our research program, and continues to open doors, provide networking opportunities, and enhance my research processes. I’m not sure what my next step in clinical research will be, but I am proud to say that I am a member of this certified “club”. I continue to remain passionate and committed to this field and welcome the challenges that await me ahead.

When I was asked to start the cerification process 10 years ago by my boss. I had been working in research for about 5-6 years. I didn't know anything at all about ACRP. I contacted another clinical research nurse I knew because I knew she had been working on getting "certified". I asked her the best organization to get certification through and she immediately said,"ACRP".
I went to a class by ACRP to help me in learning about the certification process. My boss was telling all of the research staff that we all needed to be certified because it showed competency in our field .She said it would also let sponsors know not only were we competent in the field, but that certification would help us in our career and raise our salaries. She said the sponsors would be "more likely" use our site for future studies if we showed that everyone at our site was ACRP certified.
I became the first clinical research nurse ACRP certified at my site and another nurse later became ACRP certified after she had completed her 2 years of research experience.
I will say that certification has introduced me to colleagues in my field and has increased my knowledge about research in general. I have been able to attend 2 of the global conferences and learned so much from each of the sessions.
Being certified also has kept me connected to the ACRP network and when I have a question, a lot of times I will go in the ACRP community and ask my colleagues their opinion. I have been able to share advice to the other staff at my site because of what I have learned through ACRP. I would recommend certification to anyone in the research field because it does show competence in research and it also shows your commitment to the field.
I try and attend the chapter events close to my city, since we don't currently have a chapter in the upstate of SC. I have been to several events in Charlotte, NC and Atlanta, GA to increase my knowledge and to help me in getting educational credits for certification.
I do think the physicians at our site show us more respect now that we are ACRP certified and often ask us for advice when they have a research question. They know that certification makes a big difference in our knowledge base. They refer new residents to us to assist them with their resident research projects.
I would recommend every person in research either get certification as a research coordinator (CCRC), a research associate (CCRA) or a physician that participates in research (CPI).
I am also proud that I am ACRP certified because it is the only certification right now that has been recognized as an accredited certification in research by the governing bodies. That means a lot as far as marketability, professionalism, and respect from others in the medical and scientific field.
It makes me feel good that I have persevered with almost 10 years of certification.

I was working at MetroWest Medical Center (MWMC) in Framingham, MA many years ago (1996) when I received a message from ACRP regarding a new certification for research coordinators. The national ACRP office was looking for test sites where this test could be administered. At the time, I was a regulatory coordinator and the IRB Manager at MetroWest. I thought that hosting the test site would be great exposure for our research program so I signed us up. The test was held at the MWMC and an announcement about the testing and the newly accredited people appeared in the ACRP newsletter. I was one of the newly accredited CCRC and was quite pleased with the publicity we received.
A couple of months later, someone with who I had interviewed with the previous year called me quite unexpectedly and asked if I was interested in interviewing for a newly created position at his company.
When I arrived for the interview, he told me that he had seen my name and what I had done in arranging for MWMC to be a test site and that he was impressed with my initiative. He offered me a job that I accepted and which put me on a path in my career that has been both rewarding and professionally satisfying.
Over the intervening years, I have seen many changes in the organization but the education, training and credentialing of individuals has remained a core value for ACRP. I have maintained my certification all these years because I believe to do so demonstrates my commitment to my profession, while serving as an example to others that the certification continues to be important to me personally.
In my work, I have had a chance to train research coordinators through site visits and other more formal classroom settings. I always recommend membership and certification to the coordinators I meet. I do this because, so often, in community based research and in academic settings, coordinators are isolated in their job functions with no one to talk to about their jobs. Some are learning on their own and some have been doing their jobs their way without knowing if they are doing it correctly. Involvement in ACRP helps these individuals with their knowledge base and their confidence.
ACRP and its accreditation programs isn’t just about membership and a series of letters that we can include after our name. Involvement with this organization has introduced me to other professionals, allowed me to continue to improve my skills and knowledge and continues to provide me with opportunity and the chance to meet and become colleagues with other like-minded individuals who also strive to improve and grow. I have been the treasurer for our local New England chapter for over ten years, before that I worked on membership. I am involved because I want to share this professional opportunity with other, younger, individuals who will keep this professional organization and all that we do, alive for our patients, hospitals, companies and research in general for many years to come.

As in all professional careers, I have noticed that things were rapidly changing in clinical research. As I am the person who completes all the clinical trial regulatory documents I noticed that many sponsors were beginning to ask if we had a certified clinical research staff member. As a nurse and a cardiovascular technician I had seen this trend before when many hiring facilities required you to maintain a certification in cardiovascular technician (RCVT) to be considered for the position. I decided to take the ACRP Certification test to stay ahead of the game. What I did not expect was that I was promoted to Clinical Research Manager at our facility. I can now proudly say "Yes" the question on the feasibility questionnaire when the ask "do you have a certified clinical research staff member at your facility". I feel that my promotion and the increase in clinical trials at my site were both based on my certification through ACRP. Thank you. Donna Taylor, CCRC