Whether you are a healthcare professional looking to up-skill or someone new to healthcare altogether, the Clinical Research Profession is a great career option. Apply to receive high-quality coordinator training to enter this booming life science profession today!

Here’s Why:

  • Make a difference by helping individuals live longer, healthier, more productive lives
  • Lucrative jobs & excellent job prospects
  • Excellent upward mobility opportunities
  • Pathway to enter a life science field
  • Minimal education is required to enter; certification can provide a sufficient foundation for entry.

Clinical Research Coordinators (CRCs)

The CRC position is one of the most common Segway’s into higher positions in clinical research and an accelerated training program can provide a streamlined place for entry into the clinical research profession. A clinical research coordinator (CRC) is a professional who, regardless of job title, works at a clinical research site under the immediate direction of a principal investigator and coordinates the daily clinical trial activities under Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Guidelines.

Begin Your Clinical Research Career Today!

Sponsored by Bristol Myers Squibb’s Organization for Latino Achievement (OLA) and in partnership with the Association For Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP), the MCA’s Clinical Trial Academy program participants will be educated using ACRP developed curriculum, perfectly aligned with the necessary core competencies of the CRC position. For more information, see the course outline below:

Course Description

  • Blended Approach or combined self-study followed by facilitated instructor-led virtual sessions
  • Designed to provide the foundational competencies for clinical research coordinators (CRCs)
  • Focuses on the role that an entry-level CRC will play at an investigator site
  • Ideal for new or entry-level CRCs with less than 1-year experience or who have never received formal training.

Training:

  • 24/7 on demand access to ACRP’s e-learning portal
  • 15 required eLearning modules; plus 10 + clinical research courses for more advanced training.
  • 13-1.5 hr. virtual training sessions, 1X/week facilitated by experienced CRC instructors

Who Should Apply?

  • Residents of West Texas and Southern New Mexico (18-yrs +)
  • Students, Job /Career Seekers, Veterans
  • Healthcare Providers

Eligibility Criteria

  • Must live in West Texas or Southern New Mexico, 18+ years
  • Must be willing to complete the training within 1-year

Certificates

Certificates will be provided following successful completion of each class and a final course exam.

Schedule

Applications are currently being accepted and the schedule will be posted once renewed funding has been approved.

Sponsored By
Powered By
Program Partner

Meet your CRC Instructors

Catherine Posey

Western Sky

Laura Herrera

Western Sky

Sandra Kindig

TriCore

Sergio Guerrero, MD

Consultant

Mora Vasallo

EPMRI

FAQs

What is a CRC?

A CRC is a professional who, regardless of job title, works at a clinical research site under the immediate direction of a principal investigator and coordinates the daily clinical trial activities, under Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Guidelines.

What training options are available? And what is the anticipated training schedule and who are the instructors?

What will I learn if enrolled in the CRC Core Competency Program?

The CRC Core Competency Lesson plan has been designed to provide the foundational competencies required for clinical research coordinators (CRCs) and is ideal for the new CRC. Highlights of the program include:

1. A blended approach of Self-Study, eLearning and Facilitated Web or F2F sessions:

  • ACRP has optimized the program to deliver content in a format this is most effective and efficient - utilizing valuable trainer/classroom time only for more complex concepts, discussion and interactivity while serving the needs of more standardized knowledge transfer with eLearning and reading resources. This approach ensures all participants not only receive key concepts but are able to interpret and apply them while on the job.
  • This empowers the learners to invest in their own learning and allows flexibility in delivery.
  • Designed to maximize virtual sessions for cost effectiveness.

2. Foundational competencies were mapped to the core ICH GCP Principal Investigator (PI) Responsibilities as a framework for conveying that the CRC plays a key role in supporting the fulfillment of the investigator’s responsibilities (see Course Details below)

  • The competencies were also cross referenced against ACRP’s Entry level CRC Competency Development and Assessment Roadmap as a way to confirm the priority competencies for entry level CRCs

3. The competencies are categorized by those that can be developed through knowledge (training) vs. those that need to be developed through on-the-job experience and mentoring

  • Note: Medical Care, Systems Training, Site SOPs, HIPAA, specimen collection and management, equipment calibration, budget and financial management and others are added in as organization requires; our training covers ICH GCP competencies organized by the Joint Task Force (JTF) for Clinical Trial Competency framework

4. Incorporates 15 of ACRP’s eLearning/simulation modules along with robust regulatory references and guidelines as well as visually impactful “infographics” for learners to gain the theory thereby maximizing discussion and interaction with the facilitator during the live/virtual sessions

5. Includes 13, 60-90 minute live coaching sessions with an experienced trainer in the region that can be offered weekly or on a compressed schedule based on your needs

6. Culminates in the completion of ACRP’s competency-based Entry Level Knowledge Assessment (ELKA); a 50 question, on-line assessment to confirm foundational knowledge in the competencies.

Is there a fee associated with the training?

No. The training is FREE to selected program participants.

What is your criteria for selecting applicants for Coordinator training program?

Qualified applicants must be 18-years old with at minimum a High School Diploma and reside in El Paso, Texas and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Preferred applicants include healthcare professionals with a community college degree or higher and active participants of the MCA’s Clinical Trial Consortium.

What qualifications will I need to get a job as a CRC?

Typically, a bachelor’s degree is required, preferably in a science or health-related field of study, but it is not necessary. The ACRP CRC training available through this program will also give you a competitive advantage over other candidates with prospective employers.

Will I also receive on-the-Job Training?

The MCA’s Clinical Trial Academy currently does not provide on-the-job training. Most sites will provide you with on-the-job training in addition to some classroom training.

How do I advance?

Once you gain sufficient experience as a CRC, you can evolve into a Clinical Research Site Manager. Site Managers oversee all aspects of the clinical trial management for their trial location and may even manage several different trial sites, with the CRCs for each site reporting to them. See the attached clinical research professional career lattice (Appendix B) for additional information about professional advancement opportunities. Finally, those with a BA or higher. however, are more likely to advance more quickly.

What are the core competency professional guidelines for clinical research coordinators (CRCs)?

The following core competency domains and guidelines Association for Clinical Research Professionals, (ACRP) developed in collaboration with the Joint Task Force for Clinical Trial Competency, provide a framework for the knowledge, skills, and attributes necessary to perform the CRC job effectively. Clinical trial sites should familiarize themselves with these new domains and competency guidelines in order to promote the quality and standardization of the research profession and to ensure research professionals receive training vetted by industry professionals they need to be successful over-time. CRC’s can use the following Core Competency Guidelines for self-assessment, competence gap analysis, and creating personalized professional development plans.

Certification

You will receive a certificate of completion upon completing the training. That said, you will need to have a few years of experience before you will be eligible to become certified as a CRC. The level of school and/or the degree acquired by an individual will reduce the amount of experience or requirements you will need to be eligible to take the exam for CRC certification. Professional certification is available through The Society of Clinical Research Associates (SoCRA) and The Association for Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP). Click this link for more information.

Stay informed with our curated digest of life science and tech entrepreneurship news. Subscribe now to be the first to know about the latest innovation challenges and funding opportunities.