We are excited to announce that the MCA’s Clinical Trial Academy (CTA) hosted a successful kick-off meeting last week to welcome twenty-one (21) individuals from El Paso and Las Cruces selected from a pool of over fifty (50+) applicants to its inaugural clinical research coordinator (CRC) cohort. Along with the chance to meet each other and their instructors, participants attending the Kickoff were provided with their course schedules, materials, and other important information at this event.

Sponsored by BMS, the curriculum for this program is provided via MCA’s program partner the Association for Clinical Research Professionals–a globally recognized leader in the industry. Likewise, six (6) local clinical research professionals with over 30+-years of experience from our region’s investigator sites, will serve as course instructors for this program.

These applicants will be provided with Clinical Research Coordinator (CRC) Core Competency Foundation training designed specifically for those looking to enter the clinical research profession. Instructor-led CRC classes will start just after the holidays and will run via a hybrid format; one class per week for 11-weeks. Participants completing the course and course exams will receive a certificate of completion for the course at the end which gives them an advantage when looking for a job or when looking for career advancement opportunities in the near future.

“We are very excited to finally meet the students of our initial cohort and hope to continue offering this opportunity at no cost to our community for many years to come,” states Michaele Linden Johnson, MBA, FACHE, Director of Clinical Trials & Business Development MCA. “This program is attracting US-wide attention as a potential model that can replicated across the Nation to diversifying the clinical research workforce and increase equitable access to clinical trials. We have a long way to go, but we are hopeful that through this program we can become a globally competitive clinical trials ecosystem.”

To learn more about the CTA, the different courses available or how to apply, visit the webpage linked below.