Clinical Trial Coordinator / Clinical Research Associate Intern Review

Assisting members of the UK and Ireland Global Clinical Trials Operations with managing the oversight, finance, safety and ethical aspects of multiple clinical trials. I communicated with research teams within the NHS to complete these tasks on a regular basis.

Yes - my soft skills, including written and oral communication, team work and time management have hugely developed. I have also developed hard skills such as improved proficiency of MS systems and developed the ability to use systems used in the clinical trials space. My knowledge of clinical trial processes and the inner workings of a global pharmaceutical company has also grown.

I was given increasing amounts of responsibility as the year went on, to the extent that by the end of the year I could perform most CTC tasks to the standard of a normal employee, and thus was given this responsibility.

I had 2 mentors (for the different job roles), a line manager and an additional 'Intern Lead' manager - so it's safe to say I was thoroughly supported. Other colleagues were also really friendly and willing to help when needed.

I felt privileged to be an intern as we were always treated with respect and people were always happy to help. For the most part it was a very happy atmosphere to work in although could be stressful at times.

I loved it and would recommend it to anyone - it was a great experience and has taught me a lot about the working world so I now feel prepared to enter a professional role. As mentioned it was stressful at times but not to the extent where it had a negative impact on my year - I think this was actually useful to see as it made the experience realistic.

Yes

Be yourself in the interview process - I feel that authenticity is appreciated. If you accept a job offer, take advantage of being in a global pharmaceutical company with thousands of employees - there is plenty to be exposed to that will help with your professional development.