Marta
As soon as I was accepted to the CRAcademy I was eager to start the traineeship. The first step was to attend the three-day course Introduction to Clinical Trials Practice in Copenhagen. I was looking forward to the course and had many expectations. As I was already somewhat familiar with clinical trials, I was all set with a good deal of enthusiasm and inquisitiveness to further elaborate my knowledge. The course exceeded all my expectations! The first day was filled with new impressions and information. I met the other candidates and appreciated that we all had somewhat different backgrounds. Immediately I realized that the course leader, Sue Fitzpatrick, was very experienced in each phase of a clinical trial. I was pleased with the fact that we were only five candidates from the CRAcademy, which made the interaction between the trainer and us much more available as well as enabled us candidates to discuss the different subjects. I give much of the credit to the fabulous Ms. Fitzpatrick for keeping a good atmosphere and motivation in the group with her amazing knowledge and experience. Not to mention her intriguing and humorous stories about her work with all diverse persons in the pharmaceutical industry and medical service.
The three days, and particularly the first day, were very intense: containing lectures, discussions and practical group exercises. There were many areas to be covered – from GCP to regulatory affairs. Since a CRA’s work is very practical, we did some very exciting exercises containing genuine data to practice Source Data Verification and validation of a Case Record Form.
On the whole, I am more than pleased with the course and it has provided me with an excellent start point for the traineeship. It has demonstrated not only how important and regulated a clinical trial is but also how essential a good CRA is for a successful trial process.
