Become a Clinical Investigator

A Clinical Investigator, usually a scientist or doctor, is a person qualified by education and experience to conduct clinical trials. Read this article to find out how you can become a Clinical Investigator.

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Someday.....................

I've just discovered blogging. I have friends who've been blogging for quite sometime but I never knew how to get started. Finally, I decided I need to learn because I needed a new curriculum activity. I was spending too much time on TTO and playing online games.

I think it's healthy for one to write down their thoughts, especially if you're like me with no one to really talk to or share your "quiet" time. So my blog will mostly consist of my rantings about my life - so... feel free to pull out your violin. :-)

My ultimate dream is to work for myself. I've never been one who wanted to be at the top of the tree. I'm satisfied with the third rung from the top (lol). I just want to be happy and comfortable.
All my life, I've had to fight for what I want. Every promotion, every pay increase, every step forward was a constant battle. First lesson learned: 1) Doing good work does not lead to automatic recognition and rewards.

Today, the fight continues. First I was held back because I was Black, then because I was a female, and then because I was smart and outspoken. Now I face obstacles because I'm a smart black outspoken female. (lol)

I had to work twice as hard and pass tests after tests, but I always made it to where I wanted to be. The more I was told I couldn't, the harder I worked to prove I could. Professionally, I did myself a dis-service by not pushing for managerial positions during my younger years. I avoided them like a plague because of all the backstabbing and politicking I witnessed through the years. But by avoiding them, I lost a lot in money and promotional stature and ironically ended up doing what my adversaries had been doing for years - holding myself back.

As I stated previously, I didn't take managerial positions because I hated the corporate politics. I still do. I just want to be able to do the best possible job and move on. I've never told people what they want to hear.......unless it was the truth. I tell the truth and if you don't want to hear it; then it's best that you don't ask me. I found out early in my professional life that the world doesn't like truths. They want you to tell them what they want to hear even if it is a lie. Even today I am unable to sugar-coat a lie or tell half-truths. I prefer to say nothing at all. I am not one to kiss up to people and pat them on their undeserving backs. You want a pat from me - earn it. Well, corporate egos don't like that. :-)

The one thing I've wanted most of all has eluded me continuously - and that is to work for myself. I'm not sure why, but I keep trying.

I've been working in the pharmaceutical industry since 1981. I started out as a Laboratory Technician, became Shift Leader, a bench Chemists and then on to Quality Assurance Specialists. Quality Assurance was thrust upon me but I learned to love it. Strangely enough, I ended up with the career of a life time due to a prejudice employer trying to punish me for going over his head to get a promotion.

See, this well-known company in South Carolina was one of the top paying employers in the area. But they didn't hire women and they didn't hire blacks. I had applied many times after college and couldn't even get an interview. According to rumors, the Labor Board got involved after several complains from the community and eventually they had to hire both. To make a long story short, I was the kill two birds with one stone employee; hire a black female and you've fulfilled both of the labor board's criteria. Now, to me that was a smart business move. You get to pay one small salary instead of two.

After working there for about 15 years (believe me there were lots of battles in between!!), I challenged my direct supervisor about being paid less than the whites in the laboratory who had the same credentials that I had. They were all "Chemists" while I could only be a "Lab Technician". My direct supervisor, a young man, caucasian, born and raised in the West, agreed with me and submitted my request for a promotion and pay increase to match my white counterparts. He was shot down by his boss, admonished for even bringing it up and eventually demoted. Now that made me angry because my supervisor was an honest, hard-working and fair person. He was only trying to do what was right. Unfortunately, at least one person in this company was teaching him what happens in the corporate world when you try to be "fair".

Well, that just made me angrier so I didn't stop there. I walked the "reporting" line all the way to the top (corporate office in Baton Rouge). I was having the hardest time understanding why this was necessary in a company where I had worked more than 15 years and always received excellent evaluations! They knew my abilities, tenacity and dedication. They also knew I was stubborn and would not drop it so to avoid legal complications, my supervisor was allowed to sign off my request to corporate for a promotion but the title was edited to "Junior Chemist" and not "Chemist" as one of the current white Chemist refused to have the same title as me.

Well, when the corporate office reviewed my credentials, they wanted an explanation for the title of "Junior Chemist" when I had the qualifications of a "Chemist". Eventually, corporate office changed the title and promoted me to "Chemist". One more obstacle crossed - one more battle one.

Now, (IMO), to pay me back for daring to go over his head, a few weeks after my promotion by the corporate, my supervisor's boss decided he wanted to "re-structure" the department. So, doing this restructuring, he demoted my supervisor and transferred me from the laboratory and stuck me in the Quality Assurance department and changed my title to QA Specialist (this removed the Chemist title I fought so hard for). He then put his best friend's daughter with absolutely no experience over the lab. (LOL). Well, at first, I was so angry I could spit fire!!!

I was given absolutely no training on how to do my new job. My new boss (I'm sure he was acting on order from his boss) threw projects at me that I had no knowledge how to do and each had deadline dates that were impossible - or so he thought. Ohhhh, if only I knew then what I know now!!!! Like the regulations required them to delegate tasks to "qualified and trained" personnel. Anyway, I learned the US pharmaceutical manufacturing regulations and I tackled those projects and I completed every one before the appointed deadline. And I ended up teaching the process to their new hires.

After 17 years with that company, I walked away. They didn't think I would, but I did. I got an offer in Georgia that I couldn't refuse. I was single and only had myself to care for so packing up and moving was a lot easier than moving a family. Once I moved to Georgia, all of the Quality Assurance training from that company in SC paid off and I started learning new regulations such as Good Clinical Practice, Good Laboratory Practices and Good Pharmaceutical Practice. I was finally allowed to attend training sessions and conferences - something the other supervisor would never let me do. I've worked with European regulations, Canadian regulations and US Regulations. So what my supervisor's boss did out of spite (transferring me out of the lab) actually turned out to be my blessing. I've traveled around the world doing Quality Assurance work, such as audits in Scotland, Taiwan, Japan, Russia, Bulgaria, Poland, Spain, Paris, various provinces in Canada, all but 10 of the States in the US and probably places I've forgotten. I have attended and performed training for clinical investigators in Istanbul, Canada and the USA.

I conduct manufacturing audits of drug manufacturers, drug packagers, and Clinical Research Organizations. My favorite audits are Good Clinical Practice audits of investigator sites. To date, I've discovered and investigated 2 cases of scientific misconduct (i.e. fraud) and supervised the investigation of 1 scientific misconduct investigation in India. So out of my supervisor's boss' venom came my good fortune - if I knew where he was, I'd send him a thank you card! Welll, since I don't know where he is - Thank You Jim Phillips!!!!! (BTW, I'm also still in touch with my past supervisor from this company, whom I have thanked many times for stepping up and supporting me, and he is also doing quite well for himself. The only thanks he wanted was for me to do the same for somebody else and that's not a problem as I help people all the time - strangers or not.)

I look around me and I see all of the consultants out there with a tenth of my experience and knowledge and so many who don't know what they're doing, yet companies are paying them thousands every month. I saw one woman get paid $40,000 to do nothing. Absolutely nothing! The company did not get the material to her in time for her to start and finish the project but they still had to pay her $40,000 because of the wording of the contract.

Another company, a CRO, got paid more than 100 million dollars to run a clinical trial that their ineptness pretty much destroyed! They were not qualified or capable of running the clinical trial but the head of the company was friends with the head of the CRO and the business relationship was formed and the stockholders and employees suffered the consequences of this unholy alliance. This particular CRO is literally being blackballed by doctors in Canada, Europe and America because their ability to run clinical trials are so lacking. That particular company's "drug-to-market" failed because the company lacked qualified people to handle the business; yet millions of dollars were paid out and nobody asked for accountability.

Now, for me, consulting is not about the money. Yes, I want to get paid and I want to live comfortably and save for my retirement. I don't want the "paycheck-to-paycheck" syndrome which I know could easily be thrust upon you when you're an independent and I'm not trying to get rich by working. I want to work for myself for 2-reasons: 1) I hate the corporate politicking and 2) I don't want the typical Monday - Friday, 8-5 work day.

So - how do I get started? Here's what I've done thus far:

1. I've developed a business plan, a portfolio, website, brochures and pamphlets for marketing which I mail out periodically.
2. I've designed and implemented 2 online courses. Not getting any takers even though the price is a lot less than any professional will ever find.
3. I've started a professional organization that allows colleagues to meet and greet. I think the Saturday meeting date is a deterrent but have been unable to find a reasonably priced place to meet elsewhere through the week.
4. I've performed searches on consulting rates to ensure my rates are competitive but haven't had a lot of success with that. Consultants don't reveal their rates, apparently. I could only gauge my rates against what I've paid consultants in the past for previous companies and those rates seem to be inflated. I found out that I was the highest paid on my last job. So, for that provider, competitively speaking, I missed the target and that might be why I'm not getting a lot of work from them right now. They might have me as "emergency back-up". So, how do I intelligently lower my price to get off that list? Should I lower the price? How much professional harm will I be doing to myself?
   
   The other set-back for me is that I am a full-time employee for another small pharmaceutical company. This company, however, do not have a policy against me consulting on the side. As a matter-of-fact, I've been encouraged to have something to fall back on as the company's future is so uncertain. The company only require that I inform my supervisor to ensure conflict of interest do not exists. So I always inform my supervisor and I always inform the potential client as I believe in being upfront with everybody. Working full time while trying to start a consulting business is sensible to me in that it allows me to make my mortgage payment on time each month. (smile) I typically work on my consulting stuff when I get home in the evenings and on weekends, holidays and vacation days.

Well, that's enough ranting for now. Anybody got any advice on how I can get this party started?? All constructive comments appreciated.

Until my next rant - Have a Fascinating day!!

Luv2blog (GP)