courses for medical research

Global Clinical Scholars Research Training

This Harvard Medical School one-year, application-based certificate program provides advanced training in health care research and methods.

Associated Schools

Harvard Medical School

What you'll learn.

Design and perform observational and experimental clinical research

Analyze, interpret and present clinical research data

Write and revise successful grant proposals

Lead clinical teams across a variety of health care settings

Course description

Designed for clinicians and clinician-scientists in both the United States and abroad, our Global Clinical Scholars Research Training program aims to  enable scholars to expand their knowledge and sharpen their skills in clinical research . Using a blended learning model that incorporates online tools, in-person seminars and dynamic workshops, the curriculum is focused on enhancing your ability at every stage of the research process–from writing grant proposals and launching new projects to analyzing data and presenting your results. 

This program combines online learning with three intensive workshops that are designed to offer a mix of traditional and innovative approaches. Each month, you will participate in five to six interactive webinars – including review sessions by faculty and special seminars from leading experts–and also have access to more than 85 prerecorded online lectures. Both concentrations of Advanced Epidemiology or Clinical Trials require scholars to take the foundation courses and their choice of elective courses, in addition to a capstone project.

Participants will be eligible for Associate Alumni status upon successful completion of the program. Early tuition and need-based tuition reductions may be available.

Course Outline

Clinical Leadership in Medicine

Expand your leadership abilities and acquire the skills and framework you need to:

• Manage a health care team in diverse clinical settings
• Pilot successful collaborations within and outside your group
• Navigate the complexities of the institution
• Manage conflicts that arise in a high-stakes environment

Advanced Statistical Tools

Learn to utilize Stata statistical software and other advanced computing methods for:

• Analyzing longitudinal data
• Modeling regression and survival analysis
• Representing polynomial trends for time (e.g., linear or quadratic) and linear mixed-effects models
• Generating polished, manuscript-ready figures and tables

Research Ethics

Examine common challenges in the conduct and review of biomedical human subjects research, including:

• Evolution of ethical codes and regulations
• Responsibility of physicians as investigators
• Preparation of the research protocol application and informed consent documents
• Challenges of conducting research involving children and adolescents

Instructors

Ajay K. Singh

Jamie Robertson

Sagar Nigwekar

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ACRP Course Catalog

Refine Results:

Knowledge level:.

• Entry Level
• Intermediate

CATALOG GROUPS:

• In-Person Training
• Webinar Replays
• Recorded Conference

COMPETENCY:

• Clinical Trials Operations and GCPs
• Communication and Teamwork
• Data Management and Informatics
• Ethical and Participant Safety Considerations
• Leadership and Professionalism
• Medicines Development and Regulation
• Scientific Concepts and Research Design
• Study and Site Management
• Clinical Study Operations

PRIMARY ROLE:

• CTMS Administrator
• Clinical Research Nurse
• Business Development
• Clinical Research Scientist
• Clinical Data Coordinator
• Billing Compliance Officer
• Clinical Research Coordinator
• Data Manager
• Director of Pharmacovigilance
• Director of Scientific Affairs
• Director or Manager of Clinical Trial Operations
• Director or Manager of Regulatory Affairs
• Drug Safety Manager
• Drug Safety Physician
• Financial Analyst
• Investigator
• Medical Affairs
• Medical Director
• Medical Research Scientist
• Medical Safety Officer
• Medical Writer
• Monitor or Clinical Research Associate
• Patient Recruiter
• Project Manager
• Quality Control Specialist
• Regulatory Specialist
• Research Manager
• Research Technician or Assistant
• Site Selection and Start Up
• Statistician
• Sub-Investigator

107 results

For Individuals

For Business Partners

• Entry Level , Intermediate , Senior

The Future of Home Health Care in Clinical Trials

May 22, 2024—This live session will provide insights into the presenters experience with home health visits to-date and will prompt site and investigator attendees to understand what works and doesn’t work for sites when offered home health options in trial protocols.

Contact Hours

From Conflict to Collaboration: Enhancing Site and Sponsor/CRO Relationships

June 12, 2024—This live webinar delves into the perspectives and occasional conflicting interests of both parties, fostering mutual understanding. Representatives from each organization will share insights, real-life examples, and practical tools to overcome challenges, promote productive collaboration, and contribute to clinical trial success.

ACRP and the Academy Annual Membership Meeting

October 16, 2024—Join ACRP and the Academy leadership to explore highlights of ACRP’s year and what’s planned for 2025.

Employee Development and Succession Planning

This webinar targets site and organizational leaders with the kinds of details they need to pay attention to in order to develop the framework for an employee development program which will support succession planning.

Intro to In Vitro Diagnostics (IVDs): The Path to Working Together Globally and More Efficiently

This webinar addressed the pressing need for standardized regulatory practices in the field. With advancements in in-vitro diagnostics (IVD), an increasingly interconnected global healthcare landscape, and the growing demand for precise diagnostics, the need for harmonized regulations is paramount.

Clinical Trial Process History and Overview

This webinar covered phases of drug development, the history of regulatory development of human research protection, various types of research study designs, conducting a clinical trial, and generic name and trade name of the medicine.

Efficiency Unleashed: Optimizing Clinical Research Onboarding and Education

Clinical trial professionals with an interest or role in the onboarding and education of new staff can learn valuable best practices from the steps taken, barriers encountered, and resources available during one clinical trial site’s journey toward realizing its goal for optimal efficiency.

Building Your Team Through Transformational Leadership in Clinical Research

This webinar challenged attendees to self-reflect on their own leadership practices and how those might have been in need of transformation

ISO 14155 and FDA Requirements – Trials Conducted at the Research Site

This program explored medical devices and investigational medical devices.

Unlearn to Learn: The Evolution of Clinical Research/Trial Training

This session discussed the current way clinical trial training is implemented and ways that it could potentially be done more effectively and efficiently by industry stakeholders.

A Review of Medical Record Data Extraction and Adverse Event Reporting

This informative session explores some of the tools of the clinical research trade including data extraction and adverse event reporting.

Broadening Your Approach to Trial Diversity on a Global Scale

This live webinar explored diversity through a global lens by tapping into the perspectives of industry leaders who addressed how we can broaden access to a wide range of underrepresented groups, including those who possess attributes linked to troubling and challenging health disparities.

Merck Journeys: Elevating your Career within Clinical Research

This webinar offered a unique opportunity to learn about the rewarding career paths in CSSM. Experienced professionals from Merck shared insights into the innovative clinical research strategies, and discussed how your transferable skills can be leveraged in this field.

ACRP Annual Membership Meeting

ACRP and The Academy leadership joined together to explore highlights of the past year and see what was planned for 2024. Attendees heard how ACRP is working for them and the clinical research profession.

Investigator-Initiated Trial Tips and Tricks

This webinar highlighted best practices in various areas of clinical research management of investigator-initiated trials (IITs) and detailed how to navigate common challenges. The information included in this comprehensive review of IIT operations is experience-based and built upon good clinical research practices in alignment with NIH Regulations.

Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Simulation Renewal

The New Standard in GCP Training. This interactive simulation-powered training course helps ensure compliance with international standards for Good Clinical Practice in clinical trials (ICH E6).

Home Study: August 2023

Supplement more rigorous training, stay informed of the latest trends and developments in clinical research, and earn points for Maintenance of Certification with Home Study tests offered through ACRP’s flagship journal, Clinical Researcher.

• BCO, BD, CDC, CRC, CRN, CRS, CTMS Admin, DM, DoP, DoSA, DMCTO, DMRA, DSM, DSP, Executive, FA, Investigator, MA, MD, MRS, MSO, MW, MCRA, PR, Pharmacist, PMs, QCS, RS, RM, RTA, SSSU, Statistician, , Trainer

Introduction to Decentralized Clinical Trials (DCTs)

Gain the foundational knowledge clinical research professionals need to implement digital health components in clinical trials.

Investigational Drug Services Pharmacists: What They Wish You Knew

How the Investigational Drug Services (IDS) Pharmacy utilized by your clinical trials team works shouldn’t be a mystery, when it can instead be one of your biggest allies in research. This webinar provides “insider insights” from an IDS pharmacist on facts you should have at hand about IDS services when sponsors are considering your site for studies, or are sending monitors to keep track of ongoing projects.

How Do IRBs Review Virtual Trial Technology?

How will institutional review boards (IRBs) review study protocols involving the ever-increasing array of mobile health (mHealth) technologies and virtual trial apps on the market? This webinar helps clinical research professionals to understand the regulations and how the oversight of virtual trials might differ from what they have traditionally been used to.

Home Study: June 2023

Acrp 2023 full program – replay.

A replay package of 62 on-demand session recordings and presentation slides from the ACRP 2023 Conference, April 29 – May 1, Dallas, Texas. It includes content from the five educational tracks, the Signature Series sessions, Rapid-Fire session, and techXpo sessions, presented by a variety of clinical research service providers. Replay sessions will expire on May 31, 2026.

ACRP 2023 Workforce Development – Replay

This package is a replay of 8 on-demand session recordings and presentation slides from the Workforce Development Track at the ACRP 2023 Conference, April 29 – May 1, Dallas, Texas. Understand the workforce landscape and gain strategies to build smarter teams.

ACRP 2023 Technology & Future Trends – Replay

This package is a replay of 7 on-demand session recordings and presentation slides from the Technology & Future Trends Track at the ACRP 2023 Conference, April 29 – May 1, Dallas, Texas. Gain strategies to optimize technology and move your studies into the future.

ACRP 2023 Leadership & Career Growth – Replay

This package is a replay of 10 on-demand session recordings and presentation slides from the Leadership & Career Growth Track at the ACRP 2023 Conference, April 29 – May 1, Dallas, Texas. Get the insights you need to advance your career and grow as a leader.

ACRP 2023 Regulatory Trends & Compliance – Replay

This package is a replay of 10 on-demand session recordings and presentation slides from the Regulatory Trends & Compliance Track at the ACRP 2023 Conference, April 29 – May 1, Dallas, Texas. Hear tips and strategies to mitigate risk and keep your studies in compliance.

ACRP 2023 Study Management & Conduct – Replay

This package is a replay of 17 on-demand session recordings and presentation slides from the Study Management & Conduct Track at the ACRP 2023 Conference, April 29 – May 1, Dallas, Texas. Learn practical, proven ways to maximize study and site performance.

Home Study: April 2023

2022 site perceptions industry survey results: actionable insights for sites, sponsors, and cros.

Site leaders often feel their voices are not heard during the planning and conduct of sponsored clinical trials, while sponsors and contract research organization representatives feel at odds struggling to enhance relationships with those same sites. This webinar focuses on the results of an industry survey conducted by the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development on site perceptions, preparedness, and experiences with new clinical research execution solutions, and offers lessons learned on how you can improve site sustainability and lead more effective collaborations.

I Need a Mentor: Where Do I Start?

Career success shouldn’t be measured solely by how far one is able to climb the organizational ladder, especially when reaching career goals depends on so much more than mere effort. In an environment where achievement may rely less on “what you know” than on “who you know,” identifying the right individuals to be part of your knowledge bank and support squad can become crucial.

Building a More Equitable Future Together by Driving Inclusion in Clinical Trials

This webinar targets professionals across the clinical trial ecosystem with best practices learned about taking collective action to drive improvements focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) issues. You will learn about building trust within historically underrepresented racial and ethnic minority communities, making clinical trials inclusive by design, and fostering partnership to address DEI-related issues in an integrated and sustainable manner.

Building Clinical Trial Diversity Action Plans for the Future, Now

Dive into the key elements of a diversity action plan for Phase III clinical trials, as explained in the latest recommendations and requirements from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including considerations of race, ethnicity, age, sex, gender, geographic location, and socioeconomic status. Learn how these diversity action plans contribute to the study site’s delivery of meaningful data on drug safety and efficacy from to sponsors.

Home Study: February 2023

Home study: december 2022, a review of ich e8 (r1) general considerations for clinical trials.

The ICH E8(R1) Guideline on General Considerations for Clinical Studies from the International Council for Harmonization guides the clinical development lifecycle for experimental therapies, including quality requirements for clinical study designs and data sources. Principles and practices for the conduct of clinical trials tied to this guideline, already in effect in such regions as the U.S., Canada, and Europe and forthcoming elsewhere, will be reviewed.

Achieving Global Health Equity Through More Diverse and Inclusive Trials

Ensuring a more equitable and accessible healthcare system starts with the healthcare professionals engaged for pre-drug launch and marketing, with the site investigators recruited by sponsors to run clinical trials, and with the location and availability of the study in terms of diverse and underrepresented populations of potential participants. Here’s a historic overview of what has been lacking in clinical trials when it comes to diversity and inclusion, how federal guidelines are beginning to turn the conversation within big pharma toward health equity, and more.

2022 ACRP/Academy Annual Membership Meeting

Join ACRP/Academy leadership to explore highlights of ACRP’s year and what’s planned for 2023 in the areas of membership, certification, and finances.

Home Study: October 2022

Self-leadership: winning strategies for fulfilling work and life (part 1): theoretical foundations and core competencies of self-leadership.

Learn how to use self-leadership strategies to survive and thrive in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world.

Ensuring Quality in Fast Enrolling Trials

Are new trials coming at you with break-neck speed? This webinar reviews a case study from a fast-enrolling trial and offers strategies for maintaining high quality standards and recognizing and mitigating the risks of accelerated enrollment.

Webinar—Self-Leadership: Winning Strategies for Fulfilling Work and Life (Part 2)

Learn even more about using self-leadership strategies to survive and thrive in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world, in part two of this webinar. 

In the DCT Journey, Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining

This webinar focuses on some of the advantages and takeaways learned so far from the introduction, implementation, and adoption of decentralized clinical trials (DCTs). Panelists explore how they operationalized best practices in the areas of budgeting, contract language, remote monitoring practices, virtual visits, and more.

ICH E9: A Review and a Look Into the Addendum (R1)

Dive into an overview of both the ICH E9 Guideline on Statistical Principles for Clinical Trials from the International Council for Harmonization and the ICH E9(R1) Addendum, exploring how clinical trials are based on statistical principles and how treatment effects are measured.

Understanding the Role of DMCs and EACs in Research Oversight

Take a deep dive into the roles and functions of Data Monitoring Committees/Data Safety Monitoring Boards (DMCs/DSMBs) and Endpoint Adjudication Committees/Clinical Events Committees (EACs/CECs) in the lifecycle of clinical trials. These committees are increasingly tasked with providing independent, expert evaluations of clinical trial events and unbiased adjudications to determine if the definitions of certain clinical trial events have been met.

Everything You Need to Know About Holding an IND

This webinar provides a review of the purpose of and expectations set for holding an Investigational New Drug (IND) application through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, explores common IND-related errors and how to avoid them, and outlines related requirements found in 21 CFR 312 of the Code of Federal Regulations for IND maintenance.

Deconstruct Your Clinical Trial to Plan a Positive Outcome: Effective Planning and Communication Strategies

This webinar examines the communication of intent and expectations to stakeholders in clinical trials to minimize risk and gain fluidity in operations, along with key elements behind planning a clinical trial and best practices for budgeting a study.

Streamline Your Clinical Research Organization’s Processes with End-to-End Promotions

Presenting a discussion on how consolidating the processes involved in the phases of drug discovery, pre-clinical research, clinical trials, and post-approval expectations on a single platform drives efficiencies, margin improvements, and real-time collaborations internally and externally. The result is better top- and bottom-line financial performance and consistency in process outcomes during trial execution.

Best of ACRP 2022

The “Best of ACRP 2022” package offers recordings from 25 of the most popular sessions from our most recent in-person event, along with seven techXpo sessions, presented by a variety of clinical research service providers.

Eliminating Barriers to Careers in Clinical Research

A perfect storm of negative trends is putting immense pressure on entry-level hiring, retention, and overall satisfaction and growth in the clinical research workforce. This webinar focuses on recognizing and overcoming the challenges that are unnecessary barriers to greater participation in the workforce by promising talent from a range of backgrounds and experiences.

The New Work Life Balance in Clinical Research

There’s no denying that “work as usual” has gone out the window in recent years–in the clinical research workforce as well as in most other settings. This webinar explores strategies for juggling a career in clinical research and your personal life in the “new normal,” including in the arenas of excelling at time management in the office and at home, reaching an ideal work/life balance, and acquiring tools to help make your goals a reality.

Virtual ACRP 2021 Full Program Replay

ACRP 2021 programming delivers practical strategies, best practices, and creative solutions needed to improve clinical trial quality.

Virtual ACRP 2021 Innovation in the Era of COVID Track Replay

Unlock your potential by learning innovative new ways clinical research is being conducted in response to COVID-19. This online, interactive program addresses telemedicine, remote monitoring, team management, study start-up and more in the era of COVID.

Virtual ACRP 2021 Regulatory Trends & Compliance Track Replay

Mitigate risk and improve regulatory compliance with insider advice from FDA officials and industry experts. This online, interactive program features FDA officials and industry experts addressing CDER BIMO compliance and enforcement, FDA inspections, ClinicalTrials.gov requirements, and more.

Investigative Site Diversity: Tufts CSDD Study on Staff Diversity at Clinical Research Sites

In this webinar, the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development team shares survey results on staff diversity at clinical research sites, with an emphasis on the impact diversity has on site performance and its practical implications, the major factors noted for diversity-related success and their associated barriers, and the relationship between site diversity and patient diversity.

The Push for Technology: A Discussion of Implementation Struggles, Strategies, and Lessons Learned

This webinar features a panel discussion on how the pandemic pushed the implementation of new technologies for clinical trials, with a site-centric focus on the struggles overcome and lessons learned, along with the impact on the workforce and how we all may want to prepare for the future.

Best Practices for Communicating Benefit, Risk, and Uncertainty in Medical Device Clinical Trials

This webinar focuses on how research participants cannot make an informed decision to participate in a clinical trial without clear communications from the research professionals supporting the trial. Evidence-based practices are covered to help you conduct patient education and informed consent tied to the benefits, risks, uncertainties, and patient preferences for using new medical technologies.

Using Agile Strategies to Solve Challenges in Research Operations

This webinar looks at how being agile in research settings is becoming a key performance indicator that partners and sponsors are seeking and expecting from sites, with a focus on techniques and strategies you can use to address and solve administrative and operational challenges at a faster rate via pragmatic and thoughtful “big swings of bold.”

Virtual ACRP 2021 Operational Efficiencies Track Replay

Boost efficiency in clinical trial management and execution with practical strategies for sites, sponsors, and CROs. This online, interactive program addresses collaboration, protocol feasibility, decentralized trials, remote monitoring, and more.

Clinical Research Staffing Reprioritizations and Resourcing Strategies

This webinar presents lessons learned from a survey on the impacts of the pandemic on staffing at research sites, and discusses implications for the future of clinical research workflows from the current shift to remote operations. When should you look for help or change your staffing approach?

The Future of DCTs: Are You Prepared?

This webinar is tailored for research professionals in sponsor, contract research organization, and study site settings who wonder how to embrace the challenges and benefits of decentralized clinical trials (DCTs), and includes a practical guide for what DCTs really are, how there is no going back, and how it is up to the research professional to adapt to change.

Research Ready: Leveraging Technology in the New Research Landscape

Join Advarra experts in a discussion on how to leverage technology in the new research landscape

Working with Site-Based Paperless Solutions and Ensuring Audit Readiness

Join RealTime experts for an overview of site-based electronic systems that the research industry is rapidly adopting.

Achieving Regulatory Compliance via Collaboration: Technology and Site Perspectives

Join experts from WCG Velos and the University of Kansas Medical Center to learn top practices and processes sites follow to meet compliance standards.

Communication Strategies for Conflict Resolution in Clinical Research Teams

This webinar examines group dynamics, team function, and how conflicts arise within the research team, and considers how specific communication behaviors can foster effective conflict resolution that facilitates team growth.

Career Paths in Clinical Research: Sharing the Journey and Providing Insight

Join a panel of clinical research professionals as they discuss their career paths into and through the clinical research industry, consider the future of their roles, and share advice with those wanting to join the industry. You will gain an understanding of the different research roles, areas that are ripe for career growth and development, and how you can prepare to thrive amidst future trends.

Let’s Talk Patient Recruitment: Strategies, Tools, Communication

This webinar reviews two participant recruitment strategies with guests who have helped increase efficiencies and increase recruitment into clinical trials. Be prepared to walk away with some new tips and tricks that you may be able to implement into your recruitment strategy as well.

Clinical Trial Diversity: Strategies to Support Patients, Sites, and Sponsors

This webinar focuses on ideas for educational outreach to promote the purposes and value of clinical research within organizations and communities, and considers what measures sponsors and sites can take to engage diverse patients in their clinical trials.

Monitoring Investigator-Initiated Trials

This webinar offers organizations valuable knowledge regarding how to create a process for internally monitoring the quality and safety of investigator-initiated trials. Templates, workflows, and other tools are shared so that learners may adapt the proposed program to their own institutional needs.

Improving Technology Proficiency in Clinical Research

This webinar considers how sites are shifting away from sponsor-provided systems into technology that meets their business needs. As the options for technology solutions continue to grow, research sites must develop a true technology strategy and develop proficiencies in selecting, implementing, maintaining, and connecting their technology.

How to Build Advanced Workflows with an Integrated Technology Environment

Join Florence Healthcare to learn how to harness the power of best-in-class software while avoiding digital fatigue, duplication, and wasted time.

Quality Improvements as a Result of Paperless Site-Based Systems

Join RealTime CTMS to examine how paperless sites and site networks are driving quality and improved timelines for the clinical research industry.

Exit the Feature Battle: How to Think Long Term and Prepare Your Site for the Future of Technology in Clinical Research

Join Veeva Systems to explore the key qualities and features sites need to look for in their technology partners to increase their connectivity with sponsors and patients.

Research and Expanded Access in Pandemic Times

This webinar provides an overview of the mechanisms through which, in pandemic conditions, experimental COVID-19 therapies and diagnostics were made available to patients and providers before clinical trials had established whether those products were safe and effective. Also considered are how this state of affairs affected researchers’ ability to generate substantial evidence of product effectiveness through high-quality trials and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s deliberations over potential COVID-19 vaccines.

Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Simulation

Esource: why this is the platform of the future.

Join experts from Clinical Research IO to explore how several independent trends in research will make eSource a platform technology for sites.

The Impact of Brexit and COVID-19 on Clinical Research Data Processing in the EU/UK

Join The DPO Centre for this exploration of data protection challenges relating to the handling of sensitive personal data of EU and UK trial participants and how COVID-19 has bought data protection to the forefront of people’s minds.

Transforming SOP Infrastructure for COVID Times (Session II)

This second of two webinars on best practices in crafting standard operating procedures (SOPs) for clinical trials applies the concept of emotional quotient-based design thinking to appropriately draft SOPs that include all potential stakeholders. Also considered will be common blind spots within basic compliance mechanisms and the keys for drafting more adaptive SOPs to serve as reference tools and training materials for preparing your organization for new ways of conducting clinical trials.

SARS-Cov-2, the Law, and You

In this webinar, the Association of Clinical Research Professionals and the Society for Clinical Research Sites offer a collaborative discussion on how new laws and regulations arising from the COVID-19 pandemic conditions affect small clinical research sites.

COVID-19 Technology Mad-Dash, What Worked and What Didn’t?

This webinar addresses the challenges of transforming clinical research operations with technology built during the upheavals research sites underwent in the midst of COVID-19 disruptions. You will gain a better understanding of the technology evolution experienced by the clinical research enterprise, how best to future-proof operations to avoid future disruptions such as this, and tips for operating your site with a view of both short- and long-term goals.

Innovative Approach of Using EHR Data to Improve the Speed, Efficiency, Quality and Costs of Conducting Clinical Trials

This webinar describes how a research site’s electronic health record (EHR) data can be used to precisely identify potential subjects from its patient population, thus reducing recruitment and screening efforts and accelerating time to completion of enrollment. Involved are the use of eConsent to enroll patients from their homes, the collection and use of relevant real-world data extracted from the EHR in ways that eliminate certain study visits and manual data entry, and the use of eSource for cutting the need for source data verification.

Practical Tips for Career Development

This webinar describes techniques for developing yourself as a better leader, as well as tools for developing a strong team that fosters open communication and respect of different personality styles. It provides practical tips for developing career ladders for individuals who wish to grow, hints on how to be flexible in terms of your team’s work environments and scheduling, and lessons learned on how to interact with external teams in order to facilitate strong inter-departmental communications and work flows.

Building Relationships With Healthcare Professionals and Community Groups to Increase Enrollment

This webinar focuses on best practices for building and maintaining relationships with healthcare professionals and community groups to increase study enrollment, particularly among diverse patient populations. You will learn how to manage productive physician and community networks that result in highly qualified patient referrals through real-world examples of successful site efforts, and from recommendations on practical adjustments sites can make to their existing strategies to maximize their efforts without overburdening their schedules.

Diversity of Research Personnel: Knowing Who We Are to Know Who We Serve

This webinar highlights how lack of diversity in the recruitment of study subjects impacts the generalizability of research findings, and how evaluating diversity among your research team members will inform study design and recruitment strategies. In turn, this will increase diversity among recruited subjects and make research findings more broadly applicable to wider populations.

Informed Consent Simulation

This interactive, simulation-powered training program helps ensure informed consent is obtained by the right subject, with the right forms, by the right people, through the right process, at the right time, and with the right documentation.

ACRP Clinical Research Knowledge Assessment™ (CRKA)

Whether you’re an emerging professional looking to demonstrate your foundational knowledge to prospective employers or an organizational leader looking for an efficient, effective way to vet new hires, ACRP’s new Entry-Level Knowledge Assessment (ELKA) is for you.

Certified Quality Manager Training

Increase your influence and expand your career opportunities by validating your commitment to quality. The Quality Management Institute and ACRP have partnered in a program of education for individual professionalism and the quality management of clinical research sites.

• BCO, CDC, CRC, CRN, CRS, CTMS Admin, DM, DoP, DoSA, DMCTO, DMRA, DSM, DSP, Executive, Investigator, MA, MD, MRS, MSO, MW, MCRA, PR, PMs, QCS, RS, RM, RTA, SSSU, Statistician, , Trainer

Clinical Trial Monitoring Basics

Become an expert on quality and risk-management strategies and procedures. This interactive eLearning course answers the fundamental questions: What is RBM and how is it different from the standard monitoring approach?

• Entry Level , Intermediate
• BCO, BD, CDC, CRC, CRN, CRS, CTMS Admin, DM, DoP, DoSA, DMCTO, DMRA, DSM, DSP, Executive, FA, Investigator, MA, MD, MRS, MSO, MW, MCRA, PR, Pharmacist, PMs, QCS, RS, RM, RTA, SSSU, , Trainer

Ethics and Human Subject Protection: A Refresher Course

When in need of a comprehensive refresher, this on-demand eLearning course provides a consolidated overview on the history and importance of ethical conduct in clinical trials involving human subjects.

• Investigator,

Investigator Responsibilities

Learn the various responsibilities of clinical investigators based on FDA Regulations, ICH Guidance Documents, and international standards.

Improving Recruitment, Accrual, and Retention in Clinical Trials

Explore best practices to improve recruitment and retention with a focus on operational efficiency, cultural competency, and patient centricity. Included tools will help you assess how to better communicate with potential participants and begin a critical reflection of your own skills and organizational practices.

Trial Feasibility and Selection: Their Impact on Accrual

Selecting the right trial for your clinical research site is key to the success of your accrual for the trial. This eLearning course will discuss how the menu or portfolio of studies offered at a site has an important impact on accrual and how research professionals can become part of the process.

• CRC, CRN, Investigator, PR, RM

Implementing a Patient-Centered Informed Consent Process

Improve your consent process by learning how to assess a participant’s reading level, health literacy, and overall understanding of clinical trial participation and address culture, learning styles, emotional states and language. This eLearning course will provide essential tools for those directly involved in informed consent discussions.

Using Metrics to Improve Subject Recruitment and Retention

Overcome challenges in subject recruitment and retention by learning how to leverage the metrics critical to success. This eLearning course will teach site personnel assess current site performance and readiness for action, and to implement appropriate metric measurement and monitoring.

• BCO, BD, CDC, CRC, CRN, CRS, CTMS Admin, DM, DoP, DoSA, DMCTO, DMRA, DSM, DSP, Executive, FA, Investigator, MA, MD, MRS, MSO, MW, MCRA, PR, Pharmacist, PMs, QCS, RS, RM, RTA, SSSU, Statistician, Trainer

Introduction to Clinical Trials

Fundamental education about the role clinical research plays in advancing medical knowledge and the work conducted by clinical research professionals. This free eLearning course details how medical products are developed, how volunteer patients are protected, and key roles in the development, research, review, and approval of medical products.

• Intermediate , Senior

Site Quality Management Tools: SOPs, Metrics and Training

Master quality-related processes and procedures required to ensure trial compliance. This eLearning course is a comprehensive training program that prepares you for the next step of setting up a quality management system– essential information for site personnel involved in quality management and improvement.

• BCO, CDC, CRC, CRN, CRS, DM, DoP, DoSA, DMCTO, DMRA, DSM, DSP, Executive, Investigator, MA, MD, MRS, MSO, MW, MCRA, PR, Pharmacist, PMs, QCS, RS, RM, RTA, SSSU, Statistician, Trainer

Inspection Readiness: Best Practices for Managing Clinical Trial Inspections

Reduce your anxiety by being prepared for clinical trial inspections. This eLearning course takes you through the full cycle of a regulatory authority GCP inspection and answers key questions including: Why, when and where are regulatory inspections performed? Who can be inspected? And more.

Mastering the Event Reporting Cycle: Understanding Your Impact on Patient Safety

Efficiently identify and report safety events in your clinical trials. This eLearning course, appropriate for all clinical research professionals, guides you through the complete event reporting cycle and critical timelines, as defined in ICH E2a and E6 Guidelines.

• BCO, BD, CDC, CRC, CRN, CRS, DM, Investigator, MA, MD, MRS, MW, MCRA, PR, Pharmacist, PMs, QCS, RS, RM, RTA, SSSU, Statistician, Trainer

Understanding Clinical Trial Protocols: Key Considerations for Effective Development and Feasibility Review

Expand your knowledge and skills in study protocol design and review. This e-Learning course covers the anatomy of a protocol, hypothesis development, study design, subject safety and data integrity risk considerations, protocol feasibility and protocol amendments.

Statistical Principles for Clinical Trials: Overview of ICH E9

Improve protocol interpretation and implementation by understanding trial scope, design, conduct, data analysis, and the evaluation and reporting of safety and tolerability data. This eLearning course explores the International Conference on Harmonization’s E9 guideline Statistical Principles for Clinical Trials.

• BCO, CRC, CRN, DMCTO, Executive, FA, Investigator, MCRA, PMs, RM, RTA, SSSU, Trainer

Mastering Budgeting at Your Site: Building and Negotiating Clinical Trial Budgets that Make Sense

An essential course for all clinical research professionals involved in the clinical trial agreement and/or budget process for industry-initiated trials.

Key Skills for Ensuring Quality Control through Risk-Based Decision Making

Gain confidence in making risk-based decisions and implementing actions related to quality control initiatives. This eLearning course covers key aspects related to risks in clinical trials, including: identification, analysis, planning, communication, change management and much more.

• CDC, CRC, CRN, CRS, CTMS Admin, DM, DoP, DoSA, DMCTO, DMRA, DSM, DSP, Investigator, MA, MD, MRS, MSO, MW, MCRA, PR, Pharmacist, PMs, QCS, RS, RM, RTA, SSSU, Statistician, Trainer

ICH Gap Analysis

Assess your and your team’s training needs quickly by conducting an ICH gap analysis. This eLearning course uses a game to challenge the learner’s knowledge and application of these important efficacy guidelines.

• Investigator, MCRA, PMs

Form FDA 1572: Get it Right the First Time

The Statement of Investigator (Form FDA 1572) doesn’t have to be complicated – let us help you get it right the first time. This eLearning course answers the questions of why, when and how to complete the FDA 1572 to make everyone’s jobs easier.

Ethics and Human Subject Protection: A Comprehensive Introduction

Explore the ethical considerations facing clinical research professionals and learn to put the rules into practice to ensure human subject safety and well-being. This eLearning course provides in-depth training on the importance of ethical conduct in clinical trials involving human subjects.

The Drug Development Process: ICH E8(R1) General Considerations for Clinical Trials

Develop a better understanding of the overall drug development process and how each study fits into the “big picture” of the development life cycle. This eLearning course puts into practice the ICH E8 guidance document General Considerations for Clinical Trials.

Building Quality Management Systems for Sites and Sponsors: Root Cause and CAPA

Implement a Quality Management System (QMS) and prevent findings related to patient safety, data quality and regulatory compliance. This eLearning course will teach you risk management strategies to avoid inaccurate trial data, regulatory non-compliance and more.

• BCO, CDC, CRC, CRN, CRS, CTMS Admin, DM, DoP, DoSA, DMCTO, DMRA, DSM, DSP, Executive, Investigator, MA, MD, MRS, MSO, MCRA, PR, Pharmacist, PMs, QCS, RS, RM, RTA, SSSU, Trainer

eResearch: Managing Clinical Trials in an Electronic Environment

Learn how to set up and manage electronic clinical research documents in compliance with U.S. and EU regulations, and current trends from both the site and sponsor perspectives. This eLearning course examines the challenges of working with electronic documents and how to overcome them.

Clinical Research Certification

Clinical research training.

Get Certification in Clinical Research with Comprehensive Clinical Trials Training Online

Get clinical research career training in 1 to 4 weeks with our online accredited clinical research courses. Trusted by organizations and experienced researchers.

Our clinical research courses are used by students at 1,200+ organizations, 6 government agencies, and 308 universities.† Graduates of our program work at 1,600+ different companies.‡

Advanced ICH GCP Certification (AGCPC)

Objectives: Provide an advanced and engaging review of International Conference on Harmonization Good Clinical Practice (ICH GCP) guidelines updated for 2024.

Students Enrolled: 3,166†

Students came from: Multiple universities, hospitals, research facilities, contract research organizations, medical practices, and biopharmaceutical companies at different stages

Requirements: HS Diploma or GED

Format: Advanced, online, self-paced.

Length: 16 Hours. Online, self paced, start anytime.

Accreditation: ACCRE, Transcelerate Biopharma

Certification: Online certificate. Exam score 70% or higher on 2 attempts.

Graduates work at: University research groups, hospitals, clinics, clinical trial sites, pharmaceutical companies, and government agencies

Graduate Job Roles after course: ICH GCP training is required every 2 years for all research roles thus our graduates work in a range of fields.

Research roles: Research Assistant, Lab Assistant, Research Coordinator, Research Scholar, Postdoctoral Researcher, Graduate Research Assistant, etc. Intern roles: Research Assistant Intern, Outpatient Pharmacy Intern, Clinical roles: Clinical Affairs Intern, Clinical Fellow, Clinical Nurse, Clinical Operations Manager, Clinical Research Professional Teaching roles: Assistant Professor, Lecturer, Graduate Teaching Assistant, etc. Management roles: Clinical Research Manager, Pharmacy Operations Manager, Associate Director of Clinical Development, Vice President of Clinical Development Specialized roles: Drug Safety Associate, Regulatory Specialist, Scientific Consultant, Medical Laboratory Scientist, Pharmacovigilance Associate Other roles: NHS Primary Care QI Facilitator, Government Healthcare Recruiter, Research Ethics Coordinator (based on review of new job positions after enrollment in course)

Pharmacovigilance and Drug Safety

Advanced pharmacovigilance and argus safety certification (apvasc).

Objectives: Gain advanced education in pharmacovigilance management and proficiency in international regulatory affairs and drug safety monitoring.

Students Enrolled: 5,708†

Students came from: CROs, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies,

Requirements: Bachelors in Biology or Natural Science OR Pharmacist Degree. Many roles require prior clinical research experience which can be gained by other entry level positions through our CRC or ICH GCP training.

Length: 110 Hours. Online, self paced, start anytime.

Accreditation: ACCRE, Joint Accreditation for CE with ACPE 17.5 CME for Pharmacists.

Graduates work at: Pharmaceutical and Biotech Companies, Healthcare Service Providers, Regulatory Bodies and Research Institutes, Consulting and Services Companies, Consumer Goods Companies, Healthcare Information and Service.

Graduate Hired As: Regulatory Affairs Associate, Clinical Trial Drug Safety Associate, Drug Safety Specialist, Patient Safety Senior Associate, Pharmacovigilance Scientist, Pharmacovigilance Manager, Senior Pharmacovigilance Associate, Pharmacovigilance Regional Head, Pharmacovigilance Analyst, Senior Director Quality, Pharmacovigilance Data Entry Manager, Principal Pharmacovigilance Scientist, QA & Medical Complaint Handling Associate, Senior Manager Medical Safety Officer, Medical Affairs Senior Scientist, Quality Manager, VP Medical Affairs, Clinical Guidelines Coordinator, Clinical Data Monitor, Pharmacovigilance Specialist, Regulatory Project Manager, Product Safety Manager, Manager Pharmacovigilance Operations, Regulatory Affairs Manager, Clinical Pharmacist Consultant, Product Vigilance Manager, Epidemiologist, Senior Manager Safety and Pharmacovigilance, Associate Director of Pharmacovigilance Department, Qualified Person Responsible for Pharmacovigilance (QPPV), Pharmacovigilance Deputy, Regulatory Affairs Manager, Senior Scientist, Senior Medical Advisor, Cosmetovigilance, Drug Safety and Medical Information Specialist, Environmental Analyst, Vice President Clinical Development, Operation Specialist (Life Cycle Safety/Drug Safety/Medical Information), Regulatory Affairs Supervisor & QPPV, Senior Director Clinical Operations, Safety, and Customer Service Excellence, Regulatory Affairs - Pharmacist, Vice President Operations, QA Executive, Health Advisor Pharmacist, COVID Health Specialist - Case and Contact Manager, Senior Project Manager, Pharmacy Manager, R&D Post-Implementation Service, Pharmacy Manager, Investigations Associate, Lead Clinical Operations Safety/Quality Responsible, Pharmacist, Trial and Supply Management, etc. (based on review of new job positions post-enrollment)

Clinical Research Associate

Advanced clinical research associate certification (acrac).

Objective: Obtain a thorough understanding of clinical research to proficiently fulfill the duties of a Clinical Research Associate.

Students Enrolled: 7,536†

Students came from: Pharmaceuticals and Biotech Companies, Clinical Research and Consulting Services, Hospitals and Healthcare Providers, Universities and Academic Institutions

Requirements: Seeking candidates with a Bachelor's in Biology/Natural Science, Nursing Degree, or MBBS/IMG Degree for entry-level positions . Consider obtaining ACRP or SOCRA credentials after gaining 2 years of experience. Students with credentials and/or 2 years of experience (18% of cohort) still choose our course to refresh their knowledge because of our comprehensive review.

Length: 200 Hours. Online, self paced, start anytime.

Accreditation: ACCRE, Joint Accreditation for CE with ACCME, ANCC, ACPE, ICPE for 17.5 CME for Physicians, Nurses, Pharmacists, and Healthcare Professionals. Candidate for Federally Qualified Post-Graduate Institution with MSA-CESS.

Graduates work at: Pharmaceutical and Biotech Companies, Clinical Research and Consulting Services, Consulting and Professional Services, Consumer Goods Companies, Hospitals and Healthcare Providers, Government Health Departments, Universities and Academic Institutions, Healthcare IT and Services.

Graduate job roles post-course: Clinical Research Associate, Clinical Trial Monitor II, Research Associate, CRA II, Scientist, Quality Assurance Analyst, Senior Clinical Research Associate, Research Associate in Discovery Immunology, Clinical Trial Monitor/CRA, Clinical Trials Project Manager, Associate Director of Research Nursing, Clinical Trial Navigator, Clinical Director for R&D, Senior Clinical Research Associate, Clinical Research Professional, Medical Science Liaison, Clinical Trial Associate III, Quality Assurance Associate II, IRB/SRC Analyst II, Project Manager, Clinical Trial Associate, Clinical Research Coordinator, Public Health Advisor, Associate Scientist II, Strategy Analyst, Clinical Research Associate II, Clinical Operations Specialist, Advisor - Development Clinical Research Scientist, Neuroscience, Associate Clinical Engineer, Clinical Trial Management Associate, Quality Supervisor, Clinical Research Data Coordinator (based on review of new job positions post-enrollment)

Clinical Research Coordinator

Advanced clinical research coordinator certification (acrcc).

Objective: Acquire comprehensive proficiency in clinical research coordinator training encompassing patient care, regulatory compliance, and trial oversight.

Students Enrolled: 3,653†

Students came from: Hospitals and Healthcare Providers:, Clinical Research and Consulting Services, Healthcare Services, Pharmaceutical and Biotech Companies, Clinical Research Centers

Requirements: HS Diploma or GED OR Nurses OR Professionals with patient experience.

Length: 150 Hours. Online, self paced, start anytime.

Accreditation: ACCRE, Joint Accreditation with ANCC for 17.5 CME for nurses.

Graduates work at: Pharmaceutical and Biotech Companies, Hospitals and Healthcare Providers, Universities and Academic Institutions, Clinical Research and Consulting Services, Diagnostic Services, Consumer Goods Companies, Healthcare Services, Cancer Treatment and Research Centers.

Graduate job roles post-course: Clinical Research Coordinator, Clinical Research Coordinator II, Lead Clinical Research Coordinator, Senior Clinical Research Coordinator, Oncology Research Coordinator, Clinical Study Coordinator, Clinical Research Data Coordinator, Clinical Research Nurse, Clinical Director/ Office Manager, Regulatory Contact/ Clinical Research Coordinator, Clinical Research/Regulatory Coordinator, Clinical Trials Specialist, Research Regulatory Specialist, Certified Clinical Research Coordinator, Clinical Research Specialist, Sr. Director of Clinical Operations   (based on review of new job positions post-enrollment)

Clinical Research Assistant

Advanced clinical trial assistant certification (actac).

Objective: Enhance skills required to support clinical trials, focusing on trial conduct, data collection, and administrative duties.

Students Enrolled: 1,800†

Students came from: Various universities, hospitals, clinics, and clinical research sites, etc.

Requirements: HS Diploma or GED. Current high-schoolers with evidence of active research internship can enroll.

Length: 50 Hours. Online, self paced, start anytime.

Accreditation: ACCRE, Transcelerate Biopharma.

Graduates work at: Various universities, hospitals, clinics, scholarships, internships, and clinical research sites.

Graduate job roles post-course: Clinical research assistant, clinical trial assistant, clinical researcher professional, clinical research coordinator, trial assistant, research assistant.

Clinical Research Project Manager

Advanced Clinical Research Project Manager Certification (ACRCC)

Objective: Prepare students for clinical trial management certification by teaching them how to effectively oversee large-scale clinical studies, ensuring adherence to protocols, budget, and timelines.

Students Enrolled: 1,190†

Students came from: Several CROs, universities, hospitals, clinics.

Requirements: Prior Project Management or Clinical Research Experience.

Accreditation: ACCRE, Joint Accreditation for CME

Certification: Online certificate. Exam score 70% or higher on 2 attempts. 

Graduates work at: Pharmaceutical and Biotech Companies, Clinical Research and Consulting Services, Healthcare Staffing, Universities and Academic Institutions

Physician Medical Monitor

Advanced physician medical monitor certification (apmmc).

Prepare physicians for the specialized role of Medical Monitor, with an emphasis on patient safety, protocol adherence, and data interpretation.

Students Enrolled: 1,438†

Requirements: Medical Degree (MBBS, IMG, FMG).

Accreditation: ACCRE, Joint Accreditation with AMA for 17.5 CME.

Physician Principal Investigator

Advanced principal investigator physician certification (apipc).

Equip licensed physicians in their country with the knowledge and skills to undertake the role of Principal Investigator in clinical research.

Students Enrolled: 391†

Requirements: Active Medical Degree. Nonactive medical doctors, PhDs, and PharmDs can work as Sub-I with this training.

Length: 100 Hours. Online, self paced, start anytime.

Clinical Research Courses

Clinical research associate training.

Requires bachelors of science . Monitor multiple clinical trial sites. Finish in 2-4 weeks.

Pharmacovigilance Training

Requires bachelors of science . Monitor drug safety. Finish in 2-3 weeks.

Clinical Research Coordinator Training

Requires 2 year degree . Support a clinical trial site. Finish in 1-3 weeks.

ICH GCP Training

Requires HS diploma. Required for all clinical trial professionals every 2 years .

Clinical Trial Assistant Training

Requires HS diploma . Assist in clinical trials. Finish in 1-2 weeks.

Clinical Research Project Manager Training

Requires clinical trial or project management experience . Finish in 2-4 weeks.

Principal Investigator Training

Requires active MD license or pending Sub-PI position . Conduct clinical trial at site. Finish in 1-3 weeks.

Medical Monitor Training

Requires MD or MBBS/IMG/FMG . Monitor clinical trials with medical knowledge. Finish in 2-4 weeks.

Triple Accredited Clinical Research Courses for 2024-2025

Transcelerate biopharma.

Recognizes CCRPS to be an accredited GCP trainer.

CCRPS is a candidate undergoing a 1 year intensive study for approval to be a federally recognized career and technical institution.

ACCRE accredits the professional program in Clinical Research leading to the Certificate of Clinical Research.

Institute for Credentialing Excellence

CCRPS maintains ICE organizational membership.

Upgrade your career or switch to a new path with our online clinical research training.

Joint accreditation.

CCRPS courses accredited by ACME, ICPE, and ANCC for doctors, pharmacists, and nurses for 17.5CME.

Postgraduate Institute for Medicine

CCRPS is audited by PIM for CME credit approval.

About CCRPS

Our online program for clinical research certification is trusted by thousands of students with our graduates finding careers at over 1,600 companies after taking our course per our 2024 survey. Ideal for career changers or those wanting to advance in roles like clinical research associate, coordinator, assistant, project manager, drug safety officer, principal investigator, or medical monitor.

Clinical research courses by CCRPS are accredited by major organizations (ACCRE, Transcelerate Biopharma, AMA, ACPE, ANCC, ICPE for CME through JA) and recognized by small to large-size clinical research organizations.

Developed by senior clinical research professionals to help students of all levels.

Training for a New Generation of Researchers

CCRPS provides affordable, industry-recognized research training that will improve your job prospects and trial outcomes. We offer ICH GCP training, CRA certification, CRC certification, research assistant training, pharmacovigilance certification, PI training, medical monitor, and clinical research project manager training. We serve clinical professionals including nurses, physicians, pharmacists, PhDs, premeds, and science-field graduates who want to transition or accelerate their careers with CCRPS.

Do you want more information on our selection of clinical research online training programs? Read below.

The ICH-GCP certification is out for 2024 and offers hours worth of in depth training on all aspects about Good Clinical Practice as defined by the International Conference on Harmonization. The most advanced modules provide a complete overview no matter what your background with pharmaceutical research might be; this includes ethical practices that prioritize safety along side transparent decision making processes where there are none!

Requirements for ICH GCP Certification

The only diplomas needed to enroll in this program are high school or equivalent level education (such as GED). However, if you have more training than that and would like a head start on understanding the material being taught at our college then it is recommended that prior learning be taken into consideration when scheduling classes.

Is ICH GCP Certification right for you?

The ICH-GCP training is a great way for anyone who needs an introduction or refresh on ICH GCP guidelines in order to be an great CCRP. Candidates appearing before interviewers may find themselves unprepared when it comes down solely and exclusively them, but this course will give you all the basics that are needed!

Download the ICH GCP guidelines .

Why choose our ICH GCP training?

Certification through the online ICH-GCP training confers multiple benefits not matched by any other GCP certification currently available, including being E6 (R2) compliant, having instant enrollment and flexible scheduling, being industry recognized, accredited by research authorities, and affordable with flexible payment options.

Institutions such as CROs that require employees to complete GCP certification can opt for a one-time annual fee payment which allows flexible scheduling for an unlimited number of trainees.

Research Assistant - Clinical Research Assistant

The research assistant certification provides you with the kick-start that will help gain better visibility for your application. The course is designed give thorough understanding of criteria needed in order conduct them effectively, what makes one organization more desirable than another when it comes time apply. The modules cover all aspects from planning through documentation, reporting & publication as well as safety practices necessary during participant recruitment/screening procedures

Requirements for Research Assistant Certification

The research assistant training is open to anyone, even without a high school diploma or equivalent.

High school students intending to work after graduation or interested in healthcare research may benefit from completing the clinical research assistant certification.

Premed students enrolled in an undergraduate degree program and majoring in one of the life sciences may also benefit from clinical research assistant training.

Why choose our clinical research assistant certification?

The research assistant certification is the leading choice for research assistant jobs because it is fully compliant with ICH-GCP and FDA CFR, covers all key concepts extensively, has flexible scheduling, is widely recognized and accepted, and is affordable.

Is research assistant training right for you?

The research assistant program provides a strong understanding of advanced Good Clinical Practice to have a successful career with room for growth. This program offers hands-on experience in subject-facing dimensions of clinical research trials, including training in: the proper protocol for obtaining informed consent, eliciting subject cooperation during trials, obtaining necessary background information for trial documentation.

Trainees learn about subject safety monitoring, which includes exposure to: Adverse Event (AE) identification, documentation and reporting, and trial protocol adherence.

The research assistant course materials contain real-life examples and case studies to help trainees develop insight into and build strategies for: increasing subject enrollment in new and ongoing studies, improving retention rates among subjects enrolled in an ongoing study.

This advanced clinical research coordinator training program is designed to provide in-depth coverage of all aspects, from basic pharmacovigilance and regulatory audits right up through planning for scientific integrity. The course teaches students everything they need know about how best handle each situation that may arise during their career as a Clinical Research Coordinator - no matter what field area interests them most!

Requirements for CRC Certification

The clinical research coordinator (CRC) is a senior member of the clinical research team with responsibilities in overseeing the smooth conduct of clinical research. Candidates must possess a minimum of an associates degree.

Is clinical research coordinator training right for you?

The objectives of candidates enrolling in the clinical research coordinator course are typically related to advancing their clinical research careers. Research professionals enroll in the program to build the relevant knowledge base and administrative skills needed to strengthen their applications for CRC positions. Use the clinical research coordinator course refresh or upgrade their skill-set and obtain certification in research coordination.

Why choose our CRC Certification?

Our clinical research coordinator training has emerged as the clear industry preference when it comes to certifying candidates for on-site roles in clinical research, due to its updated compliance information, broad and deep content coverage, flexible scheduling, and industry-wide reputation for quality.

Our clinical research coordinator certification is accredited by the ACCRE, ACCME, ACPE and ANCC - the most widely recognized and accepted CRC programs across the industry - making it a sound investment for those looking to pursue a career in clinical research.

The course tuition is affordable and can be paid up-front or in easy monthly installments

The Clinical Research Associate Program is the perfect opportunity for you to have a career in research! This advanced program has over 200 hours of specialized training, which will teach students everything they need. You'll learn how to write reports and site visits with ease using our curriculum that covers all topics related directly or indirectly toward clinical trials work--and even teaches additional techniques for efficiency and workflow.

Requirement for CRA Certification

In order to enroll for the clinical research associate certification , one must have a bachelor’s degree in life science or a health-care science, or a graduate degree in medicine.

Is CRA training right for you?

Graduates with a bachelor's degree in science who are interested in exploring clinical research can benefit from taking this course. Aspirants to CRA jobs looking to boost their hire visibility can also benefit from taking the course. Health-care professionals (RNs, NPs, PAs and others) aiming to either transition to or advance a career in clinical research.

CRAs with less than 5 years of work experience wishing to fast-track. Also, CRAs, Senior CRAs and other clinical research personnel needing a refresher course.

Why choose our CRA Certification?

The clinical research associate course confers a number of advantages on the individual, whether they are entering the field of clinical research or working to advance their career.

CRAs certified through clinical research associate training have up-to-date knowledge of both ICH and FDA regulatory requirements for human subject safety in clinical research.

The program is flexible, allowing trainees to fit the training into a busy schedule. There is an emphasis on hands-on training using real-life clinical research examples and data sets.

Completing the clinical research associate course is recognized across the US as equivalent to 17.5 CME credits.

Qualifying candidates receive not only a widely accepted and recognized clinical research associate certificate.

Pharmacovigilance

The pharmacovigilance course is an advanced program that will prepare you for a career in PV, with the most comprehensive syllabus covering all aspects from pre-clinical phase to post market surveillance (Phase IV clinical trials).

Requirements for Pharmacovigilance Certification

The goal of pharmacovigilance is to ensure the safety of all drugs and medical devices. QPPVs are responsible for achieving this goal through and beyond clinical trials. To be a QPPV, one must have considerable medical knowledge, statistical skill, and analytical ability. Candidates for the pharmacovigilance and regulatory affairs certification must possess a minimum of:

A bachelor’s degree in life science OR a health-care science

Is clinical research drug safety certification right for you?

The pharmacovigilance certification is beneficial for those in the clinical research field who wish to upgrade their qualifications and expertise. CTAs/CRAs, SCRAs/CRCs, medical and nursing professionals, and QPPVs can all benefit from enrolling in the program.

Enrolling in the pharmacovigilance training gives aspirants an edge when applying for positions that require advanced knowledge of PV compliance, data analytics, software management skills, medical-legal awareness, etc.

Why choose our pharmacovigilance and drug safety training?

Our drug safety and regulatory affairs course is one of the leading pharmacovigilance certification program by recruiters across the industry. The pharmacovigilance certification is compliant with FDA CFR and WHO-ISoP, providing trainees with up-to-date coaching on all relevant regulatory codes and standards. The focus areas of the pharmacovigilance course comprehensively cover all domains of knowledge and skill required for an effective QPPV. The pharmacovigilance course trains candidates in creating, managing and retrieving case report forms using Argus Safety software. CCRPS regulatory affairs certification offers on-demand, flexible scheduling to allow enrolled students to complete the program at their own pace. The pharmacovigilance and drug safety course tuition is payable either up front or in two easy monthly installments.Explore comprehensive clinical data management training and placement opportunities in the USA. Develop your skills and secure promising positions in this dynamic field. Unlock your potential for success today.

How to Become A Trial Project Manager

Requirements for clinical trial project manager training

Clinical research project managers must have a bachelor's degree in a scientific field. We require prior clinical trial experience in managerial roles or prior project manager experience though graduates seeking to grow in their current career can take the course. They must be able to manage and coordinate all aspects of clinical trials. They must be able to keep up with ever-changing regulations governing clinical trials

Why choose our medical monitor training?

Our clinical trial project manager training is the most comprehensive and up-to-date program available You will learn how to manage clinical trials from start to finish, including budgeting, scheduling, and communication.

Upon completion of the program, you will be a certified clinical trial project manager . Our tuition rates are very affordable compared to other programs in this field.

Is project manager certification right for you?

If you're a project manager or coordinator who is looking to enhance your skills and salary, then clinical research project manager training may be right for you. Earning clinical research project manager certification can help you stand out from other project managers and improve your career prospects.

You must also pass an exam that covers topics such as risk management, stakeholder relationships and data management.

If you meet these qualifications, then becoming certified can help you demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in the field of clinical research project management . Not only will this make you a more valuable asset to your current employer, but it can also open up doors to new opportunities down the road.

Certified clinical research professionals work in a booming industry and there’s no doubt that project managers are in high demand. If you want to make the jump into clinical trial project management, or if you’re already a project manager but want to specialize in pharmaceuticals, our course is exactly what you need.

How to Become a Medical Monitor

Requirements for medical monitor training

Medical monitors are senior members of the clinical research team who oversee the ethical, safe, and transparent conduct of clinical research.

To qualify as a medical monitor, trainees must have a degree in medicine (MD), a non-US degree in medicine (IMG/FMG), or a master’s degree in pharmacy (PharmD).

Physicians with one or more years of exposure to medical research may also qualify as medical monitors.

The medical monitor certification is a program that covers the full range of knowledge domains essential for an medical monitor role, from the philosophy behind GCP to present-day regulatory requirements for clinical research. The course curriculum reflects the most updated regulatory policies related to FDA’s CFR Title 21, as well as E6 (R2) ICH-GCP guidelines. Trainees have the option of on-demand scheduling to fit with their busy schedules.

Is Medical monitor certification right for you?

The medical monitor training offers a comprehensive overview of the principles of Good Clinical Practice, as well as compliance requirements for ethical and safe medical research.

This is the only program that provides in-depth training on all aspects of clinical research design and execution.

The medical monitor course also covers pharmacovigilance concepts crucial to a medical monitor’s role such as AE/SAE identification and tracking; probabilistic assessment of AEs/SAEs as ADRs; risk management in clinical trials.

Trainees gain working knowledge of financial regulatory compliance: disclosure documentation & updating; FDA audit protocols & strategies.

An added advantage is its focus on digitized elements such remote data monitoring tools (software & video), EDC capture & quality control

Principal Investigator

The principal investigator certification program is a great way for physicians involved in clinical research who want to transition into more senior roles, enhance their eligibility when applying or overseeing trials process. It provides PIs with the ideal means of upgrading career skills while also helping them become better fundraisers and managers!

Requirements for Principal Investigator Certification

To be a certified PI, you must be a practicing physician. You may also either be the PI or Co-PI of an ongoing clinical research study, or have been the Ex-PI or former Co-PI of a completed study.

Is Principal Investigator training right for you?

The principal investigator certification provides a thorough, yet quick refresher of the regulatory and compliance requirements for ethical, safe and transparent medical research. This is an in-depth review of all aspects of leading clinical research design and execution as a principal investigator, including: advanced trial design, randomization, blinding and unblinding; clinical site assessment, preparation active site monitoring and close-out; clinical trial protocol development and implementation, including trial monitoring tools and documentation; Investigational Product (IP) accountability storage and dispensing; Adverse Events (AEs), Serious Adverse Events (SAEs), Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR), Important Medical Event (IME) – identification tracking reporting; probabilistic assessment of AEs SAEs as ADRs – medical assessment statistical data analytics risk safety assessments in clinical trials.

Why choose our PI training course?

The principal investigator certification is the best choice for both physicians who want to get certified as a PI, and for industry experts who are looking for someone to fill a PI position. This is because the certification is very flexible and covers a lot of ground.

Additionally, those who become certified principal investigators will be up-to-date on the most recent regulatory policies related to FDA CFR Title 21 and the E6 (R2) ICH-GCP guidelines. This means that they will be qualified to manage compliance requirements in a clinical study.

The course curriculum includes all of the knowledge domains essential for clinical research principal investigator training , but busy professionals can review only the modules most relevant to them and their needs. This way, they can still update their knowledge and skills without having to spend a lot of time on it.

Clinical Research Staff Training

CCRPS works with pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, and contract research organizations to efficiently train and certify their clinical research associates, coordinators, and assistants to meet ICH GCP and CFR compliance for their staff. We can provide outsourced clinical research staff training set up within 1-2 business days. We work with organization budgets and staff training size to provide comprehensive and transformational education for onboarding and updating staff compliance with ICH GCP and job training requirements. We have worked directly with organizations and groups ranging from 2 employees to 179 employees.

The Platform for Clinical Research Education

Research Blog

5 best clinical research courses for medical students seeking to publish.

A handpicked list of the top clinical research courses for learning how to publish a research article as a premed/medical student.

As residency applications become more competitive and the value of research continues to rise (especially in the wake of USMLE Step 1 becoming pass/fail), many medical students and IMG applicants are looking to boost their CVs with research experiences.

While the most straightforward way of doing this historically was to reach out to potential mentors and learn how to do research on the job, there now exist a number of online courses that can provide students and applicants with the foundational skills needed to successfully ask appropriate research questions, design experiments and analyze data. Below we highlight five clinical online research courses that will help medical students and residents learn the skills to publish their research projects.

Best Online Clinical Research Courses

Harvard online learning, stanford university, the university of chicago, the match guy research course.

Harvard Online Learning provides a wide selection of research courses that provide valuable knowledge and skills for individuals applying for residency programs in the United States. A great introductory course that is highly reviewed is their “ Foundations of Clinical Research ” course.

• 3x 14 hours of mandatory live online weekend workshops
• Over 40 hours of live sessions led by university faculty
• 6-month curriculum that includes 15 pre-course self-paced online lectures
• Topics covered include epidemiology, biostatistics, statistical programming and study design, research ethics, scientific communication and clinical trials
• Attendings receive a certificate of completion
• The prestigious reputation of Harvard University adds credibility to the certifications earned upon course completion, making them impactful additions to a residency application.
• Early application tuition is currently $6,900
• Standard tuition is $7,900
• These prices do not include additional educational materials that may be needed
• Though courses may be cost-prohibitive, the investment may be worthwhile, considering the exceptional quality of education and the ability to obtain a verified certificate from an Ivy League University

Stanford University also offers a selection of online medical research courses through Stanford Online. The “ Essentials of Clinical Research ” is a highly rated online course aimed at professionals engaged in clinical research.

• 10-session course introduces learners to basic principles of clinical research design, including biostatistics, design, and interpretation of diagnostic and predictive test studies
• Regulatory aspects of clinical research, conduct and oversight, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), and ethical dimensions of clinical research are also covered
• Option to take both live or on-demand courses
• Certificate of completion is available provided learners meet certain criteria
• Taught by experienced faculty members from Stanford University School of Medicine, these courses were designed to accommodate various learning styles, combining video lectures and interactive assignments.
• Focuses more on designing research protocols and research conduct than publishing research articles
• The average cost of Stanford’s online medical research courses might vary depending on the specific course and enrollment options; however, most courses are in the range of 1 unit/credit which is ~$1400
• Participants typically found the investment worthwhile given Stanford’s academic reputation and the high-quality educational content provided

The University of Chicago has a robust library of online courses, bootcamps, lectures and articles on a wide range of clinical research topics. A great introduction course is their “ Statistics and Research Methods Bootcamp. ”

• Topics include research question formulation, literature review, IRB approval and statistical concepts
• Participants can benefit from interactive learning experiences, including hands-on projects and peer discussions, fostering a deeper understanding of the subject matter
• Current pricing is $495 for this bootcamp
• Is also available as part of a larger 2-year master of science in threat and response management for users looking for an advanced professional degree

The Match Guy Research Courses aim at providing medical students and residents with the knowledge and skills necessary to hit the ground running and publish their own research projects. The Comprehensive Research Course From Idea to Publication is a good start if you would like to learn how to publish clinical research projects.

• This 14-hour online course focuses on the practical aspects of how to publish a research project
• Suitable even for those with no research background
• Covers major aspects of clinical research including literature reviews, IRB submissions, data collection, manuscript writing (there is a detailed lesson for each section of the manuscript) and 100+ interactive quizzes and exercises. You can find the detailed curriculum here .
• A big plus of this course is the money-back guarantee. After you buy the course, if you are not satisfied, you can get your money back (if you watched <20% of the course).
• The Match Guy Research Course can be bundled with a detailed statistics course (which is essential if you want to do your own statistical analysis for your research projects) and a systematic review course (which covers how to do a systematic review and meta-analysis).
• Upon completion of this course, participants will receive a certificate of completion which can be included in their CV and shared on LinkedIn.
• The Match Guy has a dedicated customer support service to answer any questions you have about the course. You can schedule a free consultation HERE .
• Pricing of this course is also very competitive starting from $49.00 for unlimited access for one month
• Other packages include longer access to the research course or bundling the research course with the statistics or the systematic review courses.
• You can explore the different packages HERE .

Coursera offers a diverse range of research courses that cater to the needs of aspiring medical students and IMGs applying to residency programs. A great-entry level course that covers the fundamentals of clinical research is offered with the “ Understanding Research Methods ” course offered by the University of London.

• This course is ~5 hours and consists of 4 core modules that can be completed on the learners’ timeline.
• Focused on understanding research questions, literature reviews, planning/management and self-evaluation.
• Does not teach you how to design a research study and how to publish a research article.
• Learners can enroll for free
• Upon completion certificates can be purchased for ~$30
• If you are planning on taking multiple courses, there is also Coursera Plus which is a monthly subscription plan that runs $59/month or a flat annual fee of $399.

Final Thoughts

That wraps up our overview of the best online clinical research courses.

There are many research courses out there, but only a few of them will teach you the skills to publish a research project. We hope this blog will help you select the most suitable course for your needs.

However, if you are still doubting which course to start with, we recommend scheduling a free consultation session (click HERE ) with our customer support team who will guide you on the best course to achieve your goals.

We wish you the best of luck on your research journey.

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Medical Education Research Certificate (MERC) Program

The Medical Education Research Certificate (MERC) program is intended to provide the knowledge necessary to understand the purposes and processes of medical education research, to become informed consumers of the medical education research literature, and to be effective collaborators in medical education research. Alone, MERC is not intended to produce independent medical education researchers. 

The program is open to all who are interested in improving their educational research skills and is targeted for those with a background in medical education but relatively less experience in conducting educational research. The courses are targeted for clinicians and other educators who desire to learn research skills that will enable collaborative participation in medical education research projects.

Each three-hour workshop focuses on a key skill or area in educational research, emphasizes opportunities for hands-on activities and active participation so as to maximize the applicability of the workshop principles. Six workshops of the participant's choosing must be completed to qualify for the certificate. These can be taken in any order.   Read the workshop descriptions . 

Register for an upcoming virtual workshop.

Certificate Registration

Those interested in receiving a MERC Certificate must complete six (6) workshops. In order to receive a MERC Certificate, you must first complete six (6) workshops. Upon completion, you may request your certificate . Certificates are sent via email at the end of each month. There is no fee associated with the certificates at this time.

Cancellation Policy

If there are fewer than 8 people registered for the MERC workshop by the deadline, the workshop will be canceled. You will be notified and your money refunded.

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MERC Steering Committee

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MERC Contacts

Jean Bailey, PhD Associate Dean for Faculty Development Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine [email protected]

[email protected]

• Medical Education

Begin Your Medical Research Journey

Every vaccine, drug, and treatment used in medicine is the result of evidence-based research. For a cancer therapy to succeed, medical researchers have to ask a question. Will it work? In this course you will learn the process researchers use to formulate, conduct, and evaluate the evidence they gather. You will be tasked with developing your own study using professional methods. For any high schooler thinking about a future in STEM, medical research, pharmaceuticals or medical school, this course is for you.

Program Dates

Choose the course length that works for you: 1-week intensives, 2-week sessions, and 4-week sessions

Eligibility

For students ages 13 and up

Learn How Medical Research Gives Birth to Groundbreaking Treatments

Introduce yourself to clinical research..

Why is clinical research critical to medicine? Discover a clinical trial’s process. Familiarize yourself with how a study is organized, and how to navigate online research databases.

Learn the Steps of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM).

Explore the principles of EBM. Discover how EBM is applied to diagnoses. Study the EBM process and how to create a research question using the PICO method.

Consider the Ethical Considerations of Medical Research.

Compare and contrast ethical versus unethical research practices through case studies. Learn the basics of biostatistics and epidemiology. Create an outline for your own medical research question.

Learn How to Turn Your Research Study Into a Scientific Article.

Study medical journal articles. Understand a research article’s components and how to interpret it. Review how they affect innovations in medicine. Start thinking about your research question.

Delve Into Medical Research In Cancer.

Describe types and common causes of cancer. Discover how medical research has impacted cancer prevention, diagnostic advances, and how EBM is used to improve patient outcomes.

Explore College Majors and Future Careers.

Topics covered in this course offer a good background for potential college majors and career paths related to medical research, pharmacology, biostatistics, and the sciences.

How You Will Benefit

• You will comprehend the key elements of medical research.
• You will be able to define and discuss evidence-based medicine (EBM).
• You will understand the ethics and integrity essential to clinical research.
• You will gain insights into basic biostatistics and epidemiology and their role in medical research.
• You will learn how clinical trials drive innovations in healthcare.
• You will be able to assess if medical research is a field you might like to study in college and beyond.

Three Learning Advantages Designed for You

Final capstone project — cancer research.

The course culminates with a special Capstone Project where you will create a video presentation showing the components of the scientific method for clinical trials. You will:

• Use 2-3 research papers of your choosing around topics such as cancer research, prevention, screening, diagnosis, therapy survivorship/quality of life.
• Demonstrate what you’ve learned in this course.
• Get feedback from your mentors on your work.

You’ll receive guidance from a mentor who can support you and answer questions as you deepen your learning experience. You can expect:

• Encouragement and direction on all assignments.
• Inspiration, motivation and confidence to help you succeed.
• Brainstorming and ideation help as you prepare for your Final Capstone Project.

Flexible Learning

• 100% online learning that works with your schedule.
• Flexible format: you’ll learn through video lectures. Tune in anytime that works for you.
• 20 to 30 hours of total instruction and course work, including engaging multimedia, simulations, and curated assignments for which you will receive guidance and support from mentors.

Apply Now for the Next Available Course

May 5 - june 2.

Length: 4 weeks

Cost: $1,795.00

Application Deadline: Sunday, April 28, 2024

Type: Enrichment

May 19 - June 2

Length: 2 weeks

Application Deadline: Sunday, May 12, 2024

June 2 - June 16

Application Deadline: Sunday, May 26, 2024

Hear From Georgetown University

What Our Students Are Saying

"I would recommend this course, especially as a freshman in high school because this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I was able to expand my knowledge and understanding of the world of medicine just in two weeks. I was able to learn how patient-doctor interaction is just as important as working in the lab. I was informed about clinical research and even the FDA. I also discovered there is a role to determine whether something is moral or not in the world of medicine. This was such an amazing turning point for me!"

"I would highly recommend this course as it gives an extensive and clear overview of the medical research community. It explores career paths, how to conduct research, and the impact medical research has on the advancements of medicine."

Course Designed by Georgetown University Faculty

Dr. Malika Danner, MD

Academic Director and Curriculum Developer, Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital

Dr. Danner has an extensive background in teaching, biomedical research and applied clinical knowledge. She has spent over 15 years teaching health and science and served as an instructor for the U.S. Department of Education’s Upward Bound/TRIO summer programs. Dr. Danner received a Master’s Degree in Microbiology and Immunology from Georgetown University in 2002. She subsequently worked for the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center where she co-authored many publications in peer-reviewed journals for cancer research. In 2013, she earned a Doctorate of Medicine from Ross University School of Medicine in Dominica, WI. Dr. Danner currently works for MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology, where she leads clinical studies assessing Patient-Reported Outcomes of patients undergoing cancer treatment.

Meet Your Mentors

Undergraduate student at Georgetown University majoring in Neurobiology. Currently works in a lab with Professor Cervantes-Sandoval in order to create a novel model for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in fruit flies.

Received a B.S. in Biology of Global Health and minor in Statistics from Georgetown University. Former Vice President of Georgetown University Minority Association of Pre-Health Students (GUMAPS).

Received a B.S. in Biology of Global Health and a minor in Psychology from Georgetown University.

Received a B.S. in Global Health with a minor in Women's and Gender Studies from Georgetown University.

How to Apply

It’s easy. No transcripts or letters of recommendation are required. Our application asks you to provide the following:

• Basic contact information for you and your parent or guardian.
• Why you wish to take this course, and a bit of your story, through writing, video, photos—any media you prefer.

Begin the guided process . It should take only a few minutes to answer the questions.

Want to Know More?

Sign up for more information and we’ll be in touch.

Our application process is easy. You can expect a prompt decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

How will you be graded? What are assignments like? How much time do you have to turn around a project? When do you find out if you’re admitted? Find answers to your questions here .

Scholarships

We offer need-based scholarships in each cohort to students exhibiting high potential and an inability to pay full tuition. If you would like to be considered for a scholarship but you:

• Haven’t applied to the program, complete your application now. The scholarship application is included.
• Applied to the program and didn’t fill out a scholarship request, resume your application and click “Apply for Scholarship”.
• Are unsure about whether or not you applied for a scholarship, reach out to us at [email protected] for assistance.

The University reserves the right to modify the course as may become necessary.

8 Best + Free Medical Research Courses [2024 April]

Medical research is the bedrock upon which advancements in healthcare and medicine are built. It is through rigorous research that groundbreaking discoveries are made, innovative treatments are developed, and deeper insights into complex diseases are gathered. Medical research encompasses a vast domain, from clinical trials and biomedical studies to epidemiological analyses and molecular investigations. The knowledge and methodologies applied in this domain have the potential to shape healthcare policies, inform medical practices, and, most crucially, save and enhance lives. With the ever-accelerating pace of medical advancements and the increasing complexities of global health challenges, there’s a growing need for skilled professionals who can navigate the multifaceted world of medical research.

To cater to the burgeoning demand for expertise in this field, numerous online courses have been curated and designed to provide in-depth knowledge and practical skills in various aspects of medical research. However, amidst the overwhelming number of courses available, pinpointing those that offer comprehensive, cutting-edge, and authentic knowledge can be an endeavor. This is where DigitalDefynd comes to the fore. With an unwavering commitment to elevating the standards of online education, we’ve reviewed numerous courses to curate a list of the Best and Free Medical Research Courses . Created and led by leading experts and researchers, each course on our list promises an enriching and holistic learning experience. Whether you’re a medical professional, a budding researcher, or someone with a keen interest in the intricacies of medical science, our curated selection offers a pathway to deep understanding and mastery. Delve into these courses and set forth on a path that holds the potential to redefine the landscape of healthcare and medicine. Have a look at our Best Medicine Courses.

8 Best + Free Medical Research Courses & Classes [2024 April]

Free course trial – understanding medical research by yale university (coursera).

Developed by F. Perry Wilson, this is an excellent course on medical research that will provide you with the tools and skills that you need to interpret medical studies critically and determine the difference between good and bad science . During the course, you will cover study designs, research methods, and statistical interpretation, as well as you will learn about the dark side of the medical research while covering fraud, biases, and common misinterpretations of data. Moreover, the course provides you with multiple video lectures and downloadable resources to improve your overall learning process. Also, after successful completion, you will get a certificate of completion signed by Yale University faculty.

Highlights –

– Learn how to read a medical research paper efficiently while differentiating between good and bad science on your own.

– Know about the various tests used in medical research and how to spot common errors in methodology and inter-operation for each.

– Be able to read and analyze statistical figures, charts, and graphics, and verify the claims made in news articles.

– Gain knowledge and access to the tools that you need to determine the trustworthiness of the scientific information that you read.

– Get continuous support from an expert community who will help and advice you on understanding medical research.

Duration: 16 hours

Rating: 4.9 out of 5

You can Sign up Here

Free Course Trials – Clinical Research Courses (Coursera)

If you’re not getting the best clinical research courses available on e-learning platforms, then this list of courses offered by Coursera might help you in your quest. Coursera offers multiple clinical research courses that are provided by top universities around the world, such as Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, University of California San Diego, and many more. Among these courses, some of the best courses that you should enroll-in include Introduction to Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Understanding Clinical Research: Behind the Statistics , Clinical Epidemiology, Fundamentals of Immunology, etc. Also, each course is included with guided projects that you will need to submit at the end of the course to obtain your certificate of completion. Don’t forget to check our list of Best Medical Coding Courses .

– A list of practical and knowledgeable courses created by some of the best universities around the world to help individuals learn about clinical and medical research.

– Learn about design and interpretation of clinical trials, data management of clinical research, drug development, and biostatistics in public health.

– Learn how to do clinical research with Wolfram language while getting an introduction to the biology of cancer and the data science of health informatics.

– Access various downloadable resources, workbooks, quizzes, graded assignments, and hands-on projects with every course.

Duration: Self-paced

Rating: 4.4 out of 5

Free Course Trial – Understanding Clinical Research: Behind the Statistics by University of Cape Town (Coursera)

Whether you are a clinical practitioner who reads research articles to stay up-to-date with developments or a medical student who wants to learn how to approach your own research paper, then this course is the best choice for you. Taking up this course with full attention will provide you the confidence that you need to understand statistical analysis, published literature, and conducting your own research . The course is developed by Juan H Klopper, who is a professional instructor at the University of Cape Town. During the course, he will assist you personally via live video sessions of emails to provide you an improved understanding of the course material.

– A practical course that gives you an easy entry into interpreting common statistical concepts without getting into nitty-gritty mathematical formulae.

– Get an intuitive understanding of clinical research results with a practical orientation to the field of medical research and commonly used statistical analysis.

– Build an intuitive understanding of statistical analysis with the concept of a p-value, and then move on to the probability theory, the central limit theorem, and data distribution.

– Absolutely free to enroll without any hidden charges and the freedom to study from the comfort of your home.

Duration: 5-6 weeks, 4-5 hours/week

Rating: 4.8 out of 5

Related: How Can Healthcare Leaders Use AI?

Free Course Trial – Data Management for Clinical Research by Vanderbilt University (Coursera)

This introductory course will familiarize you with the critical concepts and practical methods of supporting planning, collecting, storing, and disseminating data in clinical research . Taking this course will help you learn and understand why implementing solid data management principles are critical for any scientific domain. The course is developed by professional instructors of Vanderbilt University, who are well-versed with all the concepts of clinical research. They will provide you additional assistance during the course to help you gain a better understanding of the clinical research. Also, after concluding the course, you will earn your certificate of completion that can be shared with employers to showcase your skills.

– Learn the fundamental concepts of clinical research while discussing the best practices for designing clinical research data collection.

– Cover the standards of study processes, ideas for regulatory compliance, and electronic data capture fundamentals.

– Get a walkthrough into various concepts of clinical research, such as creating visit forms, copying variables, renaming forms, testing the REDCap project, etc.

– Included with practical lessons, short quizzes with each session, graded assignments, and hands-on exercises with best practices for data management.

– Get continuous support and help from a team of experts to resolve your problems related to the course.

Duration: 18 hours

Rating: 4.7 out of 5

Online Medical Research Courses (Harvard University)

Whether you’re just beginning with clinical research or already have hands-on experience in it, this list of courses can help you improve your knowledge in every manner. There are three different courses available on the platform, which are designed by the best instructors of Harvard University, who have been teaching multiple students for years . Completing these courses will acknowledge you about almost everything that you need to understand research papers and write your own research paper. Also, you will get the opportunity to join a student support community, where you can interact with other students and instructors to submit your queries and resolutions.

– Learn about prescription drug regulations, costs, and access while understanding how the FDA regulates pharmaceuticals.

– Know the process of discovering, testing, and approving innovative drugs, as well as cover the perspectives on the criteria used for drug approval.

– Gain an inside look at tumor sequencing approaches and analysis and understand the links between genetics and cancer.

– Understand the basics of tumor immunology and how advanced knowledge of the immune system can impact patient care.

– Get access to recorded video sessions, graded assignments, hands-on exercises, practical exams, and much more to improve your overall learning.

Rating: 4.6 out of 5

Related: Application of Data Science in Healthcare and Medicine for Improved Patient Outcomes

Online Clinical Research Certificate Program (Drexel University)

Delivered by industry experts and professional instructors of Drexel University, this online clinical research program is specifically designed for individuals who are seeking clinical research credentials and want to make a successful career in the clinical research field . It is a 15-semester credit program, during which you will cover both business principles and clinical research industry best practices. Also, you will have to complete five graduate-level courses that contain information from the MS in Clinical Research Organization and Management curriculum to earn your professional credential from Drexel University. While learning from the sessions, if you face any problems or queries, then a team of experts will always be available to help you. Check out our take on Best Health Informatics Courses. 

– A professional certification program that will prepare you for the role of clinical research associate, analyst, or clinical research coordinator.

– Learn how to keep up with the changes in clinical research, financial, legal, and regulatory environments while gaining an in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of compliance, clinical trials, and pharmaceutical laws.

– Be able to build skills that are relevant to you and can help you navigate the evolving clinical research landscapes successfully.

– Tailor your study plan according to your requirements with the comfort of studying from your home.

Improving Healthcare through Clinical Research by the University of Leeds (FutureLearn)

This is a free online course that can help you find out how medical treatments are developed, tested, and appraised to improve healthcare for all. The course is developed by professional instructors of Leeds University, who are experienced in all aspects of clinical research. During the course, the instructors will take you through various case studies to examine how research contributes to the treatment of major diseases like cancer and dementia . Accredited by Certification Service, it will provide you with a certificate of completion after finishing the course with given assignments.

– A valuable course that focuses on the process of discovery, how it is used to improve healthcare, and the important ethical questions raised by research.

– Learn the fundamental concepts of the scientific process, and their importance in ensuring that clinical research delivers accurate information and answers.

– Understand how modern clinical trials are conducted, the importance of minimizing bias, and the role of techniques like placebos, blinding, randomization, and control.

– Know the importance of ensuring that clinical research is ethical and the fundamental values that are vital to ensure that clinical trials are set up and conducted in an ethically sound manner.

Duration: 4 weeks, 4-5 hours/week

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Related: Reasons to learn Bioinformatics

Thinking Critically: Interpreting Randomized Clinical Trials by Stanford Online (edX)

Developed by experienced instructors of Stanford University, this course can fulfill the clinical community’s need to improve your skills in the critical evaluation of clinical research papers. Enrolling in this course will help you learn how having essential skills of the appraisal can have a significant impact by improving quality of research projects, clinical practice, and peer-review of manuscripts and grants . Besides, it is included with recorded video lectures, practical assessments, grading quizzes with each session, and downloadable resources to provide you additional knowledge of critical research concepts. After ending this course, you will gain a certificate of completion signed by Stanford University. You may like to check our compilation of Best Medical Terminology Courses. 

– A knowledgeable course that will improve your thinking capability regarding clinical research and creating your own research papers.

– Included with efficient and engaging videos with relevant clinical examples to cover essential research methodology principles.

– Learn how to analyze the concepts of randomization and blinding to reduce bias, as well as how to develop strategies to critically appraise randomized clinical trials and determine whether the study results are valid or not.

– Offer opportunities like self-paced learning and practicing critical appraisal of a variety of published studies that evaluate benefit, harm, and prognosis.

Duration: 1 week

Rating: 4.3 out of 5

So these were the 8 Best Medical Research Courses, Classes, Tutorials, Training and Certification program available online for. We hope that you found what you were looking for. We wish you Happy Learning!

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At DigitalDefynd, we help you find the best courses, certifications, and tutorials online. Hundreds of experts come together to handpick these recommendations based on decades of collective experience. So far we have served 4 Million+ satisfied learners and counting.

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OCRECO Home > Clinical Research Education > Clinical and Translational Research Course for PhD Students

OFFICE OF CLINICAL RESEARCH EDUCATION AND COLLABORATION OUTREACH

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NIH Summer Course in Clinical and Translational Research

Thank you for your interest in the NIH Summer Course in Clinical and Translational Research for basic science researchers. The course provides an opportunity for didactic learning through lectures, discussions, and small group activities. The course also provides an opportunity to learn more about the unique resources available at the NIH, to meet with researchers and program administrators, and to learn more about potential career opportunities at the NIH.

We are happy to announce that we will be offering the option to attend our course in-person in addition to the virtual attendance we've offered during the pandemic. We feel that this hybrid version will be the best way to serve our students this year. If the COVID community levels rise and we are not able to host students on campus, we will switch to a fully online version. Please indicate in your application if you are interested in attending our course in-person or if you plan on attending virtually.

Course Details

July 22 – 26, 2024

"What is the role of the PhD scientist in clinical and translational research?"

The NIH Summer Course in Clinical and Translational Research is an intensive introductory course offered by the NIH Office of Clinical Research Education and Collaboration Outreach in Bethesda, Maryland. The purpose of the course is to demonstrate the role of PhD scientists in clinical and translational research, provide an overview and examples of how basic science and clinical observations lead to translational research, and increase awareness and access to PhD role models, research resources, and potential career opportunities at the NIH.

The course is offered by NIH at no cost.

Core Topics

The course will provide a foundation in key areas of clinical and translational research. Overarching topics are listed below:

• Study Design (Statistics and Critical Review)
• Protocol Development and Implementation
• Scientific and Ethical Review of Research
• Special Topics in Training and Research Opportunities
• Medical Product Development and FDA Regulations
• Implementing Lessons Learned

Eligibility Requirements

The course will be open to both doctoral graduate students and early career PhD investigators

All applicants must apply using the online process, which can be initiated below. Clicking on the "Submit Cover Letter & Biosketch" button below will initiate an email for applicants to attach their cover letter and biosketch documents. These two files should be sent in PDF format with the file name starting with the applicant's last name. The biosketch must follow the NIH format . Applicants do not need to complete the Scholastic Performance section. Applicants will provide their research advisor's / supervisor's contact information in the cover letter. The applicant's advisor / supervisor should email their Letter of Recommendation directly to the CTR Summer Course mailbox at [email protected] . Letters of recommendation must be sent by the posted deadline.

Selection Process

Applicants will be evaluated based on the strength of their biosketch and advisor's / supervisor's letter of recommendation. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance by July 1, 2024. Enrollment will be limited to a maximum of 30 students for the 2024 course.

Please direct all questions to [email protected]

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 61 great medical programs for high school students + advice.

Extracurriculars

Thinking about a career in medicine? I highly recommend trying out some medical experiences in high school before committing to a pre-med track . Many of my high school friends who hoped to go into medicine ended up changing their major during college when the pre-med courses got too difficult.

Doing a medical internship, summer program, or community service project in high school can help you decide if medicine is the right track for you before you waste time and money going pre-med in college. This guide will explain what experiences are open to you as a high school student, what those experiences involve, and how you will benefit from them.

What Medical Experiences Are Available to High School Students?

There are lots of ways to get a taste of what it's like to work in medicine. In my opinion, the best time to do this is over the summer. You have the most free time during the summer, and there are more experiences available.

There are many summer medical programs and summer medical internships for high school students across the country. These opportunities range from research experiences to in-hospital experiences. Some of these programs and internships charge you a fee to attend, some are paid for, and some even pay you to attend.

I've compiled a list of over 60 summer medical programs for high school students. Several of these programs and internships are limited to students from a specific state or area, so be sure to check specific programs for application requirements and fees. I've provided links to each program below.

If you'd like to get experience during the school year (on weekends and after school), you should consider shadowing a doctor or volunteering at a hospital. I'll discuss the details of volunteering and job shadowing later in the article.

List of Summer Medical Programs for High School Students

I've divided up the summer medical programs into three categories: Medical Programs, Medical Research Programs, and general Science Research Programs.

Medical Programs

In the medical programs category, I list programs that offer high school students the chance to get hands-on experience in medicine (non-research related) such as learning simple medical procedures, watching surgeries, shadowing doctors, working in hospitals, interacting with patients, and more . There are very few programs that offer this type of experience to high school students, and I highly recommend them since they'll give you the most realistic look at what life's like as a pre-med student, medical student, and medical professional.

Medical Research Programs

If you're unable to do one of the above medical programs, the next best thing is a medical research program. In these programs, you'll be working in a lab and helping with medical research that's in progress (i.e. looking at slides under a microscope, recording changes) or assisting with on-going clinical research (i.e. interviewing participants in an on-going trial of new medication, logging participant information in the computer). Many of these programs pair you with a mentor who works at your location. Also, several of these programs require you to give a presentation at the end of the program.

These medical research programs are extremely valuable because, as a pre-med student, you'll likely end up doing lab work either for class or as an extracurricular for your medical school application. If you do one of these programs in high school, you'll be a step ahead of your pre-med classmates.

(One quick note: many of these programs are free or pay stipends, but not every program provides free housing . Make sure you check each program's housing accommodations before you apply!)

Science Research Programs

If you can't do one of the medical research or medical programs, you should consider trying to do a science summer program/internship . These programs are not medicine-specific and cover a wide range of science topics (from plant life to space). However, these programs are still very valuable because as a pre-med student, you'll be learning a ton of science. As a part of your pre-med track, you'll be required to take Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, and more. Doing one of these science programs will give you a preview of the coursework ahead of you.

Also, many of these programs are lab work, and, although they're not focused on medical research, they will still give you good general insights into how to do lab work . As I said before, as a pre-med student, you'll likely end up doing lab work either for class or as an extracurricular for your medical school application. If you do one of these programs, you'll be well-prepared to do that research.

What Are the Pros and Cons of These Programs?

These medical programs can be a great experience for many high school students, but they can have some drawbacks. In this section we'll look at the pros and cons of medical programs for high school students.

• These programs and internships provide a real look at what life's like as a researcher, scientist, or medical student. You'll have a great sense of whether or not you'd like to pursue a career in the medical field after you finish your program.
• If you do a college campus program, you'll get a preview of college life . You can experience living away from home, and you can decide if you like the college. I did a summer program at UCLA during high school, and it made me realize that UCLA was not the school for me.
• As I said before, these opportunities give you the chance to evaluate if pre-med is the track you want to go down before you waste time and money in college. If you love your program, you'll be even more motivated to work hard to become a medical professional .
• You'll meet like-minded students who're interested in medicine/science.
• You'll have a great program or internship on your college application . By actually participating in a medical/science program, you'll show colleges that you're committed to pursuing a career in the medical field.
• If you attend a college campus program, and you're interested in going to college at the school that hosted the program, you'll have shown real interest in that college (which admissions officers always like to see).
• These programs can be expensive . However, some programs pay you to attend! Make sure you check out the individual program websites to find out the cost. And like we mentioned before, pay careful attention to housing! Some programs might offer stipends, but they may not cover housing or transportation costs.
• Also, these summer medical programs for high school students can be highly competitive (some admit very few students or have special qualifications such as having a 3.5 GPA or higher).
• Some programs may not provide you with the best insight into medicine , especially those that are less hands-on or only offer research exposure (which is not what you'll necessarily be interested in).

Other Options: Hospital Volunteer or Shadowing a Doctor

Volunteering and job shadowing are both great ways to participate in medical experiences at your local hospital. You can do them during the school year or the summer. Also, both opportunities are free!

What's the difference between volunteering & job shadowing a doctor? As a hospital volunteer, you'll have to apply (and likely interview) to be a volunteer (along with getting a TB test and filling out paperwork). You'll attend a hospital volunteer orientation and be assigned a specific "job" at the hospital, such as assisting the nurses or assisting hospital visitors in navigating the hospital. As a volunteer, you'll be required to commit to volunteering for a certain number of shifts per week. You also may have to commit to volunteering for six months or more.

Job shadowing is a shorter experience and much less formal. You can shadow a doctor for as little time as a few hours or a day or two. While shadowing, you follow a doctor around while they go about their normal activities. They may ask you to help them with basic tasks (grabbing a chart or taking notes), but probably not. You'll be there to see what a doctor does in their daily routine to determine if it interests you.

To sign up to be a hospital volunteer, apply through the hospital's website. If you're having trouble locating the hospital's website or contact information, check with your school academic advisor. They may have a connection to the local hospital or might know another student who has volunteered or job shadowed there and who could help you get involved.

To find a job shadowing opportunity, reach out to any friends or family who work in the medical field. See if they know any doctors whom you could shadow. Also, ask your school's academic advisor if they know other students who shadowed a doctor and could give you more information. If your school can't help you, get in touch with the hospital directly to see if they can help you set up a job shadowing opportunity. If you need more advice on job shadowing, read our other guide.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Shadowing a Doctor or Being a Hospital Volunteer?

Shadowing a doctor or being a hospital volunteer is a significantly different experience than participating in a summer medical program, and they have their own set of pros and cons.

• As opposed to summer programs, these experiences are always free. As I said above, some medical programs and internships can cost a lot of money. Job shadowing and being a hospital volunteer are free experiences that will only cost you your time. These are great options if you can't afford the cost of a summer program.
• Job shadowing and being a hospital volunteer can provide a real look into life as a doctor or nurse. By following them around or working in a hospital, you'll get a sense of the work environment and what life is like on a day-to-day basis for a medical professional.
• As I said before, these opportunities give you the chance to evaluate if pre-med is the track you want to go down before you spend time and money in college. If you don't like your experience job shadowing or as a volunteer, you might realize pre-med isn't the right path for you. However, if you love your experience, you'll feel more motivated to work towards your goal of becoming a medical professional.
• Job shadowing is a great experience if you don't have a lot of time to commit. You can choose to job shadow for a few hours, a full day, or for several days. It's very flexible.
• If you want to be pre-med, volunteering at a hospital is a great extracurricular activity for your college application. While volunteering elsewhere (at a homeless shelter, animal shelter, etc.) can be great for a college application, it's good to keep your extracurriculars focused on your future goals. Volunteering at a hospital will show colleges that you're serious about a career in medicine.
• Volunteer experience may not provide you with quite the medical experience you're looking for. Volunteering may not be very hands-on, and your duties may be repetitive and not directly related to medicine, such as answering phones, filing papers, and helping visitors find where they're going.
• If you only job shadow for a day, it's not a great experience for your college application. It's not an extracurricular activity if you only do it once because that doesn't show enough commitment. However, I recommend doing job shadowing just to get insight into the medical field.

How to Choose the Right Medical Experience for You

Each of the medical experiences listed in this article has value, but to decide which is right for you, you should ask yourself three questions:

#1: What Is Your Main Medical Interest?

Are you more interested in research or patient care? If research, look into one of the summer research programs. If patient care, look into one of the hospital-based programs, job shadowing or being a hospital volunteer.

#2: How Much Money Are You Willing to Spend?

Do you have money to spend, do you have no money to spend, or do you need to have a job that pays? If you have money to spend, you can consider all of the options. If you have no money to spend, look into an all-expenses paid program (or one with financial aid). Also, consider volunteering or job shadowing since both are free experiences. If you need a job that pays, look into the programs with stipends for participants.

#3: How Much Time Do You Want to Invest in Your Experience?

Do you want to spend a day, a few hours per week, or a few weeks full-time on this experience? If you want a quick experience, consider job shadowing a doctor for a day or two. If you'd like an on-going experience to use as an extracurricular, consider volunteering since you could do that a few hours per week throughout the school year. If you'd like an intensive experience, consider doing one of the summer programs or internships.

Also, always make sure to research a program or experience before you commit to it. Doing so will help avoid a bad experience (such as a program that's not very hands-on or volunteer work that's mostly grunt work). Whatever you're interested in doing, try to find another student who did it previously and ask them about their experience. For the programs, get in touch with the program coordinator to see if they can put you in contact with a program alum you can speak with.

College take a close look at your extracurriculars. Like, a really close look.

How Will Colleges View These Experiences?

Colleges mainly look for extracurriculars that show your commitment, passion, and ability to handle responsibility and leadership. Job shadowing isn't a great experience for your college application because it's not enough of a commitment if you only do it for a few days. On the other hand, volunteering at a hospital is a great extracurricular activity for your college application because it shows a commitment to medicine.

The summer programs and internships are also great experiences for your college application because they show that same interest in and commitment to medicine. Also, many of these programs and internships are competitive, and colleges know that. If you're accepted into one of those programs or internships, colleges will view it like you won a prestigious award.

What's Next?

Doing a medical program is a great step, but what else do you need to do to prepare for med school? Check out our step-by-step guide to preparing for med school as a high school student and our list of the best books for pre-med students .

Also, you should learn about how to write about extracurriculars on college applications . Check out four amazing examples of extracurriculars for college applications.

Interested in a BS/MD program? They can be a great way to save some time and get your medical degree sooner. Read our guide on getting into BS/MD programs to learn more.

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Medical Writing and Editing

A competitive advantage you can take to work.

Courses in the Medical Writing and Editing certificate program are precisely calibrated to set up your success as a medical communicator.

Medical writing students will learn to:

• Understand the profession of medical/technical writing and its unique characteristics 
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Medical Writing Certificate Program Structure

• Five core courses and one elective course
• Complete the certificate in as little as three quarters
• Class sizes of ten to twenty students per course
• An online course guide is offered as an overview of the Medical Writing and Editing profession and community hub for students to connect and share resources throughout their time in the program

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Core courses (choose 5):, medical copyediting.

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Fundamentals of Substantive Editing and Publication Ethics

This overview of substantive editing—editing that moves beyond mechanics to address content, logic, and organization—includes structures of common types of medical articles, standard guidelines for articles reporting major types of medical research, the author-editor relationship, and publication ethics. The practicum will include editing exercises, case discussions, and conversations with substantive editors and others.

Fundamentals of Writing and Research Ethics

What is ethical -- and what is not -- in medical writing and editing? While the medical editor or writer may not have ultimate responsibility for a published article or other work, they are responsible to understand such issues as authorship, acknowledgement, financial disclosures, conflicts of interest, "salami science," and how to flag ethical concerns and talk about them with authors or supervisors.

This course aims to produce medical editors and writers who have reviewed the fundamentals of writing and research ethics and are attuned to "flag" them with peers and other stakeholders when they arise in daily practice. Students are not expected to exit the course with a clear answer to every ethical question in writing and research, but to know where to seek answers, how to raise questions about ethical issues, and how to participate in the ongoing discussion about ethics in medical research and publication. 

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This course is for students pursuing both the Medical Writing and Editing and the Editing certificates. The course is applicable to all freelance writers and editors, but examples and some content focus on freelance medical writing and editing.

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How can I plan what to eat or drink when I have diabetes?

How can physical activity help manage my diabetes, what can i do to reach or maintain a healthy weight, should i quit smoking, how can i take care of my mental health, clinical trials for healthy living with diabetes.

Healthy living is a way to manage diabetes . To have a healthy lifestyle, take steps now to plan healthy meals and snacks, do physical activities, get enough sleep, and quit smoking or using tobacco products.

Healthy living may help keep your body’s blood pressure , cholesterol , and blood glucose level, also called blood sugar level, in the range your primary health care professional recommends. Your primary health care professional may be a doctor, a physician assistant, or a nurse practitioner. Healthy living may also help prevent or delay health problems  from diabetes that can affect your heart, kidneys, eyes, brain, and other parts of your body.

Making lifestyle changes can be hard, but starting with small changes and building from there may benefit your health. You may want to get help from family, loved ones, friends, and other trusted people in your community. You can also get information from your health care professionals.

What you choose to eat, how much you eat, and when you eat are parts of a meal plan. Having healthy foods and drinks can help keep your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels in the ranges your health care professional recommends. If you have overweight or obesity, a healthy meal plan—along with regular physical activity, getting enough sleep, and other healthy behaviors—may help you reach and maintain a healthy weight. In some cases, health care professionals may also recommend diabetes medicines that may help you lose weight, or weight-loss surgery, also called metabolic and bariatric surgery.

Choose healthy foods and drinks

There is no right or wrong way to choose healthy foods and drinks that may help manage your diabetes. Healthy meal plans for people who have diabetes may include

• dairy or plant-based dairy products
• nonstarchy vegetables
• protein foods
• whole grains

Try to choose foods that include nutrients such as vitamins, calcium , fiber , and healthy fats . Also try to choose drinks with little or no added sugar , such as tap or bottled water, low-fat or non-fat milk, and unsweetened tea, coffee, or sparkling water.

Try to plan meals and snacks that have fewer

• foods high in saturated fat
• foods high in sodium, a mineral found in salt
• sugary foods , such as cookies and cakes, and sweet drinks, such as soda, juice, flavored coffee, and sports drinks

Your body turns carbohydrates , or carbs, from food into glucose, which can raise your blood glucose level. Some fruits, beans, and starchy vegetables—such as potatoes and corn—have more carbs than other foods. Keep carbs in mind when planning your meals.

You should also limit how much alcohol you drink. If you take insulin  or certain diabetes medicines , drinking alcohol can make your blood glucose level drop too low, which is called hypoglycemia . If you do drink alcohol, be sure to eat food when you drink and remember to check your blood glucose level after drinking. Talk with your health care team about your alcohol-drinking habits.

Find the best times to eat or drink

Talk with your health care professional or health care team about when you should eat or drink. The best time to have meals and snacks may depend on

• what medicines you take for diabetes
• what your level of physical activity or your work schedule is
• whether you have other health conditions or diseases

Ask your health care team if you should eat before, during, or after physical activity. Some diabetes medicines, such as sulfonylureas  or insulin, may make your blood glucose level drop too low during exercise or if you skip or delay a meal.

Plan how much to eat or drink

You may worry that having diabetes means giving up foods and drinks you enjoy. The good news is you can still have your favorite foods and drinks, but you might need to have them in smaller portions  or enjoy them less often.

For people who have diabetes, carb counting and the plate method are two common ways to plan how much to eat or drink. Talk with your health care professional or health care team to find a method that works for you.

Carb counting

Carbohydrate counting , or carb counting, means planning and keeping track of the amount of carbs you eat and drink in each meal or snack. Not all people with diabetes need to count carbs. However, if you take insulin, counting carbs can help you know how much insulin to take.

Plate method

The plate method helps you control portion sizes  without counting and measuring. This method divides a 9-inch plate into the following three sections to help you choose the types and amounts of foods to eat for each meal.

• Nonstarchy vegetables—such as leafy greens, peppers, carrots, or green beans—should make up half of your plate.
• Carb foods that are high in fiber—such as brown rice, whole grains, beans, or fruits—should make up one-quarter of your plate.
• Protein foods—such as lean meats, fish, dairy, or tofu or other soy products—should make up one quarter of your plate.

If you are not taking insulin, you may not need to count carbs when using the plate method.

Work with your health care team to create a meal plan that works for you. You may want to have a diabetes educator  or a registered dietitian  on your team. A registered dietitian can provide medical nutrition therapy , which includes counseling to help you create and follow a meal plan. Your health care team may be able to recommend other resources, such as a healthy lifestyle coach, to help you with making changes. Ask your health care team or your insurance company if your benefits include medical nutrition therapy or other diabetes care resources.

Talk with your health care professional before taking dietary supplements

There is no clear proof that specific foods, herbs, spices, or dietary supplements —such as vitamins or minerals—can help manage diabetes. Your health care professional may ask you to take vitamins or minerals if you can’t get enough from foods. Talk with your health care professional before you take any supplements, because some may cause side effects or affect how well your diabetes medicines work.

Research shows that regular physical activity helps people manage their diabetes and stay healthy. Benefits of physical activity may include

• lower blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels
• better heart health
• healthier weight
• better mood and sleep
• better balance and memory

Talk with your health care professional before starting a new physical activity or changing how much physical activity you do. They may suggest types of activities based on your ability, schedule, meal plan, interests, and diabetes medicines. Your health care professional may also tell you the best times of day to be active or what to do if your blood glucose level goes out of the range recommended for you.

Do different types of physical activity

People with diabetes can be active, even if they take insulin or use technology such as insulin pumps .

Try to do different kinds of activities . While being more active may have more health benefits, any physical activity is better than none. Start slowly with activities you enjoy. You may be able to change your level of effort and try other activities over time. Having a friend or family member join you may help you stick to your routine.

The physical activities you do may need to be different if you are age 65 or older , are pregnant , or have a disability or health condition . Physical activities may also need to be different for children and teens . Ask your health care professional or health care team about activities that are safe for you.

Aerobic activities

Aerobic activities make you breathe harder and make your heart beat faster. You can try walking, dancing, wheelchair rolling, or swimming. Most adults should try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. Aim to do 30 minutes a day on most days of the week. You don’t have to do all 30 minutes at one time. You can break up physical activity into small amounts during your day and still get the benefit. 1

Strength training or resistance training

Strength training or resistance training may make your muscles and bones stronger. You can try lifting weights or doing other exercises such as wall pushups or arm raises. Try to do this kind of training two times a week. 1

Balance and stretching activities

Balance and stretching activities may help you move better and have stronger muscles and bones. You may want to try standing on one leg or stretching your legs when sitting on the floor. Try to do these kinds of activities two or three times a week. 1

Some activities that need balance may be unsafe for people with nerve damage or vision problems caused by diabetes. Ask your health care professional or health care team about activities that are safe for you.

Stay safe during physical activity

Staying safe during physical activity is important. Here are some tips to keep in mind.

Drink liquids

Drinking liquids helps prevent dehydration , or the loss of too much water in your body. Drinking water is a way to stay hydrated. Sports drinks often have a lot of sugar and calories , and you don’t need them for most moderate physical activities.

Avoid low blood glucose

Check your blood glucose level before, during, and right after physical activity. Physical activity often lowers the level of glucose in your blood. Low blood glucose levels may last for hours or days after physical activity. You are most likely to have low blood glucose if you take insulin or some other diabetes medicines, such as sulfonylureas.

Ask your health care professional if you should take less insulin or eat carbs before, during, or after physical activity. Low blood glucose can be a serious medical emergency that must be treated right away. Take steps to protect yourself. You can learn how to treat low blood glucose , let other people know what to do if you need help, and use a medical alert bracelet.

Avoid high blood glucose and ketoacidosis

Taking less insulin before physical activity may help prevent low blood glucose, but it may also make you more likely to have high blood glucose. If your body does not have enough insulin, it can’t use glucose as a source of energy and will use fat instead. When your body uses fat for energy, your body makes chemicals called ketones .

High levels of ketones in your blood can lead to a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) . DKA is a medical emergency that should be treated right away. DKA is most common in people with type 1 diabetes . Occasionally, DKA may affect people with type 2 diabetes  who have lost their ability to produce insulin. Ask your health care professional how much insulin you should take before physical activity, whether you need to test your urine for ketones, and what level of ketones is dangerous for you.

Take care of your feet

People with diabetes may have problems with their feet because high blood glucose levels can damage blood vessels and nerves. To help prevent foot problems, wear comfortable and supportive shoes and take care of your feet  before, during, and after physical activity.

If you have diabetes, managing your weight  may bring you several health benefits. Ask your health care professional or health care team if you are at a healthy weight  or if you should try to lose weight.

If you are an adult with overweight or obesity, work with your health care team to create a weight-loss plan. Losing 5% to 7% of your current weight may help you prevent or improve some health problems  and manage your blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels. 2 If you are worried about your child’s weight  and they have diabetes, talk with their health care professional before your child starts a new weight-loss plan.

You may be able to reach and maintain a healthy weight by

• following a healthy meal plan
• consuming fewer calories
• being physically active
• getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night 3

If you have type 2 diabetes, your health care professional may recommend diabetes medicines that may help you lose weight.

Online tools such as the Body Weight Planner  may help you create eating and physical activity plans. You may want to talk with your health care professional about other options for managing your weight, including joining a weight-loss program  that can provide helpful information, support, and behavioral or lifestyle counseling. These options may have a cost, so make sure to check the details of the programs.

Your health care professional may recommend weight-loss surgery  if you aren’t able to reach a healthy weight with meal planning, physical activity, and taking diabetes medicines that help with weight loss.

If you are pregnant , trying to lose weight may not be healthy. However, you should ask your health care professional whether it makes sense to monitor or limit your weight gain during pregnancy.

Both diabetes and smoking —including using tobacco products and e-cigarettes—cause your blood vessels to narrow. Both diabetes and smoking increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke , nerve damage , kidney disease , eye disease , or amputation . Secondhand smoke can also affect the health of your family or others who live with you.

If you smoke or use other tobacco products, stop. Ask for help . You don’t have to do it alone.

Feeling stressed, sad, or angry can be common for people with diabetes. Managing diabetes or learning to cope with new information about your health can be hard. People with chronic illnesses such as diabetes may develop anxiety or other mental health conditions .

Learn healthy ways to lower your stress , and ask for help from your health care team or a mental health professional. While it may be uncomfortable to talk about your feelings, finding a health care professional whom you trust and want to talk with may help you

• lower your feelings of stress, depression, or anxiety
• manage problems sleeping or remembering things
• see how diabetes affects your family, school, work, or financial situation

Ask your health care team for mental health resources for people with diabetes.

Sleeping too much or too little may raise your blood glucose levels. Your sleep habits may also affect your mental health and vice versa. People with diabetes and overweight or obesity can also have other health conditions that affect sleep, such as sleep apnea , which can raise your blood pressure and risk of heart disease.

NIDDK conducts and supports clinical trials in many diseases and conditions, including diabetes. The trials look to find new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease and improve quality of life.

What are clinical trials for healthy living with diabetes?

Clinical trials—and other types of clinical studies —are part of medical research and involve people like you. When you volunteer to take part in a clinical study, you help health care professionals and researchers learn more about disease and improve health care for people in the future.

Researchers are studying many aspects of healthy living for people with diabetes, such as

• how changing when you eat may affect body weight and metabolism
• how less access to healthy foods may affect diabetes management, other health problems, and risk of dying
• whether low-carbohydrate meal plans can help lower blood glucose levels
• which diabetes medicines are more likely to help people lose weight

Find out if clinical trials are right for you .

Watch a video of NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers explaining the importance of participating in clinical trials.

What clinical trials for healthy living with diabetes are looking for participants?

You can view a filtered list of clinical studies on healthy living with diabetes that are federally funded, open, and recruiting at www.ClinicalTrials.gov . You can expand or narrow the list to include clinical studies from industry, universities, and individuals; however, the National Institutes of Health does not review these studies and cannot ensure they are safe for you. Always talk with your primary health care professional before you participate in a clinical study.

This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.

NIDDK would like to thank: Elizabeth M. Venditti, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Plans for Fayetteville's medical school are well under way. Here's what's new.

A preliminary site plan submitted to the Fayetteville Technical Review Committee late last month shows movement for a planned medical school between Methodist University and Cape Fear Valley Health.

The school’s founding dean, Dr. Hershey Bell , sat down with The Fayetteville Observer earlier this month to discuss the need for the school and timelines for where it stands.

“We’re really building on top of a foundation of excellence in health care education … A medical school at Methodist University is just a logical next step,” Bell said during the April 5 interview.

Bell said conversations about starting a medical school in Fayetteville began in 2019, and Cape Fear Valley Health and Methodist University publicly announced a partnership in February 2023 to bring the medical school here.

Bell said that Mike Nagowski, Cape Fear Valley Health’s CEO, often refers to Cumberland County and the surrounding southeastern county region as a “doctor desert,” where patients may have long wait times and travel distances to see a doctor.

“And he’s not wrong in saying that,” Bell said.

Data from the Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina shows that there are fewer physicians per capita locally, while the Association of American Medical Colleges projects a shortage of up to 48,000 primary care doctors nationally by 2034.

Despite medical schools to the north in Durham and Raleigh, Bell said, officials aren’t seeing those medical students go on to practice in southeastern North Carolina.

Data from the Association of American Medical Colleges shows that students are more likely to practice where they received their medical education or residency training, with 38% of doctors practicing in areas where they went to medical school, 46% practicing where they finished residency and 67% staying in areas where they completed both medical school and a residency.

Bell said the doctor shortage isn’t the only reason why a medical school is needed in the region.

Data shows that Cumberland County is ranked No. 72 out of 100 North Carolina counties for having the lowest health outcomes in the state.

Robeson is No. 98, he said.

“The No. 1 predictor of health outcomes is access to health care,” he said.

The state's top counties for positive health outcomes are Orange and Durham counties, where there are existing medical schools, Bell said.

Construction timeline

Bell said there are about four to five active timelines for bringing the medical school to Fayetteville.

The site, he said, is being prepared at 3518 Village Drive in Fayetteville; a contractor has been named; and the architect is finalizing work.

Within the next couple of months, Bell said, a Cape Fear Valley Health education building at that address will be torn down, and construction is expected to start at the end of this year.

The five-story, 125,00 square-foot building will feature two towers, one parallel to Village Drive, and another facing the medical school, with a middle connector and outdoor courtyard in between them.

If all timelines go well, Bell said, construction will be complete by spring 2026, and the first class could start in summer 2026.

Accreditation

Another timeline for the medical school, Bell said, is accreditation.

Bell said officials are working toward preliminary accreditation of the school from the Liaison Committee on Medical Evaluation.

“We’re prohibited from doing any recruitment until we receive preliminary accreditation,” he said.

If the preliminary accreditation is approved, the first class of students could be recruited by early fall 2025.

After the first class of medical students takes exams in their second year in 2028, the school could be eligible for provisional accreditation, and eligibility for full accreditation would be determined by spring 2030 when the first class of medical school students graduates.

“Whether it’s preliminary, provisional or full, the key is to be an accredited U.S. medical school,” Bell said.

During the accreditation process, officials will assess outcomes such as determining whether students are able to pass exams or how many students are placed in medical residency jobs.

Bell said an asset for Methodist University’s partnership with Cape Fear Valley Health is that Cape Fear Valley Health has 300 current residency positions annually.

Methodist University, he said, is already accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Staffing and curriculum

Bell said the plan for the medical school is to hire 100 new instructors and faculty during the next couple of years.

The majority of the faculty will come from Cape Fear Valley Health’s eight hospitals and 90 outpatient clinics, meaning the school will have about 800 physicians appointed to the medical school, he said.

Methodist University already has health science degree programs for health care administration, nursing, occupational therapy assistants, physician assistants and doctorates of physical therapy and occupational therapy.

The medical school will allow students to start working toward medical education while completing their bachelor’s or earn a master’s degree while completing clinical training with local health care providers.

Fundraising and economic impact

Bell said that while university and medical system officials are working to develop a curriculum and finalize construction details, local residents and philanthropists are in the midst of a $12 million capital fundraising campaign for the school.

Bell said he thinks that health care improvements and the economic impacts the medical school will have on the local area help drive donors.

According to data from Dr. Michael Walden, a professor and state economist at North Carolina State University, the school is expected to bring $72 million to the area in annual spending; $9.6 million in tax revenue; 837 jobs; and 120 students per class.

“(It) creates new jobs, housing and support industries,” Bell said.

Methodist and Cape Fear Valley Health partner to create Fayetteville's first medical school

Dean named for new medical school at Methodist University

Bell said research to focus on health outcomes in the region will also be part of the school. Researchers will be looking at social determinants like food and housing insecurities, finances, access to health care and how a patient’s environment factors into their health outcomes.

The school’s mission statement states that it will prepare graduates “to be socially accountable, community-engaged, evidence-based, compassionate, equity-focused physician leaders who will contribute to mitigating health disparities and improving health outcomes in southeastern North Carolina or wherever they may practice.”

“You can’t stop that train when a medical school comes to town …," Bell said. "You grow the number of doctors who improve health outcomes, and that’s the real win-win."

Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at [email protected] or 910-486-3528.