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Job Title: Researcher
Type of Company: I work for a private research center
Education: BA in Psychology, Boston College •• MA/MEd in Clinical Psychology, Columbia University
Previous Experience: I worked in various mental health facilities ranging from community mental health centers, schools, psychiatric hospitals and research centers
Job Tasks: Examples of my responsibilities include interviewing patients with various psychiatric disorders, testing these patients by using various written tests, assisting the doctor with ECG, lab tests, written evaluations, taking vital signs, reviewing how medication is taken.
I am also responsible for overseeing the filing of paper work to the Institutional Review Board. This board oversees the research and makes sure that we are abiding by the protocols, rules and regulations, assess patient safety and essentially make sure that all documents and protocols are followed by anyone affiliated with the research. I also make sure that any Safety Reports are filed and reviewed by the doctor and the Institutional Review Board.
Best and Worst Parts of the Job: Research can be very tedious, same old thing. However, it is very important to follow these guidelines and rules so that all the testing and data is valid and reliable, meaning that all involved are doing the same steps and not doing it differently. This is the most boring part but can be the best because it makes it easy - just follow the protocol, step by step, and all will be fine.
The best part is seeing experimental medication make a difference in someone's life.
Job Tips:
1. If you want a career in this field, you must be willing to follow the rules. If you are someone who wants to be creative, do you own thing, be spontaneous and do whatever, this job is not for you.
2. A person in this career must have good people skills.
Additional Thoughts: Make sure you get a Masters Degree or a Nurse's Degree, or pharmaceuticals training. Also, there are many courses that help train someone in the field of research.
There are many areas of pharmaceutical research for all types of disorders ranging from cancer, to psychiatric treatment, etc. A job in this field can be in the lab, with patients or behind a desk. It all depends on what area you focus on, what your interest is and the type of research you are pursuing.
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