The first is a two-year program that consists of study in the core areas of evidence based practice, medical ethics, and reimbursement issues. After completion of the course, the candidates will take a written final examination and then be certified. The next level, the Clinical Evidence Pilot, is for two years of specialized clinical training in one specific area. The training focuses on a specific topic or subfield of clinical practice. Once trained, practitioners take an examination to become a Certified Clinical Research Specialist (CCR).
The CCRs are required to attain continuing education in order to keep their certifications. There is a renewal option for those professionals who wish to pursue specialization. This renewal option can be done online or at conferences. The CCR program consists of study in anatomy and medical terminology, basic and clinical pharmacology, diagnostic procedures and statistics. There are specializations such as Pediatric CCR, which focus on providing training for children’s health care, and geriatric CCR, which deal with the care of elderly individuals. Specialization is offered by a few colleges, so it is best to check the accreditation of the college before enrolling.
If you are interested in becoming a CCR, then you can do so by taking courses from approved providers. These courses usually take one year and involve coursework in biology, medical terminology, statistics, ethics, etc. The clinical research aspect of the course will teach you how to evaluate the clinical trials, how to select the study protocol, and how to conduct a quality trial. You will also learn how to analyze the results of the studies. Some of these skills are taught in graduate school.
However, training to become a CCR requires you to be willing to work within an Organization. There is no national organization devoted to this profession. Several organizations exist, but they differ greatly in their structure. One of them is the American Association of Clinical Research Professionals (AACR). The mission of this organization is “to advance the practice and standards of clinical research”.
The AACR provides two professional societies, which are the American Association of Clinical Research Technologists (AACRT) and the American Association of Clinical Research Physicians (AACPP). Both of these professional societies are affiliated with the AACR. There are also several medical specialty boards that are associated with the AACR. These include the American Board of Medical Specialties and the American College of Rheumatology. However, you should note that not all medical specialists are members of these organizations.
The primary task of the AACR is to set professional standards for the professionals within the organization. This includes members. Each year, these members are evaluated to determine if they have met certain standards. If any of these members fail to meet the standard, then they will be required to undergo a re-evaluation before they can be re-certified.
The main headquarters of the AACR is in New York City. Other than that, other member organizations have their own branches in different parts of the country. You can even find members in foreign countries such as France, Russia, Spain, and Australia. All of the main branches have websites, so you will be able to get more information about the training requirements, the background of the practitioners, and the current professional activities of the members of the organization.