New Clinical Research Program to Fill Healthcare Void
Program first in the college’s new bioscience division
For those who are interested in the latest medical advances and research related to human diseases and who like to be intellectually stimulated by their work, Gwinnett Tech has a new program that may be just what the doctor ordered.
The new Clinical Research Professional (CRP) program at Gwinnett Tech trains individuals to perform clinical research studies of new drugs, new applications of approved drugs or new medical devices on humans. Studies conducted by CRPs determine the safety and effectiveness of new therapies on human disease.
"There is no training program like it anywhere around here," said Robert E. Powers, M.Div., Ph.D., director of bioscience at Gwinnett Tech. The idea to start such a program first developed when Powers started hearing that there weren’t enough people to fill research positions. "One person at Emory had to turn down five drug studies because she just couldn’t find qualified, trained people to run them."
The CRP program is the first in a series of new programs being developed at Gwinnett Tech. "This program falls under the umbrella of bioscience, a new division for the college," said Powers. "The bioscience programs focus on newer technologies and newer science as they relate to human health."
CRPs work with doctors, patients and pharmaceutical companies, and are responsible for administering treatments, monitoring patient responses, identifying adverse reactions, collecting and delivering clinical data to the research agency and protecting patient safety and rights.
This program is geared toward individuals with existing credentials as clinical professionals, including (but not limited to) nurses, paramedics and respiratory therapists. The program has two thrusts: the Clinical Research Associate (CRA) diploma program, which takes less than a year to complete; and the Clinical Research Professional (CRP) program, which includes an additional three quarters. Classes are taught exclusively in the evening, and each program will offer the opportunity for a supervised clinical internship.
The classes provide practical procedures for clinical research, and ensure a successful future in the field of clinical research.
Classes include:
• regulatory laws covering human research;
• the process of drug approval;
• patient safety/rights;
• the ethics of research;
• research statistics;
• good clinical practices; and
• planning, organizational and interpersonal skills.
To enroll or learn more about this exciting new field, call Gwinnett Tech at 770.962.7580.
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