Clinical Trial Administrator
PharmaTimes did a fantastic job at adapting to the changing circumstance that the Covid-19 presented. The move to online interviews was seamless and well organised and I was kept updated throughout the entire process. The technology that PharmaTimes employed for the interviews was effective and non-glitchy and the entire day from start to finish had been well planned – especially the co-ordination between different break-out rooms to be briefed, to plan and to be interviewed.
I competed in the Clinical Trial Administrator (CTA) category and the task set was to organise a typical working week – prioritising the requests from colleagues and adapting to the change in circumstances throughout the week. The task was a good challenge and very similar to the decisions faced everyday as a CTA.
Throughout the entire PharmaTimes competition I found myself developing a new appreciation from my job. The competition provided an opportunity to reflect on my role, it’s importance in a Clinical Trial Team, and the skills involved in excelling as a CPA. Although entering the competition, I didn’t even entertain the idea of winning – but saw the process as a good opportunity to grow in communication and interview skills. I would encourage anyone to enter the PharmaTimes competition, as the process itself encourages you to reflect on your job and appreciate the crucial role you play in the management of Clinical Trials”
Project Manager
I thought the challenges were set at the right level, they were definitely a stretch for me. The essay required research into many different aspects of medical device studies and patient advocacy is a very important consideration for clinical trials.
I admire how PharmaTimes coped with organizing a virtual competition and I felt it went flawlessly on the day; I did not experience any technical issues and I liked the use of break out rooms. It was good that we had to stay on camera – there is nothing like being filmed to keep you focused!
The one thing that was hard to experience virtually was networking. Perhaps ask finalists to be ready to say a few words (60 seconds max) if they win and find a way to link finalists with judges for post-competition feedback.
I would consider competing again, perhaps next time in the team leader category. I would also strongly encourage my PM colleagues to compete as I learned a lot!
Thank you to all the team at Pharma Times, it was a really positive experience!
Clinical Research Associate (CRA)
We are faced now with a completely different world, one where zoom calls are the norm, and that brought with it it’s own challenges during the finals day. I was really nervous that something unforeseen would go wrong – my laptop would crash or my internet would go down, but instead everything ran so smoothly. The way it was managed was seamless, and in some ways the challenges were more fun. I really enjoyed delivering my presentation on good communication to the judges. The awards ceremony, although missing that opportunity for face-to-face networking, was also really fun. Winning gold again was a massive shock to be honest, I have met and worked aside a lot of the colleagues I was up against and they are all fantastic CRAs, all deserving of that gold award. It really meant a lot that it went to me and I can once again thank the PharmaTimes team for delivering an excellent experience.
In-House Clinical Research Associate
As a first time participant I can say that I really enjoyed the overall experience and competition. The three stages were a great opportunity to test my knowledge and experiences, and apply to real life situations. I thoroughly enjoyed the final virtual challenge and presenting to others, being able to think quick is essential here. The whole day ran very smoothly, definitely better than I had imagined! The virtual awards ceremony was great too and even though I couldn’t be with my colleagues to celebrate, we were able to create a great atmosphere remotely.
I would recommend entering to anybody, it’s a great way to challenge yourself professionally, and I will certainly be entering next year – just waiting for it to be announced for 2021!
Team Leader of the Year 2019
Participating in the Pharma Times INTCR competition & awards has been a life-changing experience in a the most positive way! The main motivation for entering was to challenge oneself and to step outside own comfort zones, to take a risk and to do something different. Each step along the way required thoughts, personal reflection and self-awareness which ultimately was the best way to grow and develop. Meeting people from outside own place of work within the pharma industry was invaluable. I would thoroughly recommend everyone, at all levels to enter and ‘go for it’! There is fun to be had!!
Experienced Clinical Research Associate of the Year 2019
While I am delighted to win Silver as experienced CRA, taking part in the competition is beneficial itself. It is easy to get caught in routine of daily work and one needs a push to step back and explore our industry further and learn about its future. Preparing essay for the competition stage 2 and presenting at the finals were this push to me. It was a call to expand my knowledge about clinical research, challenge my skills and, more importantly, areas where I can improve were identified thanks to feedback from judges. Pharmatimes competition is a unique and enriching experience for anyone who takes part in it.
Clinical Research Team of the Year 2018
We are incredibly honoured to have won the ‘Clinical Research Team of the Year’. The finals day was incredibly challenging and the competition tough! But it was an excellent for each of us to develop our team-work, communication and problem solving skills. Big thank you to PharmaTimes for organising such an excellent competition and all the judges involved on the day.
Aspiring Clinical Research Associate 2018
Winning the Aspiring Clinical Research Associate category was a great honour and I am proud to have received this recognition from PharmaTimes against such great competition. Competing in International Clinical Researcher of the Year was a real challenge and further developed my presentation abilities and broader skill set key to the clinical research associate role. I really enjoyed the process and I look forward to the challenge again next year.
Project Manager of the Year, Company of the Year 2018
“I thoroughly enjoyed participating in the International Clinical Researcher of the Year competition. It provided an opportunity for me to move out of my comfort zone, learn a lot about myself and to meet fellow competitors and judges from not only my own company but wider within our industry. It was hugely rewarding and winning my category was the icing on the cake! Winning the company of the year solidifies my belief that it is the people that make PRA and it is that strength which in turn makes a real difference for patients globally.
Clinical Trial Administrator of the Year 2018
I was happy enough to be a finalist, but to win the Clinical Trial Administrator of the year is beyond conception, and truly a privilege. This certainly silences the doubts I had of myself and my place in this industry. And to be part of the CRO of the year, that’s just icing on the cake – onward to the next challenge!
Clinical Site of the Year 2018
I am very proud to be part of OHCT and really appreciate how great a team it is. This was shown not just by placing first but third as well. It was the first time I entered the competition and wasn’t sure what to expect. It was challenging but interesting and rewarding. I would definitely recommend entering the competition to anyone in research. I am very proud to win this award. It is a fantastic accomplishment and I am very happy to have had Nick and Catherine on my team.
Taking part in PharmaTimes International Clinical Researcher of the Year was a challenging, exciting and fun experience. Not only did I finally read in depth the ICH GCP, but I also got a chance to stop and really think about our important role as CRAs in the world of clinical trials. The PharmaTimes competition enabled me to a challenge myself, to meet fellow clinical research professionals from all over the world, and was overall a wonderful opportunity that I greatly appreciate and recommend.
It was an amazing experience. I was able to interact with colleagues from Europe and Asia Pacific and I found the competition itself both challenging and rewarding. Participation in the finals has helped my career in allowing me to progress further to become CRA II at PRA, while the feedback provided has allowed me to determine areas I can focus on to improve. Overall it is something that I would strongly encourage CRA’s to participate as the knowledge and experience gained has been invaluable for me, both professionally and personally.
In terms of my career, taking part has really helped put me on the radar for senior management and since the competition I have been promoted to manager of clinical operations – the recognition from PharmaTimes definitely helped!
The PharmaTimes competition was an incredible and fantastic opportunity to network with and benchmark my professional skills amongst industry colleagues. It was an invaluable experience that I thoroughly enjoyed which helped elevate my professional profile and progress my career in the CRA role. As a finalist, it was great to compete with such an amazing talent pool and whilst the final stage was challenging, it was a wonderful opportunity to identify areas of improvement which helped in my professional development.
It was very humbling to be recongised by industry stalwarts. To know that your hard work and aptitude is not only appreciated by my colleagues but also by other industry leaders is very rewarding. It is also very satisfying to know that I played my part in our company winning the overall award. It was definitely an enjoyable experience from the first to the last stage, made even sweeter by taking home the gong.
What I gained most was knowledge and expertise as I had to undergo a lot of self-learning and research in my own time in order to pass the exam and generate an accurate and competitive essay. The experience definitely highlighted gaps in my knowledge but at the same time gave me vast amounts of confidence in my current abilities as I was given some great feedback from the judges.
We can all improve the way we work and competitions such as this provide an ideal platform. From networking opportunities to taking the time to self-reflect and challenge your work practices, I think there are many benefits from the competition.
An assessment of skills and performance is a great way to be challenged. The international reputation of the PharmaTimes competitions and the recognition from the whole industry brings a feeling of acknowledgement of our talents – it must feel similar to winning an Oscar!
The competition was a golden opportunity to challenge myself and find the time to stop and think outside the box. I especially enjoyed the friendly but professional atmosphere during the finals and the interesting discussion with board members during my presentation. I found the whole process very motivating, particularly being able to measure my skills against some of the best project managers out there. It was a true learning experience.
This competition felt like a very personal journey for me and I saw it as a way to affirm to myself that I do know my role and that I am good at what I do. I was happy enough to have been a finalist, but to win was overwhelming. I would encourage people to enter the competition and experience it – you never know what you may learn about yourself.
