What is a CRO?

CRO = Contract Research Organization

CROs are an extension of the pharma/biotech industry. They are companies that employ the infrastructure to implement and execute clinical trials.  CROs can be involved “soup to nuts” in the clinical trial process.  Some examples include: writing clinical trial protocols, building the case report forms (CRFs) for the trial, managing the data that is input for the trial, writing and conducting the statistical analysis plan, overseeing the data monitoring committee (DMC).  

Physician roles at CROs involve clinical input – clinical expertise and experience related to clinical trial design, protocol writing, safety reviews, data analysis and interpretation amongst other responsibilities.  Thus, a CRO can be a great place for physicians to gain clinical trial and clinical development experience. 

I encourage readers to look for career options at CROs involved in clinical development.  Some of the larger ones include (and I’m not favoring any CRO or endorsing any specific CRO!) – Paraxel, ICON, PPD, Syneos – those are a few examples to explore!

Ready to make a career transition to pharma/biotech… want to explore a way to use your medical training and knowledge in a fulfilling way without nights and weekends call or charting. Watch this webinar on Getting Past the Three Major Hurdles to a Career in the Pharma Industry HERE.