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MSD

Clinical Trial Coordinator/ Clinical Research Associate Review

at MSD

Placement (10 Months+)

Science, Business Operations

Kings Cross

Review Submitted: August 2021

Overall Rating

4.6 /5

The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!

4/5 - Overview of Role
4.8/5 - Skills Development
4.5/5 - Support and Guidance
4.8/5 - Company Culture
4.5/5 - Overall Experience
4/5 - Future Career Prospects

Overview of Role

Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis.
My placement was split into two roles; half as a 'Clinical Trial Coordinator (CTC)' and half as a 'Clinical Research Associate' (CRA).
The CTC role was centered around providing office based support to the companies clinical research teams, with responsibilities in admin, document management and finance.
The CRA role was focused around monitoring clinical trials run by the company at NHS hospitals sites around the UK/ROI.
Were you given much responsibility during your placement / internship?
Yes I was given lot's of responsibilities within both of the job roles that the placement was based around, as well as many within other extra-curricular projects that I was involved with.
Please rate how meaningful the work you were doing was
4/5

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills, or developed your existing skills?
I developed my knowledge of the clinical trial process and the associated regulatory and finance processes that are involved with clinical research.
Hard Skills: IT Skills (Excel, Outlook and all of the systems required for data processing and document management that the company uses) and Proof Reading.
Soft Skills: Communication, Teamwork, Organization, prioritization and independent working.
How would you rate the training provided during your experience?
4/5
How would you rate your development of industry-specific skills during the experience?
5/5
How would you rate your development of personal / soft skills during the experience?
5/5
Please rate how these skills have helped you in your career development
5/5

Support and Guidance

How much support and guidance did you receive during your placement / internship?
I was well supported in my internship. With mentors in both of the job roles I was doing, as well as a manager I worked with personally and an intern manager for all of the interns in my department.
How would you rate the support and guidance from your line manager?
5/5
How would you rate the support and guidance from the wider team?
4/5

Company Culture

What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?
I was very fond of the company culture at MSD. They are a very open company and I never felt excluded or as I though I couldn't reach out to colleagues that I didn't know personally. The company offices have a very friendly atmosphere, and I always found I was well supported by the other colleagues in the company.
How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
5/5
How would you rate the social opportunities?
4/5
How would you rate the diversity initiatives?
5/5
How would you rate the charity, sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives?
5/5

Overall Experience

To what extent did you enjoy your placement / internship?
I enjoyed my placement a lot, even though the vast majority of it was done remotely. I found I was able to get involved with many projects within different areas of the business that I wouldn't interact with in my day-to-day work. I was always well supported in my placement.
Please rate your level of enjoyment on your placement / internship
5/5
Please rate how your experience met your expectations
4/5

Future Career Prospects

Please rate the future employment prospects at MSD
4/5

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend MSD to a friend?
Yes
What advice would you give to others applying to MSD
Get involved with as many projects, in as many different business areas, as you can. I felt these were highly insightful when considering my future career.
In This Review
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