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MSD

Clinical Trial Coordinator / Clinical Research Associate Intern Review

at MSD

Placement (10 Months+)

Pharmaceutical

King's Cross

Review Submitted: August 2021

Overall Rating

4.3 /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
4.5/5 - Skills Development
4.5/5 - Support and Guidance
4/5 - 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.
Assisting members of the UK and Ireland Global Clinical Trials Operations with managing the oversight, finance, safety and ethical aspects of multiple clinical trials. I communicated with research teams within the NHS to complete these tasks on a regular basis.
Were you given much responsibility during your placement / internship?
I was given increasing amounts of responsibility as the year went on, to the extent that by the end of the year I could perform most CTC tasks to the standard of a normal employee, and thus was given this responsibility.
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?
Yes - my soft skills, including written and oral communication, team work and time management have hugely developed.
I have also developed hard skills such as improved proficiency of MS systems and developed the ability to use systems used in the clinical trials space.
My knowledge of clinical trial processes and the inner workings of a global pharmaceutical company has also grown.
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?
4/5
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 had 2 mentors (for the different job roles), a line manager and an additional 'Intern Lead' manager - so it's safe to say I was thoroughly supported. Other colleagues were also really friendly and willing to help when needed.
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 felt privileged to be an intern as we were always treated with respect and people were always happy to help. For the most part it was a very happy atmosphere to work in although could be stressful at times.
How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
3/5
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?
4/5

Overall Experience

To what extent did you enjoy your placement / internship?
I loved it and would recommend it to anyone - it was a great experience and has taught me a lot about the working world so I now feel prepared to enter a professional role. As mentioned it was stressful at times but not to the extent where it had a negative impact on my year - I think this was actually useful to see as it made the experience realistic.
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
Be yourself in the interview process - I feel that authenticity is appreciated. If you accept a job offer, take advantage of being in a global pharmaceutical company with thousands of employees - there is plenty to be exposed to that will help with your professional development.
In This Review
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