Introduction
Clinical Research or Clinical Trials are conducted to collect data regarding the safety and efficacy of new drug and device development. There are several steps and stages of approval in the clinical trials process before a drug or device can be sold in the consumer market.
The clinical research or clinical trials are conducted to test in order to assess new treatments, technologies or methods whilst other research studies help for better understanding the health and specific conditions. The efficacy of the drug or a method can be determined only after the successful completion of the clinical trials. Any drug or method’s fate completely depends on the clinical trials, if the results are successful then that drug goes for commercial production, so the drug companies are extremely cautious about clinical research or clinical trials.
Few lines about B.Sc Clinical Research
B.Sc Clinical Research is a 3-years undergraduate programme that is divided into 6-semesters. The course deals with the research of medical equipment and medicines based on their performance and safety measures. The course involves systematic, observational and experimental biomedical studies. The students are given detailed knowledge about the steps and techniques involved in clinical research and they also learn to execute them properly during their careers.
Eligibility for B.Sc Clinical Research
The students who have completed their PUC or 10+2 with biology as a compulsory subject from recognised board are eligible to apply for B.Sc Clinical Research course.
Admission Procedures
The students can take admission to B.Sc Clinical trials by two modes of admission. The first one is merit-based admission and second one is direct admission.
Let’s discuss in detail both of them
1. Merit Based Admission
There are many reputed educational-institutes that conduct entrance exams for admission to B.Sc Clinical Research, such mode of admission is called merit-based admission. The students need to qualify the institution-based entrance exams in order to get admission to merit seats which are limited in number. The main idea of conducting entrance exams is to filter out the non-performing students from the serious and desirable students for the available merit seats. The successfully qualified students are allotted merit seats and are charged a nominal fee.
2. Direct Admission
The students can also get admission to B.Sc Clinical Research by another mode called direct admission. Under this mode the students are given admission directly to the course under management quota. The main advantage of this mode is that the students are not required to appear for any institution-based entrance exams for getting admissions. Another benefit is that the students can choose their desired colleges and book their seats even before the starting of the academic year. The students interested in direct admission can contact the educational advisory centres for more details.
Syllabus for B.Sc Clinical Research
The students of B.Sc Clinical research will be studying the following subjects during their course degree
| Sl. No. | Subjects of Study |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fundamentals of Clinical Operations |
| 2 | Clinical Data Management |
| 3 | Statistics for Clinical Research |
| 4 | Basics of Pharmacy |
| 5 | Drug Discovery and Development |
| 6 | IPR & Data Exclusivity |
| 7 | Bioethics in Clinical Research |
| 8 | Pre-Clinical Studies |
| 9 | Pharmaceutical Biotechnology |
| 10 | Basics of Molecular Biology |
| 11 | Regulatory Affairs |
| 12 | Human Biology |
| 13 | Special Regulatory Processes |
| 14 | Pharmacogenomics |
| 15 | Project Management and Business Development |
| 16 | Audit and Inspections |
| 17 | Pharmacovigilance & Safety Monitoring |
| 18 | Reporting and Medical Writing |
Career and Scope
There is a lot of demand for skilled B.Sc Clinical research students in the pharmaceutical industry. The clinical research or clinical trials plays a major role in all the pharmaceutical companies. Every new drug has to undergo the clinical trials before it gets to commercial production. The fate and future of the drug or medical treatment complexly depends on the results of clinical trials. Everyday new drugs are being developed and they are being used in clinical trials to determine the efficacy of the drug on the disease. So, a greater number of skilled clinical research students are required. The students can join pharmaceutical companies soon after the completion of their degree.
The students interested in higher studies can join M.Sc Clinical Research. If they are interested in research then they can join a PhD course. If the students are interested in studying in depth about the subject then they can join the M.Phil programme. They can also join as lecturers in different colleges after the completion of their master’s.
Job Roles available for B.Sc Clinical research students
Some of the important job roles available are:
- Clinical Research Associate
- Clinical Trials Executive
- Clinical Research Coordinator
- Clinical Research Analyst
- Biostatistician
Salary and Emoluments
The fresh B.Sc Clinical Research students will be earning around 4 lakhs to 6 lakhs per annum. The experienced professionals will be earning around 6 lakhs to 8 lakhs per annum. The salary depends upon the location and recruiter.
Top Companies hiring B.Sc Clinical Research students
Some of the companies hiring B.Sc Clinical research students are:
- Cipla
- Glenmark
- Glaxo Smith
- Biocon
- Cavin Care
- Himalaya Drug Company
- Novartis
- Patanjali
- Abbot
- Amway
Conclusion
The clinical trials or clinical research is very important for any drug company. Every drug produced by the pharmaceutical companies has to undergo the clinical trials and prove successful. The role of the B.Sc Clinical Research students is very challenging; they are responsible to conduct the trails in a successful way such that the drug can be produced commercially. As a clinical research student, one is responsible to take care of all the subjects that are undergoing the clinical trials, even a minute mistake may prove devastating. The B.Sc Clinical Research students are highly skilled professionals and are in great demand.
Every pharmaceutical company conducts clinical trials for its new drugs and the clinical research students are responsible to take care of the complete clinical trials. The pharmaceutical companies pay good salaries for the B.Sc Clinical Research students and also offer better career growth opportunities for skilled professionals.
The students who are interested in testing the drugs in the clinical trials conducted by an organisation can join the B.Sc Clinical Research course.