Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research - Careers, Salary, Jobs, Scope
Brief Summary
| Course Name | Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research |
| Duration | 6 months -2 years |
| Level -Degree/Diploma | Diploma |
| Eligibility | Graduation with atleast 45-50% |
|
Nature of Job
|
Collect, monitor, research and evaluate the data on the effects of medical drugs |
| Expected fee | Rs 60,000- Rs 5,00,000 |
| Average Starting Salary | Rs 30,000 P.M |
| Admission process | Online/Offline |
| Top recruiting companies | Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, GlaxoSmithKline, WNS, Narayana Health, Dr.Reddy’s, Apollo Hospitals, HCL, Medanta- The Medicity, Cipla |
Why Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research?
Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research provides you with the knowledge and skills required for drug development & clinical trials used in Biotech/Pharma & Healthcare sector. This programme serves as a medium to enter the pharmaceutical and biotech industry as a clinical research professional.
The course teaches candidates how to engage in high-quality research with an intellectual, cultural, scientific, and economic approach which can contribute to appropriate and leading international research agendas.
Students can get a job in the following sectors after getting this diploma-
- Healthcare Industry
- Pharmaceuticals
- Bio-Informatics
- Food & Beverages
- Drug Designing
- Forensic Sciences
Clinical researchers need to collect, monitor, research and evaluate the data on the effects of medical drugs. They also need to conduct clinical trials at times (depending on their profession) which involve getting a limited number of suitable patients enrolled and testing drugs under medical supervision.
The duration of this course is 6 months-2 years depending on the University/College. This course is offered for both full time and part time. Some websites also provide online courses in this field.
Some of the top colleges offering this course are-
- Institute of Clinical Research India-ICRI, Delhi
- Y. Patil University, Mumbai
- Global Institute of Medical Sciences-GIMS, Vadodra
- Saurashtra University, Rajkot
- Clinical Research of Education & Management Academy- CREMA, Mumbai
Students can also check out our Post Graduate Diploma in Industrial Safety Article.
Job & Career Opportunities: PGDCR
Students pursuing this course can make their career in Healthcare, nutrition & public health, pharmaceuticals, biomedical engineering, food & beverages, analytics & forensic sciences, bio-informatics, drug designing, or any such industry.
Some of the major career avenues are-
- Pharmaceutical Companies
- Biotech Companies
- Clinical Research Academic Organization
- IT & Data Management Companies
- Contract Research Organization
- Colleges
- Defence Services
- Hospitals
Candidates having this diploma can work as the following professionals-
Research Associate
A research associate handles the execution of research projects and needs to coordinate the information & progress between the various departments of an organisation.
The average salary of a research associate in India is Rs.24,984 per month.
Statistical Analyst
Statistical Analysts need to analyse quantitative data and design statistical models to device new strategies to solve the problems and increase the efficiency of the organisation.
A statistical analyst earns Rs.5,30,000 on average per year in India.
Pharmacovigilance Manager
Pharmacovigilance Managers need to be involved in training, business development, inspections, and delivery of pharmaceutical products. The average salary of a Pharmacovigilance Manager in India is Rs.10,73,845 per year.
Medical Writer
Medical Writer is a technical writer who specializes in writing documents for professional purposes like writing for government agencies.
A medical writer earns Rs.3,60,369 per year on average in India. The salary increases with experience in this field.
Quality Assurance Auditor
Quality Assurance Auditors have essential duties and responsibilities to handle. They need monitor performance of the organization and work at improving their efficiency and product/service quality.
The average salary of a quality assurance auditor in India is Rs.4,08,934 per year.
Biostatistician
Biostatisticians work to provide solutions to public health problems by using maths, statistics and science. They need to prevent the diseases from recurring in future.
The annual salary of a biostatistician in India ranges from Rs.1,60,000-14,60,000.
Salary for Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research
The salary of a clinical research diploma holder depends on his/her education level and experience. It goes on increasing as the experience increases.
| JOB | SALARY |
| Biostatistician | Rs.1,60,000 – 14,60,000/- |
| Business Development Manager | Rs.5,63,674/- |
| Clinical Research Associate | Rs.3,00,662/- |
| Clinical Research Project Manager | Rs.11,00,000/- |
| Quality Assurance Auditor | Rs.4,08,934/- |
| Clinical Data Manager | Rs.4,87,745/- |
| Drug Safety Associate | Rs.3,12,695/- |
| Medical Writer | Rs.3,60,369/- |
| Regulatory Affairs Manager | Rs.7,86,108/- |
General Pay Scale Per Month:
- Fresher: Rs 15,000-25,000/-
- After 5 years: Rs 50,000-60,000/-
- After 10 years: Rs 80,000 onwards
Recruiters
Some of the top recruiters for PGDCR students are as follows:
- Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited
- GlaxoSmithKline
- WNS
- Narayana Health
- Reddy’s
- Apollo Hospitals
- HCL
- Medanta- The Medicity
- Cipla
- LG Life Sciences
- Glenmark
- WIPRO
- Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre
- Accenture
PGDCR: Syllabus
The syllabus aims at training research professionals and developing their critical skills which are needed to practice clinical research. It teaches the candidates how to promote and apply scientifically valid and ethical principles of research in use.
The Institutes collaborate with Industry leaders to give students a hand on experience to acquire expertise. The course includes classroom lectures, power-point presentations, assignments, case studies, etc. It includes project management, protocol designing and planning designs.
| MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION & ETHICS | |
| 1. | Getting started in Research |
| 2. | Effective Literature Search |
| 3. | Drug development process & phases of CT |
| 4. | Funding schemes |
| 5. | Ethics in clinical research |
| 6. | EC-constitution, roles, responsibilities, communications |
| 7. | Informed consent documentation |
| MODULE 2: METHODOLOGY | |
| 1. | Planning a Protocol |
| 2. | Elimination of bias & study designs |
| 3. | Parameter selection, measurement & recording |
| 4. | Clinical trials on procedures & concepts |
| 5. | BA/BE studies |
| 6. | CRA- Roles & Responsibilities |
| 7. | Monitoring |
| MODULE 3: PHARMACOVILGILANCE | |
| 1. | Basics of Pharmacovigilance |
| 2. | Methods of Pharmacovigilance |
| 3. | Pharmacovigilance- Industry Perspective |
| 4. | Pharmacovigilance of ASU Drugs |
| MODULE 4: BIOSTATISTICS | |
| 1. | Data- Types, Sources & Presentation |
| 2. | Sampling & Sample Size Estimation |
| 3. | Epidemiology, Demography, & Vital Statistics |
| 4. | Measures of location & variability |
| 5. | Hypothesis generation & statistical errors |
| 6. | Test of significance I |
| 7. | Test of significance II |
| MODULE 5: CLINICAL DATA MANAGEMENT | |
| 1. | CRF, CRF Tracking, & Data Entry Processing |
| 2. | Data Validation & Discrepancy Management |
| 3. | CDM Documents |
| 4. | CDM- QA, QC |
| MODULE 6: HERBAL DRUG DEVELOPMENT | |
| 1. | QA, QC in Standardization |
| 2. | Basics of Toxicology & Pharmacological Studies |
| 3. | Special Issues of ASU |
| 4. | Clinical Trials of ASU Drugs |
| MODULE 7: MISCELLANEOUS | |
| 1. | Principles of medical writing (IMRAD) |
| 2. | Power point presentations-figures & graphs |
| 3. | Drug Approvals scenario- India, US FDA, EU |
| 4. | Filing Patents |
| 5. | GCLP |
| 6. | Qualitative Research |
| 7. | Preparation for Audits & Inspections |
| 8. | Preparation for Interviews |
Popular Colleges Offering Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research
| College | Admission Procedure | Eligibility Criteria | Average Salary | Fee |
| Faculty of Clinical Research | Online/Offline Mode | The candidates must have a graduation degree/post- graduation degree/diploma in Pharmacy/Healthcare/M edicine/Dentistry/Biology/Zoology/Chemistry/Microbiology/Biochemistry | Rs.4,00,000 | Rs.20,000 |
| APHETA-Institute of Clinical Research | Offline Mode |
|
Rs.4,50,000 | Rs.1,25,000 |
| Institute of Clinical Research | Online/Offline Mode | Candidate must be a graduate from any recognised University. | Rs.7,00,000 | Rs.1,08,000 |
| Apeejay Stya University | Online Mode | Graduate from any recognised University | Rs.5,00,000 | Rs.1,40,200 |
| Apollo Research & Innovations | Offline Mode | A minimum of 55% marks in Life Sciences Graduation/Post Graduation/MBBA/BAMS/BDS/BPT/B.Pharm/B.Sc. (from a recognised University) | Rs.5,00,000 | Rs.60,000 |
Some other colleges which provide this course are:
- The Gandhigram Institute of Rural Health & Family Welfare Trust, Tamil Nadu
- Bharat Group of Colleges, Mansa
- Hierank Business School, Noida
- All India Institute of Speech & Hearing, Karnataka
- Sharda University, Uttar Pradesh
- Sysplex Bio & Clinical Solutions, Mumbai
- Oasis Institute of Health Sciences & Research Centre, Pune
- Hindustan College, Assam
- Indian Institute of Public Health, Kolkata
Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research: Requirements
Eligibility Criteria
The student must have any of the following degrees-
- Graduate/Post Graduate in Ayurveda
- Graduate/Post Graduate in Allopathy
- Graduate/Post Graduate in Homeopathy
- Graduate/Post Graduate of Unani and Siddha
- Graduate/Post Graduate in Biological Sciences/Life Sciences
- Graduate/Equivalent Diploma in Nursing
Apart from the basic qualifications excellent communication skills, interpersonal skills and medical fitness is required for this course. Final year students and working people can also opt for this course.
The candidates having a work experience of more than 2 years are preferred over others.
Should You Choose Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research?
India has the second largest pharmaceutical market in Asia which is growing by more than 9% every year.
This has led to a major rise in demand for skilled clinical research professionals. There are many companies which have extended their hands in clinical research for making a difference like Infosys, Wipro, and Accenture. Companies like Quintile, HCL, Fortis, Novartis & TCS provide mass recruitment in this field.
Indian clinical data management, pharmacovigilance, and clinical trials have become a major cause of boom in the clinical research department. The salary packages are also high in comparison to other professions. After 10 years of experience, one could be operations/regulatory affairs director and earn a salary of more than Rs.1,00,000 per month.
As per a recent report, more than 50,000 clinical research jobs are vacant due to lack of qualifies candidates.
Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Research (PGDCR) course is comparatively a new specialization, so the number of students passing out each year is far less than the demand of the country. This is one of the major reasons for lucrative packages and career boom opportunities.
The arrival of multi-national companies in India and building their research facilities in India has led to an exponential growth in this sector.
