How to move into independent consulting as a Clinical Research Associate

As you are reading this, you are probably working as a Clinical Research Associate (CRA) / Clinical Monitor and considering moving into consulting. Perhaps you are working for a contract research organization (CRO) or a pharmaceutical company. In this post, here are actions you can take towards the becoming an independent consultant.

Gain the necessary experience before entering consulting

Moving to independent consulting before you have enough experience is not wise. How many years of experience do you have as a CRA? Consider what your reputation is where you currently work. Are you a go to person in your organization? Are others trying to recruit you away from your job? What are your strengths and weaknesses as a CRA?

Get the training you need

Before you make your move, would additional training to enhance your CRA credentials give you an edge as a consultant? You may consider doing DIA courses appropriate to your situation. Being a member of professional organizations, such as the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SOCRA) and the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) can help you stay up to date in your field.

Identify your consulting niche

Define your niche before you make the make the transition to consulting.

What are your strengths?

What are you best known for?

I have worked with many CRA consultants. Some work independently as CRAs for CROs or pharmaceutical companies but may be regarded as contractors rather than consultants. They are very good at what they do, but may not be considered high level experts for solving complex, strategic problems.

Others are consultants, who function as CRAs, but are also brought into higher level meetings to advise on non-compliant or problem clinical research sites.

Remember that you have the opportunity to increase your knowledge and skills to become an expert in a clearly defined niche. This requires an intense focus on being able to solve an problem for your clients in a particular area.

Reach out to people you worked with to find clients

Some of your best sources of referral, if you make the transition, will be people you have worked with. For example, I have reached out to independent CRAs, because I knew them and worked with them in the past, whether they were independent or working in an organization at the time. Some were referred to me by others who had worked with them.

The people you have enjoyed interacting with at team meetings, site initiation visits, and investigator meetings are good leads. This is especially so for medical directors and clinical operations people with hiring authority, though anyone who is likely to recommend you is a plus.

After you move into consulting, developing a strong referral base is even more important.

Set up your business structure before you move into consulting

When you feel you are ready to make the transition to independent consulting as a Clinical Research Associate, you should lay the groundwork. Independent consulting or contracting as a CRA is a business. On this website, see a stepwise approach to establishing a business and to get started as a consultant.

Conclusion

In this article, I have briefly covered the importance gaining the necessary level of experience and training, and identifying your consulting niche before moving into consulting. Also, I have covered reaching out to people you have worked with to find clients, and establishing a business structure before your move.

See an account of my own experience in making the transition to consulting and my posts:

So you want to be a consultant?

Learning about consulting

Since CRA’s are a pivotal and crucial part of clinical operations, you can find more detailed, relevant, information on making the transition in my article: How to move to independent consulting in clinical operations. For more information specifically for CRA’s, see Transforming Your Clinical Research Associate Expertise into an Independent Consultancy Venture.

I hope this article and the links are helpful to you. On this website, you can also read more on many topics related to starting and growing a consulting business, including how to write a business plan and consulting proposals, and a host of topics that can be seen in the list of blog categories or the tag cloud below.

Good luck and please leave comments!

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