Pros
-Great place to learn about the importance of bioethics laws and regulations. If you are interested in why FDA regulations exist, this is a great case study. The company does not care about the data or the participants in the trial whatsoever. Due to their questionable practices of ensuring participants are eligible, I honestly wouldn’t trust the data this company produces. Incredibly upsetting since they are usually a top enrolling site. This job is not for people with experience. The ethical lines Adams dances around are nauseating. It’s a good thing the CEO and COO are both lawyers and can talk their way out of anything. -My mantra to get me through was: this is “work environment” rock bottom and it’s only up from here. —the heartless higher-ups, total lack of functional management, abysmal communication, blatant contradictory expectations, and grueling hours (unless sick or on PTO, you will work 48 hrs/week MINIMUM and can be upwards of 70 hrs/week. I often worked 12+ hr days and until 11 PM). I never encountered a CRC or Project Lead who did not HATE this job. Management and doctors are also overworked. -If you are curious regarding the definition of gaslighting, the C-suite has mastered the art. -If you are interested in depression, burn-out, anxiety, and other mental illness. This company is what I think of as an immersive experience! Most employees suffer from serious anxiety, burnout, and depression after working here for only a few months. Across the three sites, I assure you at least one of us is sobbing in an office, a bathroom, or the snack room each day. -This job may be a good fit if you seek a company that spends thousands for snacks and gives nonsensical raises without accounting for hours worked, time spent at the company, or cost of living! Starting salaries are the same across NY and MA. -You can make IP mistakes with no repercussions, in many cases, the coordinators who make IP/drug errors receive promotions -Trauma bonding with fellow CRCs provides lifelong friendships -Once you leave, you realize that it was indeed the job making you so miserable.
Cons
-Many CRCs are so miserable they leave taking lower-paying jobs with fewer benefits just to get out. A testament that the pay and benefits are not worth it. This is not the good place. -They pride themselves on being diverse yet people in leadership roles are all white/white passing. People of color get fewer leadership opportunities than white people at this company. It is comical that the company thinks they do a great job with DIE as they sit around at their pasty operations meetings. -recently started encouraging specific employees to leave positive Glassdoor reviews to improve ratings. -No publication opportunities, despite what is said during interviews. Unless you work exclusively on an in-house study (getting paid less). If you are presented with a chance to contribute, you will have no time to work on it. -No paid WFH options as a CRC - but you will need to work from home (on your own time) to manage your workload realistically -Working here demolishes your self-worth and is reminiscent of eighth grade. Management and some doctors are unkind and unprofessional. The research isn’t sound. CRCs that abandon GCP and do whatever it takes to enroll subjects get rewarded. People who care about protocol adherence and GCP are deemed problematic. -Management is abysmal. As the company grew, the C-suite became less involved and less knowledgeable about what goes on on the ground (understandable) so they set up managers (project leads/associate directors) to manage the staff and be their eyes and ears (great!) the issue is that they do not listen to those managers whatsoever. The whole system is a waste. Speaking of a waste of time: A company-wide meeting is hosted on Wednesdays from 9am-10am requiring everyone to be in office with their cameras on. The meeting consists of the CEO rambling for an hour about Pharma news headlines, “potential” studies, and reviewing a consistently inaccurate study delegation chart. Next, the doctors meet from 10am-11:30am preventing participant visits. Good thing CRCs must be in the office at 9 AM to hear the CEO listen to himself talk! -The CEO is a bot. He does not care about his employees, he does not care about the participants in the trial. Speaking candidly with him is pointless. He does not listen, you can not reason with him. A pro is that he won’t lie to you, his mind changes so frequently that his “honesty” is irrelevant. -NO HR!! The COO/General Counsel should not serve as HR. While occasionally entertaining, he spreads personal information like wildfire. Employees would rather take PTO than utilize bereavement leave to ensure privacy. He starts and buys into rumors. He gossips and trash-talks employees. I once surveyed the CRCs asking: who would feel comfortable bringing an issue to him…NOT ONE person said yes. If you happen to be on the receiving end of one of his infamous anger outbursts…well…good luck Charlie. Redeeming quality: when he runs those Wednesday meetings only relevant information is covered and they are 20 minutes long. -The CEO says to come to him if you are overwhelmed/overworked or if there is an issue/things are falling through the cracks. What will happen: It takes months to meet with him. You will voice your concerns and say you are overworked and things are falling through the cracks. He will ask you to make a spreadsheet to document each instance over the next several months and to circle back. (basically, if you tell him you/coworkers are overworked and dropping the ball, you will be assigned more to keep track of). They are useless and just add to your plate.
