Premier Cultural Anchor: We Work Together
Nearly 30 years ago, I started my healthcare career as a respiratory therapist. My wife is a clinical lead, so I heard about research from her, and I was intrigued, but from a distance. Then, in my role as a respiratory therapist I had a chance to work on some special gas-delivery studies and to do some work in adverse event reporting. That gave me a taste of what it would be like to be a clinical research associate (CRA)—and I just knew I really wanted to make the switch.
Since I made this move to CRO work later in life, I understood it would be a massive change. So, when I looked at career opportunities, I thought Premier’s training approach for CRAs presented the perfect opportunity. I wanted to go into oncology, which is an especially demanding area, and the training I received provided the education, the experience, and the support to take on even the most challenging studies.
My favorite aspect of being a CRA is interacting with my sites. We really get to know the people who are working there—the doctors who run the trials, the sub-investigators, the clinical research coordinators, the regulatory people. We are teammates, working to make sure our patients are safe and cared for correctly. We can see the changes in our patients. I know that many of them are getting a chance they wouldn’t have if it weren’t for being a part of a trial.
Of course, I do travel quite a bit. I take advantage of everything—I work, but I also squeeze in as much fun as I can. I went to the Empire State Building in New York City; I’ve seen the mountains in Denver; I’ve been to over 25 states, now.
Personally, I enjoy the travel, but Premier is really good about trying to keep people regional as much as possible, so that CRAs aren’t exhausted from being on the road relentlessly. We also have a lot of autonomy in scheduling our site visits, as long as we’re meeting our metrics. We’re trusted to do our jobs. Our line managers are so supportive; they really want to be sure we are taking care of ourselves. Premier really cares about their employees; that’s a big deal to me.
We have the Applause Award System, an online platform where we can recognize our peers for good work. Managers can actually give points with a dollar value that we can redeem for gift cards. At some of the bigger CROs, I feel like you get lost; you are just a number. Whereas at Premier, I really know I’m recognized.
It is all part of our culture, which shapes our Values and Core Behaviors. We all work together—and everybody knows that. We can’t be a well-oiled machine unless everyone does their part and also helps each other. There is an entry level CRA on my oncology study who is eager to advance in her career, so I have offered to take her on site visits and show her the ropes. Meanwhile, the clinical leads I work with are giving me training opportunities to help advance my career. Everyone at Premier cares for each other. We’re in this together.
If you are interested in working for a company where support and connection is a priority, Premier Research could be a great fit. See open positions here.
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