“Join the team” clinical research workforce development model: A new paradigm in healthcare career opportunities

TL;DR

The 'Join the Team' model creates a new pathway for diverse candidates to enter clinical research careers through training and internships.

Contribution

A novel workforce development model tailored for academic medical centers with strategies to overcome administrative barriers.

Findings

The model successfully generates employment pathways for clinical research coordinators.

Community-based training and financial support increase diversity in the clinical research workforce.

The program can be replicated at other institutions with similar structures and challenges.

Abstract

The University of California (UC) Davis Clinical and Translational Science Center has established the “Join the Team” model, a Clinical Research Coordinator workforce pipeline utilizing a community-based approach. The model has been extensively tested at UC Davis and demonstrated to generate a viable pathway for qualified candidates for employment in clinical research. The model combines the following elements: community outreach; professional training materials created by the Association for Clinical Research Professionals and adapted to the local environment; financial support to trainees to encourage ethnic and socioeconomic diversity; and internship/shadowing opportunities. The program is tailored for academic medical centers (AMCs) in recognition of administrative barriers specific to AMCs. UC Davis’s model can be replicated at other locations using information in this article, such as key program features and barriers faced and surmounted. We also discuss innovative theories for future program iterations.

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