Trials and tribulations of clinical research teaching and training

Clinical research institutions have mushroomed in the country, though there is a generalized lack of experienced faculty. These institutes mostly confine themselves to theoretical aspects of clinical research, since there is lack of facilities for practical training. Students passing out of these institutes often find it difficult to get decent jobs and salaries at the entry level in the industry are poor. Poor placements of graduating students become major barriers for attracting quality students to the courses. This in turn affects the quality of people that the industry requires, in order to ensure a high growth rate of the industry. The industry, in addition to facing a severe crunch of high quality professionals, is also suffering from attrition that is a common feature. This attrition stems from, inter alia the industry’s demand for experienced people at the entry level. To improve overall standards of professionals entering clinical research, institutes and the industry need to get together and work in close co-operation. The industry and the institutes need to take positive steps if recent trends have to be reversed and clinical research as a whole has to move to a higher level. This article is based on the perceptions of the author, about the problems faced and offers some suggestions. Though these perceptions represent the reality, it is difficult to provide hard evidence that they do so.