For this assignment, I interviewed Tiffany Li, a research coordinator for clinical trials at BC Cancer Vancouver.
Interview:
Can you explain your roles and responsibilities with your current position?
I perform the data management aspects of clinical trials, in collaboration with other members of the Clinical Trials and Health Care Team, by performing duties such as:
-Organizing and maintaining study files and documentation-Preparing reports and regulatory documents as required-Ensuring that follow-up tests are completed and deficiencies report-Organizing and conducting study start-up and termination procedures with outside agencies in accordance with Federal Guidelines-Correlating, organizing, calculating trials data for reports, audits, studies, and other client needs
I also capture clinical trials data, as specified in the protocol and in collaboration as required with the Clinical Trials Team, by performing duties such as:
-Completing study case report forms and other documents within the required timeframes-Retrieving or requesting data by identifying selection parameters for retrieval-Obtaining information from the patient, chart, family, or other health care professional as required-Utilizing coding systems and resources as required to code and input data
I design and develop clinical trial data collection tools too, in collaboration with the Clinical Trials Team, by performing duties such as designing forms, tables, and data definitions.
What obstacles have you faced to get you where you are today?
With medical background from my home country, it’s not difficult to get to my current position. The only obstacle is I moved to a new country and have to study and be familiar with the health care system in Canada. But for someone without medical background, medical terms would be a big obstacle.
What advice would you pass on to someone interested in what you are doing?
If someone wants to pursue a career in heath care, he/she must be really passionate about health science and human beings. There are a lot to learn and you have to be a life-long learner. Continuing studies is a must to keep up with the progress/advance in modern medicine. You also need to develop your leadership and interpersonal skills as you will be always in a health care team. Effective communication with physicians, nurses, pharmacy, labs, and sometime pharmaceutical companies will make your work be more efficient and productive. And, as a health care worker, you need to be very detail-oriented as you are taking care of someone else’s health.
Why are you passionate about your job or role?
Demonstrating if a new medicine/device will be effective and safe to use on certain group of patients will make big difference to others. As a clinical research coordinator, I am contributing to the development of new treatment for patients, especially hopeless late stage cancer patients. That is the reason why I am passionate about my job.
How did the current pandemic impacted your job or role?
Some patients suffered from COVID-19 and they had to be self-isolated at home. They were not able to attend clinic visits, then missed their required lab tests; missed or delayed their treatment. From research aspects, missing data will have impact on the scientific integrity. Due to the pandemic and travel restrictions, currently, there are more online meetings instead of in person meetings, and it will be a trend in future. We are losing the chance to have face to face interaction with other clinical research professionals. However, there are more remote job opportunities open for the research role and it will provide more flexible and balanced jobs.
What are some things you dislike about your job or role?
Data capturing and reporting to research ethics committee are too administrative.
Connection
I chose to interview Tiffany Li because I wanted to learn more about the healthcare industry, especially workers not directly working on the frontlines, yet still contributing a great impact to the advancement of medicine. I learned from the interview how much effort and time goes into clinical research, having to work hard to find cures for an illness that has no definite one as of right now. I also learned that COVID-19 really impacted lab tests because it disrupted clinic visits with patients having to self-isolate, leading to missing data. The switch from in-person to online meetings changed the healthcare industry, resulting in a loss of connection, but also expanded roles that allow for more flexibility. This connects to my interests because I like biology the most out of the sciences and am interested in learning how viruses and diseases impact our body. I also would like to help others, especially those that may be in hopeless conditions, and find cures for future generations to come. This interview has opened up some opportunities for me by expanding my knowledge of different jobs in the medical industry. Doctors and nurses may have become common jobs to aim for because of the pandemic, but now I know there’re also those that perform clinical trials, collect research, and synthesize it to create hopeful cures for diseases and viruses impacting our world. Knowing someone in the industry, as well as what to expect, will help me get closer to joining it if I chose so in the future.
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This could impact your chances of being employed because your employer could create their own unflattering image or ideas about you before they’ve even met you. Your digital footprint could also affect your relationships or social status too because often, when things are posted on the internet, they never really leave the internet and can stay around for many years. So, it’s very easy for a thoughtless photo or post mocking a religion, sexuality, or political view to resurface and cause problems with you on the internet or with people you know and live with.
Another strategy is to search yourself up from time to time and find what crops up so you know that the information is correct, flattering, and what you’re okay with being out there. This could prevent you from being overwhelmed or oblivious to the image you project on the internet so if anyone tries to use it against you, you’re prepared and ready.
