International Center for Training in Clinical Research (ICTCR), an institute set up by one of the most reputed and esteemed science scholars in Mumbai city, Dr R T Sane, former principal of Ramnarain Ruia College, is offering a diploma course in Clinical Research that cuts through the empty promises and offers a job to its students the day they enrol for the course. Fresh science graduates get a placement as a trainee researcher in a Clinical Research Organisation (CRO), train for five days a week and attend lectures on weekends. As a trainee, they are offered a stipend, and once the diploma is awarded to the student, the trainee is absorbed in the CRO on a regular job.

"We have found that in most CROs, the complaint against fresh recruits has been that they may know the theory, but they have no clue about the actual work in a CRO. When institutes focus only on lectures, it is seen that hands-on exposure suffers. While our young graduates may be enthusiastic and inspired, no course has been drafted that offers both hands on training and a strong knowledge of the fundamentals," says Dr Sane.

Due to this, Dr Sane adds, fresh graduates lose out in the competition and find it difficult to adapt to the working environment in which they are called upon to operate. "At ICTCR, we intend to stem this process and introduce a win-win system for a fresher. He not learns about the subject in the classroom, but he also applies his learning from day one at a trainee job offered to him, " he says.

ICTCR, after exhaustive sessions with important players in the Clinical Research Industry has tied up with numerous CROs that are willing to take on fresh recruits as trainees, assured that ICTCR will back this training with a strong knowledge based course on Clinical Research and the latest management tools and techniques to get a holistic understanding of the process.

ICTCR will be holding its lectures for its diploma courses in an AC classroom with OHP facilities at the G N Khalsa College, Matunga. ICTCR is also offering month long certificate courses on Sensitisation of Clinical Research. The diploma courses are slated to start in October 2006.