04 Jun Did You Know?: Certificates and Certification Are Not the Same

By Glenda Guest, ACRP

So you say you took one or a few courses on a topic of special interest in clinical research, studied diligently, aced the test, and earned a certificate? Congratulations! But did you know that achievement doesn’t mean you can say you are a certified individual? 

As with many other professional associations, earning a one-time certificate of achievement in a focused topic from the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) can be a valuable, as-needed pursuit to bring one up to speed in a new job function in one’s daily work. As well, it can be part of preparing oneself to eventually take a detailed certification test (to become a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator (CCRC®) or Certified Clinical Research Associate (CCRA®), for example), and an option for accumulating the contact hours needed to maintain an existing certification with ACRP. Read more…