Victoria Millward had been working as lab bench scientist and quality control supervisor for a few years when she decided to shift gears and pursue a certificate in Clinical Trials and Management at UCSC Extension in early 2010.
Millward had just moved back to California after a brief stint on the East Coast and was excited to find an entry-level position managing clinical trials for skin care products at a small cosmetics company in San Francisco. She was grateful that her Extension courses mirrored her new responsibilities on the job, and was soon relying on her instructors and peers to help her acquire the skills she needed in clinical trials.
After completing her Clinical Trials certificate, she reviewed her transcript and current offerings to see how many requirements she would need to fulfill the Regulatory Affairs certificate. She observed a significant overlap between the two fields.
Millward senses that the future of regulatory affairs and clinical trials will rely on industry professionals who stay current with changes in regulations, research and drugs. After she completed both Extension certificates, she went on to pass the RAPS exam, certifying her as a regulatory affairs professional. She has also passed the necessary exams to become a clinical research associate (CRA) and has a few years to fulfill certain educational requirements to maintain her certification.
These days, Millward is qualified to perform multiple tasks at her company; she works in quality systems, manages all post-marketing adverse events, and manages all clinical trials for skin care products.
Visit our Regulatory Affairs and Clinical Trials program pages to learn more UCSC Extension's unique offerings. Browse upcoming courses in Clinical Trials and Regulatory Affairs.