Hailing from the United Kingdom, Project Coordinator Maud Moir once called Medpace’s London office home. Now, she resides in Denver, Colorado, holding a brand-new title in a brand-new country.
A Career Discovery
When Maud was searching for post-grad jobs, she was battling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the job market. With a degree in German and Management, clinical research wasn’t an industry that was top of mind for her, but she found a way in nonetheless. She discovered a Patient Engagement Assistant role at a clinical trial site in the UK, focusing on neurodegenerative diseases and chronic pain. This was instantly fascinating to her, and her passion for clinical research began here.
“Patient Engagement and Recruitment is such a key part of all clinical trial phases,” Maud explains. “[Working at] the site level really helped me understand the patient experience.” This role introduced her to the world of clinical trials, and here she was exposed to Contract Research Organizations (CROs) and how they interact with clinical trial sites. Taking a peek behind the scenes and learning more about what goes into a trial before recruitment even begins led Maud down the path of CROs. She learned more about their involvement with clinical trials and their role within clinical research. When a role popped up at the London office of a US-based CRO, Maud decided to test the waters.
Moving On
Maud joined Medpace as a Patient Recruitment Coordinator, bringing with her extensive experience in patient engagement. Now starting with a trial at the very first phase, she had a hand in a variety of studies across different disciplines. The collaborative nature of Medpace’s Participant Recruitment and Retention team created a welcoming atmosphere that allowed Maud to learn. Her team helped her understand the context of not only her role on the Participant Recruitment and Retention team but within the clinical trial process overall.
After just over a year in the role, Maud came to the difficult conclusion to part ways. This decision was made in part by her husband’s job relocation and their desire for a change, so the pair packed up and headed to Denver, Colorado.
A Life in the States
Arriving in Denver, Maud took some time to adjust to life in the states. In the weeks leading up to the start of her new role, she soaked up as much of the outdoors as she could, reveling in the change of pace. When she went back to work, she joined a clinical trial site in a Community Outreach role where she leveraged her experience in neurodegenerative disease studies.
Not only was this role new to Maud, it was new to the organization as well. Maud was responsible for building up their patient recruitment team and creating a network of participants across the city. Study participant diversity is extremely important to gather well-rounded data, so Maud’s main goal was to educate community members about clinical trial participation and destigmatizing clinical research.
Return
After nearly two years in the Community Outreach role, Maud stumbled across a job posting for a role in Medpace’s Denver office. She’d spent most of the last five years in the thick of clinical trials. Now, she was ready to dive even deeper. “I was curious to see what the organization process was during startup and closeout as well as the wider operations of a trial,” Maud says. Up until this point, she’d dealt almost exclusively with the very beginning stages of a trial: recruiting patients, clinical research education, and community outreach.
Recalling her experience at Medpace – a great relationship with her manager, engaging work, support from colleagues – Maud decided to reapply. This time, though, she was going for the Project Coordinator role.
In rejoining Medpace in a new office and a new role, she’s learned a great deal about a different side of clinical research and Medpace corporate functions. As a Project Coordinator, Maud has been able to build upon the experience she’s gained over the course of her career, pulling from experience working at the site-level. Now, she works on trials from Phase I-IV and closely collaborates with Medpace’s Clinical Trial Management team.
“It’s hard to compare Denver and London as they are vastly different cities,” Maud says. However, the one thing they both have in common is the culture: relaxed, professional, and inclusive. “I have always enjoyed sitting down and eating lunch away from my desk with colleagues and have been able to do so in both offices with great company,” she shares.
Looking Forward
“Time always tends to give perspective,” Maud advises. Relearning Medpace from the perspective of a new role, new office, and gained experience has provided a unique outlook on her work. She advises those considering a similar transition to appreciate the knowledge and experience gained elsewhere. Skills learned in different areas of your industry provide valuable insight into the big picture of your role. Maud’s passion for clinical research transcends countries and roles, and she continues to foster this spirit at Medpace.
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