Iris Vegting – Research coordinator at VUmc
She completed her Masters in Neuroscience in the year 2018. She has worked at ttopstart as a project assistant for the business department for 9 months. subsequently, also worked as a data manager for 2 months at VUmc. Currently, she is working as a Research coordinator at Amsterdam UMC - location VUmc in the cardiology research department.
What does your job detail?
During my master's at VU, I realized that I was interested in coordinating projects and social events. I later found out that there is actually a job direction in research project coordination. I started off working as a data manager at VUmc which was mainly about collecting data from different hospitals. After that, I was offered the position that I am currently hired under at VUmc
As research coordinator, I coordinate big research projects in the Netherlands, some even internationally. Clinical research in the hospital is different from pre-clinical research as we know in Neuroscience. In hospitals, we have phase 1 to 4 trials that are run by medical doctors who are currently doing a Ph.D. Usually clinical research is run by a whole team consisting of a research coordinator and the doctor researchers.
As research coordinator I specify in coordinating and organizing multiple research projects at once. I make sure research projects in hospitals, inside and outside the Netherlands, are implemented efficiently and everything is being done on time.
My tasks include (among others) patient recruitment, scheduling patients meetings, keeping track of financial budgeting and milestones, collecting patient data, administering questionnaires, and a large administrative responsibility for where other hospitals are involved.
How did you find this job and what were the requirements for it?
My friend suggested a data manager job at VUmc. Nothing specifically, I took over this position from someone who had a Bachelor's degree. During that time I was working with cardiologists who were looking for a research coordinator for a big project that they were starting with other hospitals in Germany, UK, US, Belgium & Poland. Shortly after I got interviewed and had the job.
When did you start applying for jobs after your master in Neurosciences?
After taking a small break, in September I started applying for jobs and that's when my friend suggested the data manager position in VUmc and soon after I started working which then landed me in my current job, as a research coordinator.
How did you select references for your job application process?
For the reference I included my second internship supervisor with whom I had a good relationship during my internship.
What was the job interview process like?
I had an interview with the main principal investigator and they already knew me as a data manager and my background in Neuroscience.
Do you have a contract for your job?
I have a contract linked to the main, bigger international project that I was hired for. The project is for 5 years and I have a contract lasting for the time of that project. In terms of HR, the contract was for 2 years which was by law and then they can extend it depending on their work. But for my position, it was linked to the finances of the project which was quite rare. Others working here have a one-year contract and then it gets extended to another year and then if everything goes well then you will get a fixed contract.
Do you have any tips/recommendations on how to approach job interviews or job search in general?
For applying to various companies, express your interest in the company you are applying for and the job position you applied for and always think why would you want to work in that particular company.
Did you think of doing a PhD after getting this job?
Initially, I thought of still doing a Phd, but after a while I found that I very much enjoy doing my job and also get challenged by my work which involves managing different projects which is what I wanted to do.
Do you have a similar position but for Neuroscience?
There is one called the Industry alliance office which is a clinical start up organisation. They have a mini-research organization that is a go-to hub for pharmacy and biotech companies, to connect them with the (clinical) neuroscience and neurology departments at the VU and VUmc. They make sure that any projects/studies coming from pharmaceutical companies/industries can be implemented in the hospital and vice versa. They implement and organize large parts of the pre-clinical and clinical research projects. Their main role is to speed up the development of new therapies and diagnostics for patients suffering from a neurological/ mental illness, from bench to bedside. For more information please check out this
link .
Did you follow any courses for this job?
I followed a few courses that are mandatory for working in a hospital, such as a Basic Life Support (BLS) course during my first year. I also had to follow some general courses on how to manage electronic patient files, general privacy courses, and a Good Clinical Practice (GCP) course which is mandatory for working with patients in clinical research.
How did you do your job search?
I did my job search on Indeed, LinkedIn, general websites and the VUmc website.
Would you have done it differently now that you are working in cardiovascular research and not in something you have a background in which is Neuroscience?
I wouldn't have done it differently, because I was interested in Neuroscience and that's why I did my masters in that field. I also liked coordinating projects/events and was passionate about doing it. Having said that, I also think about the future prospects of my career, like how I can grow in my work and learn something new. I also keep myself updated with recent developments in Neuroscience via my LinkedIn network.
Do you have any general tips for us?
Just apply for job positions that you are interested in, even if you think it's out of your league. Sometimes, when you don't get the job you were interested in, don't take it personally. It could be due to many other reasons such as selecting an internal candidate for that position but they had to open a vacancy for that position and others.
Contact info: irisvegting@hotmail.com
