The first time I heard about being able to get paid of medical trials was when I had just finished my university degree. I was working as a tour guide for the summer trying to earn enough money to start paying off my student debts.
I found out that some of the guys who I was working with were taking part in drug trials for money being run at a nearby drug testing research centre. They told me that it was possible to make hundreds if not thousands of pounds for each paid medical trial that you took part in. It sounded almost too good to be true but I was determined to find out for myself.
I found out how to contact the places conducting these medical research trials so that I could be sent the necessary forms. I received the application forms that I needed to fill in and was almost put off by all the questions they asked but then I remembered the money I could be making. The forms needed my medical history and health details filled in as well as the name and address of my local doctor. I had to consent to them being contacted to get hold of my medical records. The information is necessary for the doctors at the medical research units so that they can be sure you don't have any health conditions that could be a problem if you took part in a drug trial.
After filling in all the details required, I returned the forms to the address supplied and wondered how long it would be before I heard anything. Being the impatient young man that I was, I decided to apply to both of the medical research units based near where I lived just in case I got rejected by one or found out that one was better than the other. I got a letter from them after they had been through my forms and processed all of the information. I was being asked to go to the unit for a comprehensive medical check up to make sure I was fit and healthy enough to be a volunteer.
I was subjected to numerous blood tests (don't take part in medical trials if you are afraid of needles!), had a heart monitor attached to me and at one unit they went as far as testing my eye sight, lung capacity and eye pressure (high eye pressure is one warning sign of glaucoma). All of the tests were to make sure that I was in good health and didn't have any undiagnosed problems that could be an issue if I took part in the drug trials. It was reassuring to know that I was getting the kind of free health check you would never normally expect to receive (especially at my age) unless they thought there was something really wrong with you!
I passed all of the tests at one of the research units successfully. However, the other unit rejected me on the basis that my eye pressure was too high (something they didn't even test at the other unit). A 50% success rate made me glad I had applied to more than one unit.
After I was told that I had successfully registered as a medical research volunteer I had to wait a while to receive the details of the first trial that they were recruiting for since I had signed up. I received an information pack that included more forms to sign and fill in, details of the drug being researched, side effects that they were expecting, when the trial would take place, when the screening dates where and (most importantly to me, let's be honest about this) the amount of money I would get paid for successfully taking part in the trial.
In addition to having a medical to become eligible to be a volunteer for medical testing you also have to have a medical for each individual drug trial that you want to take part in. The first few times I went for these (after being sent the details of a new medical trial that was taking place) I was rejected based on my existing medical history. After this happened to me a few times, I complained because I felt that it was a waste of my time to go to the screening visits if I was always going to be rejected based on something that was already on my files.
Something must have changed over the years because eventually I was successful in getting accepted onto a trial. It didn't involve any overnight stays and it wasn't a new drug being tested so perhaps that's what made the difference. Anyway, it felt like a victory to me, I got paid over 500 for taking part and more importantly than that after that I wasn't rejected for any more of the trials I applied for, allowing me to take part in several more and make lots of money over the next few years.
I also reapplied to the other clinical research unit and was successful this time around. The moral of the story is, if at first you don't succeed, keep trying. It's worth the effort.
I found out that some of the guys who I was working with were taking part in drug trials for money being run at a nearby drug testing research centre. They told me that it was possible to make hundreds if not thousands of pounds for each paid medical trial that you took part in. It sounded almost too good to be true but I was determined to find out for myself.
I found out how to contact the places conducting these medical research trials so that I could be sent the necessary forms. I received the application forms that I needed to fill in and was almost put off by all the questions they asked but then I remembered the money I could be making. The forms needed my medical history and health details filled in as well as the name and address of my local doctor. I had to consent to them being contacted to get hold of my medical records. The information is necessary for the doctors at the medical research units so that they can be sure you don't have any health conditions that could be a problem if you took part in a drug trial.
After filling in all the details required, I returned the forms to the address supplied and wondered how long it would be before I heard anything. Being the impatient young man that I was, I decided to apply to both of the medical research units based near where I lived just in case I got rejected by one or found out that one was better than the other. I got a letter from them after they had been through my forms and processed all of the information. I was being asked to go to the unit for a comprehensive medical check up to make sure I was fit and healthy enough to be a volunteer.
I was subjected to numerous blood tests (don't take part in medical trials if you are afraid of needles!), had a heart monitor attached to me and at one unit they went as far as testing my eye sight, lung capacity and eye pressure (high eye pressure is one warning sign of glaucoma). All of the tests were to make sure that I was in good health and didn't have any undiagnosed problems that could be an issue if I took part in the drug trials. It was reassuring to know that I was getting the kind of free health check you would never normally expect to receive (especially at my age) unless they thought there was something really wrong with you!
I passed all of the tests at one of the research units successfully. However, the other unit rejected me on the basis that my eye pressure was too high (something they didn't even test at the other unit). A 50% success rate made me glad I had applied to more than one unit.
After I was told that I had successfully registered as a medical research volunteer I had to wait a while to receive the details of the first trial that they were recruiting for since I had signed up. I received an information pack that included more forms to sign and fill in, details of the drug being researched, side effects that they were expecting, when the trial would take place, when the screening dates where and (most importantly to me, let's be honest about this) the amount of money I would get paid for successfully taking part in the trial.
In addition to having a medical to become eligible to be a volunteer for medical testing you also have to have a medical for each individual drug trial that you want to take part in. The first few times I went for these (after being sent the details of a new medical trial that was taking place) I was rejected based on my existing medical history. After this happened to me a few times, I complained because I felt that it was a waste of my time to go to the screening visits if I was always going to be rejected based on something that was already on my files.
Something must have changed over the years because eventually I was successful in getting accepted onto a trial. It didn't involve any overnight stays and it wasn't a new drug being tested so perhaps that's what made the difference. Anyway, it felt like a victory to me, I got paid over 500 for taking part and more importantly than that after that I wasn't rejected for any more of the trials I applied for, allowing me to take part in several more and make lots of money over the next few years.
I also reapplied to the other clinical research unit and was successful this time around. The moral of the story is, if at first you don't succeed, keep trying. It's worth the effort.
About the Author:
Find out how you can take part in medical trials that pay to make loads of money. For more ways to make money check out www.cashninja.co.uk
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