Research Assistant, General Internal Medicine

Position: Research Assistant, General Internal Medicine

Location: Boston, MA

Schedule: 40 hours per week

ABOUT BMC:

At Boston Medical Center (BMC), our diverse staff works together for one goal - to provide exceptional and equitable care to improve the health of the people of Boston. Our bold vision to transform health care is powered by our respect for our patients and our commitment to ensure everyone who comes through our doors has a positive experience.

You'll find a supportive work environment at BMC, with rich opportunities throughout your career for training, development, and growth and where you'll have the tools you need to take charge of your own practice environment.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Research Assistant will support two studies: 1) the Youth Overdose Prevention Study which aims to develop and evaluate a brief overdose prevention intervention for youth and adolescents in primary care settings, and 2) the Youth Empowerment Study (YES) which aims to explore youth, family, people who use drugs, and youth providers' perceptions of overdose risk within the context of the changing drug supply and how to adapt or develop overdose prevention strategies for youth.

The Research Assistant will recruit and retain study participants, collect study data through a variety of methods (questionnaires, qualitative interviews, focus groups, photovoice), and additional day-to-day study activities. This is a primarily in-person position. The ideal candidate will have experience working with youth populations and a strong interest in public health, harm reduction, and substance use.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Administrative:

• Generate weekly status reports for team meetings and take meeting minutes
• Schedule team and external collaborator meetings
• Assist with presentation and manuscript development

Youth Overdose Prevention Study (50%):

• Support coordination and the conduct of focus group sessions for intervention development, assist with content analysis
• Recruit study participants from pediatric primary care and family medicine clinics
• Conduct informed consent procedures, complete study assessments with participants, and enter data. Regularly contact participants to retain them for the duration of the study
• Maintain and update study documentation (e.g. study trackers, logs, progress notes, etc.) Assist with data management (e.g. data quality checks to ensure accuracy)

YES Study (50%):

• Support coordination and the conduct of focus groups and photovoice
• Recruit study participants from youth-based community organizations, and health professionals across Massachusetts and Rhode Island
• Conduct informed consent procedures, conduct qualitative interviews with participants, assist with qualitative coding and analysis
• Maintain and update study documentation (e.g. study trackers, logs, etc.) and assist with data management (e.g. data quality checks to ensure accuracy and completeness)

(The above statements in this job description are intended to depict the general nature and level of work assigned to the employee(s) in this job. The above is not intended to represent an exhaustive list of accountable duties and responsibilities required).

JOB REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION:

• A minimum of a Bachelor's degree is required.

EXPERIENCE:

• Prefer experience in clinical research, public health experience or working with children and families.
• Previous experience with recruiting subjects, with an understanding of the ethical and technical conduct of research preferred

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Knowledge of harm reduction principles, substance use disorders, or related work a plus
• Organization/time management skills and strong attention to detail
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook. Experience with statistical software a plus
• Bilingual candidate preferred, not required, fluent in spoken and written English, Spanish, and/or Haitian Creole.
• Ability and willingness to travel to community partner sites across Massachusetts and Rhode Island
• Flexibility to work evenings, as required by participant availability
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation preferred

What we expect (a commitment to our Team's Core Values):

Mindfulness and Open-Mindedness: You are respectful, kind, and flexible. You avoid making assumptions about people and are mindful of how our work, language, and actions impact our study participants and the communities we serve. You are able to work independently and develop innovative solutions.

High Quality Work: You are reliable and take initiative. You pay attention to the details and ask for help when needed. You have high level time management, organizational, and communication skills.

Professional Growth: You are curious and excited to learn new things. You own up to mistakes, ask questions, and are receptive to feedback.

Work/Life Balance: You approach your work with a positive attitude, value self-care, and communicate honestly about your workload

What you get:

• Join an active research unit and learn about addiction medicine research projects
• Gain experience working directly with research study participants across two studies
• Learn best practices in research conduct and management
• Mentorship from public health professionals
• A competitive benefit package including robust health insurance, paid vacation, and commuter benefits

JOB BENEFITS:

• Competitive pay
• Tuition reimbursement and tuition remission programs
• Highly subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance options
• Career Advancement/Professional Development: Access a wealth of ongoing training and development opportunities that will not only enhance your skills but also expand your knowledge base especially for individuals pursuing careers in medicine or biomedical research.
• Pioneering Research: Engage in groundbreaking research projects that are driving the forefront of biomedical science.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT:

As the primary teaching hospital for Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and BU schools of public health and dentistry, intellectual rigor shapes our inquiries. Our research is led by a belief that skin color, zip code, and financial circumstances shouldn't dictate health.

Boston Medical Center is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.If you need accommodation for any part of the application process because of a medical condition or disability, please send an e-mail toTalentacquisition@bmc.orgor call617-638-8582to let us know the nature of your request.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans