April!
April
Happy Birthday, Lauren
What drew you to human factors and what drew you to Core?
I was attracted to Core because I wanted to work in an industry that helps people. I like coming to work knowing that we are making medical devices safer, and hopefully making the lives of the people who use them a little bit easier.
What is one fun fact about yourself?
I was the Assistant News Director at our radio station in college. It still comes in handy--my "news anchor" voice is the same tone I break out when speaking to participants on the phone.
What is your educational or professional background and how does it relate to your everyday job at Core?
I have two bachelor's degrees--one in Psychology from Penn State and one in Radio, Television, and Film from Rowan University. They both helped me prepare for this role in a variety of ways. My degree in Psychology helped me gain a good perspective on research methodology, and Radio, Television, and Film helped me develop skills in advertising and social media.
Before I came to Core, I worked in higher education, recruiting adult learners for mental health and human services degree programs.
What do you enjoy doing most at Core? Have you found a "specialty" or "niche" within Core?
My favorite part of the job is learning more about the participants we're recruiting. While we are on the phone screening them to see if they would be a good fit for one of our studies, they often tell me about their experiences with their conditions, how far they've come in their health journeys, and the ups and downs of living with a persistent illness. Sometimes, we discuss their day to day lives, their vacation plans, their hobbies, how excited they are for their children to come visit from out of state, etc.
Unfortunately, although I love talking with our participants, the opposite experience can happen, too. All of our studies are paid, and we do have people who try to mislead us in order to be included in them. After more than two years as a Recruitment Specialist, I have developed a well-honed radar of when a prospective participant may be being less than truthful about themselves. I wish it weren't a niche I had needed to explore, but I'm glad that I can help find the right people to be in the study room.
What is the worst (or best?) design you have ever seen and why? (Does not have to be medical related)
I find myself having this internal conversation with all the products I interact with now. When none of the screws lined up for the couch I had ordered off the internet, I thought, "That's just bad human factors right there."
What is the best or worst recruiting story you heard or dealt with?
I once was recruiting patients for a study with very particular medication experience requirements. I had reached out to our responses from our own database, networked with local support groups, reached out to our support partners in the area, and advertised, but I still couldn't find the last person that we needed. The day before the study, I was still one participant short of the total. I worked a very long day into the night cold calling almost another 100 people to try to find the last person that we needed to complete the recruit.
I was attracted to Core because I wanted to work in an industry that helps people. I like coming to work knowing that we are making medical devices safer, and hopefully making the lives of the people who use them a little bit easier.
What is one fun fact about yourself?
I was the Assistant News Director at our radio station in college. It still comes in handy--my "news anchor" voice is the same tone I break out when speaking to participants on the phone.
What is your educational or professional background and how does it relate to your everyday job at Core?
I have two bachelor's degrees--one in Psychology from Penn State and one in Radio, Television, and Film from Rowan University. They both helped me prepare for this role in a variety of ways. My degree in Psychology helped me gain a good perspective on research methodology, and Radio, Television, and Film helped me develop skills in advertising and social media.
Before I came to Core, I worked in higher education, recruiting adult learners for mental health and human services degree programs.
What do you enjoy doing most at Core? Have you found a "specialty" or "niche" within Core?
My favorite part of the job is learning more about the participants we're recruiting. While we are on the phone screening them to see if they would be a good fit for one of our studies, they often tell me about their experiences with their conditions, how far they've come in their health journeys, and the ups and downs of living with a persistent illness. Sometimes, we discuss their day to day lives, their vacation plans, their hobbies, how excited they are for their children to come visit from out of state, etc.
Unfortunately, although I love talking with our participants, the opposite experience can happen, too. All of our studies are paid, and we do have people who try to mislead us in order to be included in them. After more than two years as a Recruitment Specialist, I have developed a well-honed radar of when a prospective participant may be being less than truthful about themselves. I wish it weren't a niche I had needed to explore, but I'm glad that I can help find the right people to be in the study room.
What is the worst (or best?) design you have ever seen and why? (Does not have to be medical related)
I find myself having this internal conversation with all the products I interact with now. When none of the screws lined up for the couch I had ordered off the internet, I thought, "That's just bad human factors right there."
What is the best or worst recruiting story you heard or dealt with?
I once was recruiting patients for a study with very particular medication experience requirements. I had reached out to our responses from our own database, networked with local support groups, reached out to our support partners in the area, and advertised, but I still couldn't find the last person that we needed. The day before the study, I was still one participant short of the total. I worked a very long day into the night cold calling almost another 100 people to try to find the last person that we needed to complete the recruit.