Perplexing process at MedPace due to Covid

[labrat1]

It may be different by now, but I called months back, I think late 2020. I also called another time in very early 2021. I found out that they have a requirement for applicants to drive up in a car in which the applicant himself or herself is the only passenger ( apparently so that there is less likelihood of people contaminating each other) so as to have a nasal swab test after which the volunteer will stay in a hotel room paid for by the research facility and if the test is negative and your screening results acceptable, then the volunteer is immediately brought into the facility to participate in the study.

However I had a lot of questions. Over phone I told the recruiter that I would have to rent a car because I don't have one of my own and furthermore , I have not driven in decades and would need a refresher course first and even if I could manage to drive the car to the "Drive-thru Covid test window" from the car-rental place (and I would have to find one that is as close-by as possible to the clinic) then after getting swabbed, what do I do with the car before I check in the hotel?

My understanding was that the hotel is near the clinic, but I would have to either pay to park the car in the hotel garage (if there is one) and also pay to keep the car for several days since I would have to be quarantined in the hotel until it is found out whether the Covid test is negative or positive. I cannot just drive the car back to the Car-rental place, so it would end up paying much more than normal to try for the study.
And actually it is the trouble I would have to go through. The first recruiter I talked with did not seem to know how to answer my questions.

The second recruiter I talked to said that she realizes that the procedures for the special Covid testing does make it hard for anyone coming from far away to screen and it seems that the people who thought-up the testing process did not really consider such a thing and it seems that it is only convenient for people who live near enough and have their own car or have easy access to a car can try for the studies as of the present time.
SO it seems that I would not be able to try for studies at Med Pace as long as they have this kind of Covid-test set up.

Anyone called Med Pace and had to deal with this?

[midnitelion]

Im currently in a Medpace study, screened last month

The screening for vitals includes covid testing in the same day. In and out in a couple hours. I drive from the east coast so i dont worry about any hotel stays or whatever, i go to screen then go home in a 22 hour drive round trip.

If you accepted into the study, the hotel stay is 24 hours, Day -2 on your study calendar. I assume they now have PCR rapid testing. You go to the hotel, the give you a room, swab your nose, you stay in there overnight, get your results, then drive around the block to the study site for day -1 (getting adjusted, dosing the next day). Hotel is paid for by them, parking is free. No one checked if i came alone in my car, and even if they did, I would just lie and have a driver drop me off outside the campus.

You have to your own food for contactless delivery, they dont want you leaving the room or hotel grounds for any reason. Which is fine by me, its a holiday inn, literally 2 blocks from the inhouse building, the room is nice and spacious and the bed is soft. Makes the sucky environment of the clinic contrast immensely lol.

Seems to me your biggest issue is the fact that you have not driven in decades. wtf bruh. i dont judge, but i'd rather spend 80-150 dollars on gas round trip than hundreds on plane tickets and hotel stays, or in your case car rentals and finding a driver, that eats into your gross profits. spend some time and get a beater car for cross country driving.

[vark]

if you've been vaccinated the process might have changed. you might want to give them a call. i have found medpace a mixed bag. a couple times i was told that i was in, but then got sent home. but i did a couple studies there that went well. so it's a crapshoot.