Yes, Parexel REALLY Is That Bad.

[carmel]

Parexel in Baltimore, MD is totally disorganized. I certainly feel really foolish for even going now. With all that is said about the clinic on here you'd think I'd have the smarts not to go. I guess I had to be really hard-headed to travel nearly 400 miles just to see for myself. The day started off on the wrong foot. I get there 10 minutes early and go to the 7th floor of Harbor Hospital. I walk in and tell them I'm here for my Screening. The receptionist tells me "Oh, our website needs to be updated. Screenings are across the street on Cherry Hill." She told me this happens all the time with new volunteers. It's a short walk, and I was only two minutes late. The screening building is a bit run-down.

Many, many unhappy volunteers that day. Nothing was told to us over the phone about the bronchoscopy nor the date change. A guy sitting next to me said he definitely couldn't do that, and another guy took off early as soon as he heard the date change. Parexel also changed the study dates. Pretty fast for that to happen. I only just spoke to the recruiter last week. No phone call back or nothing. I decided to take off early. I wasn't the only one to do so. I could see this screening was going to last all day. They were moving as slow as molasses. The doctor was two hours late as well. I knew it was risky going down there, but I took a chance anyway. The study would've fit in my schedule until they changed it. It was a small 3 overnight/4 day one and was scheduled before my class back home was to begin. I feel bad for those poor employees that work there. They are understaffed, and looked tired and unhappy. Even the doctor looked like he didn't want to be there. All this also gave me a lack of trust overall in the place. If they are like this at the screening, am I really going to trust them putting a tube up my nose? Along with the two hour long IV and any complications from both..  

Newcomers, my best advice... avoid Parexel like others have warned. Don't be big-headed like me and see it for yourself. Unless you're a local, just simply don't go. I knew better not to, and had even held off for a long time. But I saw that $2k study that fit right in with my schedule, and I chased it like a fool. 

[jc]

I'm sorry you had to deal with that.
I went there a few days ago for a screening. It was the 4 days/3 nights and one follow-up for $2020. The dates for check-in were suppose to be from Oct 8th to the 11th. When I got there, I was told the dates changed to about two weeks ahead (they didn't inform me or anyone), they never mentioned the bronchoscopy, and they had the study amount messed up. It's weird because when I went there a few months ago, everything went smoothly, from the screening to check-in. I had issues with my check (long story), but everything was ok. I'm waiting for my results. Hopefully they don't change the dates again.

[carmel]

Oct 5, 2013 0:06:12 GMT -5 jc said:

I'm sorry you had to deal with that.
I went there a few days ago for a screening.

Hey jc. Good to hear your shared story. We need more like this. It sounds like we were there the same day. Were you the guy sitting next to me during informed consent? There were four of us. There was a girl all the way to our left and if it was you you were all the way to the right. I bowed out early after the consent. Someone actually wrote about this in the Information section under Parexel Study #212478. What are the chances of someone actually warning us ahead of time? Very nice of Scar Tissue did that, it's just that it ended up somewhere where very few of us probably even look. He even warned about the bronchoscopy.

[Scar Tissue]

Hey Carmel, thanks for the acknowledgement. I thought I was posting in the correct section which was about healthy studies. I guess next time I will post under the clinical research section itself or maybe post in both sections.

[carmel]

Oct 6, 2013 21:57:02 GMT -5 Scar Tissue said:

Hey Carmel, thanks for the acknowledgement. I thought I was posting in the correct section which was about healthy studies. I guess next time I will post under the clinical research section itself or maybe post in both sections.

Hey Scar Tissue. Thanks again. Listen, I didn't know how to write that without sounding a wee bit rude. I hope I didn't come across that way. It's just that section really isn't used as it's intent. The old topics don't get deleted like they are supposed to. It's not often people post there... I have a habit of just checking the clinic section and then General for General questions. I do look up that way, but not often. Unless I notice a new post. But that must've been at at time where I hadn't come here lately. In my opinion, those two top sections should perhaps be combined with General. I don't know how others feel about that. Maybe we should take a poll.

[jjm]

I went there on oct 1 and went through the same thing. But as soon as i found out the dates had changed I took off. So I never even heard about the brocoscopy. I wasted 200.00 on travel. I would have stayed and screened just to get the 20 bucks but I was too pissed and if you pass a screening and refuse the study they can suspend you from doing other studies. Although most likely I wont be going back I always like to keep in good standing with all clinics. I will never travel there when Im low on cash, its just too risky. 

[jc]

Oct 6, 2013 17:59:48 GMT -5 carmel said:

Oct 5, 2013 0:06:12 GMT -5 jc said:

I'm sorry you had to deal with that.
I went there a few days ago for a screening.

Hey jc. Good to hear your shared story. We need more like this. It sounds like we were there the same day. Were you the guy sitting next to me during informed consent? There were four of us. There was a girl all the way to our left and if it was you you were all the way to the right. I bowed out early after the consent. Someone actually wrote about this in the Information section under Parexel Study #212478. What are the chances of someone actually warning us ahead of time? Very nice of Scar Tissue did that, it's just that it ended up somewhere where very few of us probably even look. He even warned about the bronchoscopy.

It was probably me.  I was there on the 3rd and I was sitting all the way to the right.

[carmel]

Oct 7, 2013 9:57:33 GMT -5 jjm said:

I went there on oct 1 and went through the same thing. But as soon as i found out the dates had changed I took off. So I never even heard about the brocoscopy. I wasted 200.00 on travel. I would have stayed and screened just to get the 20 bucks but I was too pissed and if you pass a screening and refuse the study they can suspend you from doing other studies. Although most likely I wont be going back I always like to keep in good standing with all clinics. I will never travel there when Im low on cash, its just too risky. 

Hey jjm. I read your topic down below before I wrote mine. It's good that you had your say. The more of us who speak up the better. I bet I met you, too. I was checking in as you were about to leave. Your'e white with a baseball cap. I overheard what you said and I asked you: "They changed the dates?" You nodded and said soing like "I can't do that." And then looked really pissed. And then that's when you took off. Funny how we both came here to vent about this screening. I've never seen two people at the same screening post here. BTW, I bowed out after informed consent. Brenda, the receptionist, was actually quite kind on discharge and gave me the $20. She didn't say anything at all about any penalty. She wished me well and hoped that I would come back. She completely understood. She was way overworked. Lovely personality on her: "Where's my highliters?!"

Oct 7, 2013 13:15:43 GMT -5 jc said:

It was probably me.  I was there on the 3rd and I was sitting all the way to the right.

Oh, definitely wasn't you then. I was there on the 1st.

[2wipes1cup]

I'm sorry to hear that, Carmel.

How does a place consistently forget to tell people about a BRONCHOSCOPY? That's jacked up.

I think the management at Parexel must have changed sometime this year. After my fiasco there, I noticed the recruiting emails looked different. I used to never get recruiting emails from them.

The armed cop at screening, the shady screening practices, etc....someone is running that place into the ground.

[diamond]

Thanks for the heads up. I will add that place to my list of Clinics To Avoid.

[sam9009]

I've done 2 studies here. One for about $3900 last year and one for $4200 this year. It wasn't a smooth process, but I got paid on time. Sorry you guys had problems.