Meet our people pt. 9 – Dr. Ulrika Risedal, MD, Resident in Clinical Pharmacology

Dr. Ulrika Risedal, resident in Clinical Pharmacology at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, recently completed a rotation at CTC. Here, she shares her experiences and reflections on working with clinical trials and how it has complemented her residency training

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I have been a resident physician (ST-läkare) in Clinical Pharmacology at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg since April 2022. Before that, I was a resident in Internal Medicine at NU Healthcare for about two years.

You did a clinical rotation at CTC as part of your residency in Clinical Pharmacology. What knowledge and experiences did you gain during your time at CTC, and how would you say they complemented your regular residency training?

The main advantage of doing a rotation at CTC compared to what my regular residency offers is the large number of clinical trials and study activities I had the chance to participate in. Not only was the number of studies significant, but there was also a wide variety of investigational medicinal products (IMPs) and great diversity among study participants.

During my first three weeks of training at CTC’s clinics in Uppsala, I was involved in both phase I and phase II trials, including First-in-Human (FIH) studies. I carried out a range of tasks, such as screening study participants, monitoring dosing, and conducting follow-up visits. In addition, I was able to attend Site Initiation Visits (SIVs), held at the start of a trial, and participate in project meetings during ongoing studies. I also had the chance to meet with different professional groups (such as study nurses, CRAs, medical writers, CSOs, etc.) for a personal walkthrough of their roles and responsibilities, which gave me a broad perspective and a deeper understanding of the processes involved in clinical trials.

In the second part of my rotation, I mainly worked at CTC’s clinic at GoCo in Gothenburg, where I independently conducted study visits for ongoing trials at the site. However, I was always in close communication with the principal investigator of each study, my residency supervisor at CTC, and the physician team at CTC, whose meetings I regularly attended. The practical arrangements between CTC and Sahlgrenska also worked very well, since I, just like in a “regular” rotation, was released from my duties at my home clinic to fully engage in the work at CTC.

“The main advantage of doing a rotation at CTC compared to what my regular residency offers is the large number of clinical trials and study activities I had the chance to participate in. process — from protocol development and execution to final reporting.”

In what way has your service at CTC contributed to fulfilling the objectives of your residency?

Clinical Pharmacology is the only medical specialty where knowledge of clinical trials is explicitly included in the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s residency training objectives. As a clinical pharmacologist, one is expected to master the evaluation of drug safety and to understand all phases of clinical drug development. My time at CTC has provided me with substantial knowledge in this area, for example in risk assessment and in handling and evaluating adverse events.

Having my residency rotation based at CTC also aligns with Sahlgrenska University Hospital’s milestones for developing into Sweden’s leading university hospital by 2032. The hospital’s goals include offering all patients the opportunity to participate in and contribute to clinical research, education, and innovation. Another goal is that national and international life science collaboration should ensure research results and new treatments reach patients more quickly. Thus, my residency rotation at CTC not only fulfilled my formal residency requirements but can also be seen as a step toward achieving Sahlgrenska’s broader strategic goals.

Would you recommend that other physicians interested in clinical trials do part of their residency training at CTC?

Absolutely! Having the opportunity to take part in such a wide range of clinical trials and to learn from the vast expertise of the physicians and other professionals at CTC is highly valuable. I believe that working at CTC can contribute significantly to one’s future career as a clinical pharmacologist, but it can also be rewarding for physicians in other specialties, since it could help bring more clinical trials to hospitals and strengthen the exchange between healthcare and clinical research organizations.

I see tremendous potential in such exchanges, which are also in line with the national goal set by the Swedish government to increase the number of clinical trials conducted in Sweden. Establishing stronger collaboration between healthcare and industry could play an important role in achieving that goal, while also raising physicians’ interest and opportunities to engage in clinical trials.