u/Life_Instance_7469

I am considering a CRA I position at IQVIA. It would be under the Eli Lilly FSP model with Eli Lilly. I would love to hear thoughts and opinions from current and former employees who have experience with this setup. I’m particularly interested in hearing about the training, workload, growth trajectory, and overall culture. For context, I’m currently a PMP-certified research coordinator who manages psychosocial studies and been in my position for a little over 5 years.

My husband and I currently live in Philadelphia and are looking to relocate out of state as early as August 2027. NC is on our list as a possible location. We are leaning towards settling in Charlotte or surrounding suburbs, but also considering the Research Triangle Area.

We are planning to visit Charlotte in August for our anniversary/to get a feel of the area. We also may do a day trip to the Research Triangle area during our visit.

To give some background, we are a Black couple in our early 30s. I am in healthcare/research/public health space, currently as a clinical research coordinator but looking to transition into project management. My husband is in finance, currently as a senior accountant.

A few things we are trying to figure out:

1. Best neighborhoods to actually spend time in: We will have a car, but would also like to experience the public transit and walkability of the city to get a general vibe of neighborhoods. We also value locations with diverse populations with a variety of things to do. We are planning to have kids, so we also welcome recommendations for family-friendly neighborhoods and/or those with good school systems as well

2. Whether the day trip to the Research Triangle Area is worth it or if we should visit again and make that its own trip

3. Realtor recommendations for people still in early research stages

4. What would you do with 4 days if you wanted to get an understanding of the city

5. Anything else we should know before we visit

Thank you in advance!!