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SAS Programmer

The document outlines a comprehensive pathway to becoming an SAS Programmer, detailing the role, prerequisites, and necessary skills in SAS programming and clinical research. It emphasizes the importance of certification, hands-on experience, and continuous learning for career advancement in the field. The document also provides insights into job opportunities and salary ranges at various career levels.

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Prashant Tapkeer
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6 views

SAS Programmer

The document outlines a comprehensive pathway to becoming an SAS Programmer, detailing the role, prerequisites, and necessary skills in SAS programming and clinical research. It emphasizes the importance of certification, hands-on experience, and continuous learning for career advancement in the field. The document also provides insights into job opportunities and salary ranges at various career levels.

Uploaded by

Prashant Tapkeer
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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​Here’s the information about the SAS Programmer pathway you requested:

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Complete Pathway to Becoming an SAS Programmer

1. Understanding the Role of an SAS Programmer An SAS Programmer uses SAS software to manage, analyze,
and report clinical trial data. This includes:

Data manipulation and transformation (cleaning, merging datasets).

Statistical analysis and interpretation (e.g., T-tests, regressions, survival analysis).

Generating tables, listings, and figures (TLFs) for clinical trial reports.

2. Prerequisites for SAS Programming A. Educational Background

A Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, Life Sciences, Biostatistics, Computer Science, or related fields is preferred.

For those with a non-technical background, basic knowledge of mathematics and statistics can be helpful.

B. Basic Knowledge

Clinical Research Basics: Understanding clinical trial phases (I-IV), ICH-GCP guidelines, and regulatory
frameworks (FDA, EMA).

Statistical Concepts: Basic statistics like hypothesis testing, data distributions, p-values, etc.

3. Learn SAS Programming To become proficient in SAS, you need to understand both the SAS programming
language and the clinical research industry.

A. Start with Basic SAS Concepts

1. SAS Programming Language:

Introduction to SAS (data steps, PROC steps).

Data Handling: Importing/exporting data, manipulating datasets, sorting, merging.

Procedures (PROCs): Using PROC MEANS, PROC FREQ, PROC TTEST, PROC SQL, etc.
Functions: Using SAS functions to handle missing values, string manipulation, etc.

2. SAS Studio:

Learn how to navigate and use SAS Studio or SAS Base for coding.

B. Intermediate SAS Skills

Data Transformation: Learn to clean, manipulate, and reshape datasets.

Macros: Learn SAS Macro Programming for efficient code writing.

Report Generation: Learn to create tables, listings, and figures (TLFs) for clinical data analysis.

C. Advanced SAS Skills for Clinical Data

Statistical Analysis Procedures:

PROC GLM, PROC LOGISTIC, PROC LIFETEST, etc. for data analysis.

Using SAS for survival analysis, clinical trial data interpretation.

SAS ODS (Output Delivery System):

Learn how to generate outputs in different formats (HTML, PDF, RTF).

SAS SQL:

Learn how to use SQL within SAS for database querying.

4. Get Certified Certification helps validate your SAS programming skills and makes you stand out in the
competitive job market.

A. SAS Base Programmer Certification (SAS Certified Base Programmer for SAS 9)
This certification demonstrates proficiency in SAS programming fundamentals (data handling, PROC usage,
etc.).

Requirements: Passing the SAS 9 Base Programming exam (Exam 1Z0-423).

Preparation: SAS provides online training, books, and practice tests for exam preparation.

B. SAS Advanced Programmer Certification (SAS Certified Advanced Programmer for SAS 9)

This certification is for those who have mastered advanced SAS programming skills, including macro
programming, SQL, and reporting.

Requirements: Passing the SAS 9 Advanced Programming exam (Exam 1Z0-425).

C. Clinical Trials Programming Certification (Optional, but recommended for the Pharma industry)

This focuses on SAS skills tailored for clinical trial data analysis.

Some institutes like Clinical Research Academy offer certification programs with hands-on training.

5. Gain Hands-On Experience A. Start with Internships or Entry-Level Jobs

Clinical Research Organizations (CROs) like IQVIA, Parexel, and Covance often offer internships and entry-
level positions where you can apply SAS programming.

Job Titles: Clinical Data Analyst, Junior SAS Programmer, Clinical Research Associate.

B. Practical Projects

Work on clinical datasets (real-world data from clinical trials, pharma research, or datasets from online
platforms like Kaggle).

Projects to Consider:

Performing statistical analysis on clinical trial data.

Creating TLFs (tables, listings, and figures) based on clinical trial data.

Writing macros to automate common tasks.


C. Collaborate with Healthcare/Clinical Research Teams

Collaborate on projects that require SAS for data manipulation and analysis, gaining experience in real-world
applications.

Work with clinical research teams to ensure the integrity and compliance of trial data.

6. Job Search & Career Growth A. Entry-Level Jobs

Junior SAS Programmer, Clinical Data Analyst (₹3-6 LPA)

Start with contract roles in CROs, pharmaceutical companies, or clinical research organizations.

B. Mid-Level Jobs

SAS Programmer, Clinical Data Manager, Biostatistician (₹6-12 LPA)

Work with statistical teams in clinical trials, data analysis, and reporting.

C. Senior-Level Jobs

Lead SAS Programmer, Statistical Programming Manager, Clinical Data Science Expert (₹12-20 LPA)

Project Management, handling large datasets, team leadership, and client interactions.

7. Continuous Learning & Skill Enhancement A. Stay Updated with SAS Software

SAS updates frequently with new features. Learn about SAS Viya, cloud-based SAS, and SAS analytics
platforms.

Stay updated by attending SAS conferences and joining the SAS community.

B. Learn Advanced Analytical Methods

Dive deeper into machine learning, big data analytics, and artificial intelligence.

Learn tools like R, Python, Tableau, and SQL to complement SAS in clinical data analysis.
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I hope this helps! If you need further assistance, feel free to ask.

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