The training of statisticians for cooperative clinical trials: a working statistician's viewpoint.

The methods of training statisticians for clinical trials can take diverse forms: attendance at courses and lectures, personal study, observing and doing, or working as an apprentice. Desirable qualifications for an effective working statistician are: adequate knowledge of biostatistics and the field of application for the clinical trial, an ability to communicate statistical ideas verbally at meetings and in the writing of reports and collaborative research papers, an awareness of potential sources of bias, an understanding of ethical issues, and an ability to set priorities for projects. These issues are discussed in the context of training, and personal comments are made from the viewpoint of a statistician with substantial experience of clinical trials in cancer.