|
A forensic medical examiner is responsible for
determining the cause of death of a person. If the death is suspicious, the
examiner has to conduct an autopsy on the body and provide a report to law
enforcement. In order to become a forensic medical examiner, a person must
complete specific educational and training requirements. The steps to become a
forensic medical examiner are similar in most countries. In the United States,
candidates must first attend a four-year university to get an undergraduate
degree. Typical undergraduate degrees for this job include biology, chemistry
and science. If schools offer electives in criminal justice or investigative
studies, pupils should sign up for one of these classes as well. Students in
college may also want to seek a part-time job assisting a local medical
examiner, hospital or forensics laboratory. After completing an undergraduate
degree program, individuals who want to become forensic medical examinera must
then go to school to get a medical degree. Most medical schools in the United
States offer two types of medical degrees and are highly competitive programs.
One kind of medical degree is a Doctor of Medicine, also known as a M.D. The
other medical degree is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or D.O. Both of these
medical degrees take four years to complete and meet the requirements for a
forensic medical examiner position. When students finish medical school, they
have to undergo extensive training as residents in a pathology program. Most
residency programs consist of three or four years working in an anatomic &
clinical pathology facility and one to two years additional training in forensic
pathology. Residents work alongside licensed medical examiners and assist with
performing autopsies. This position also allows the resident to prepare an
investigative report concerning the autopsy under the direct supervision of the
medical examiner. Once a person has gone through the residency program, he or
she must pass a certification exam to become a forensic medical examiner. Many
jurisdictions have a national and state medical examiner committee that approves
candidates. Medical examiners also have to apply for a state or jurisdictional
license to practice in a particular location. A person who is interested in a
career in the forensic field should be aware that the path to become a forensic
medical examiner is a long one which can take years to complete. Medical
examiners are often on call to assist local law enforcement agencies and often
have to travel to the scene where a crime was committed. Due to the nature of
the profession, these individuals have to be emotionally stable since many of
the autopsies are on men, women and children who have met a violent
death. |
