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What do you have to do a residency in to become a coroner? What are their salaries?
How do you become a coroner?
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Forensic pathology i think? not sure.
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First of all, a coroner is in many areas an elected official, (or appointed by mayors, governors and the like, depending on the state) and there are more coroners out there than you would guess who do not have a medical degree at all. Salaries vary greatly depending on the area.
However, assuming you mean coroner as in a forensic pathologist (what most people think of...doing autopsies, working with police, etc.) you need to get a pathology residency, in which you do all aspects of pathology (doing autopsies is one specialized area within pathology, others include surgical pathology, cellular pathology...). Then do a subinternship or fellowship in the subspecialty of forensic pathology. I may not be completely accurate about this, but this is the gist of what my pathology instructor told us.
I know pathology is one specialty that needs people, so the pay is probably pretty good...you can look these up online somewhere. I don't know about forensic pathology specifically though (my guess is that it is a more popular subspecialty area, so wages may be lower than other types of pathologists).
However, assuming you mean coroner as in a forensic pathologist (what most people think of...doing autopsies, working with police, etc.) you need to get a pathology residency, in which you do all aspects of pathology (doing autopsies is one specialized area within pathology, others include surgical pathology, cellular pathology...). Then do a subinternship or fellowship in the subspecialty of forensic pathology. I may not be completely accurate about this, but this is the gist of what my pathology instructor told us.
I know pathology is one specialty that needs people, so the pay is probably pretty good...you can look these up online somewhere. I don't know about forensic pathology specifically though (my guess is that it is a more popular subspecialty area, so wages may be lower than other types of pathologists).
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You can look salaries up in FRIEDA (do a search). Salaries really seem to vary depending on geographic location (I was looking at this one day). In Chicago for example, I think the salary is ~90000 during fellowship compared to the ~50000 offered elsewhere. Bet it has something to do with what you have to deal with though.
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Assuming you mean Forensic Pathologist, we have one this week as a guest lecturer (yes I am still in school). It is a six year program. 5 years for the Path residency, then 1 year for the Forensic fellowship.
If you are a medical examiner(ME), primarily working on the forensic side of pathology, you will most likely be a state employee. As such, you will be at the low end of pay scales for physicians. However, according to this ME you can do private autopsies for families or insurance companies and supplement your income. It does seem very interesting, but I couldn't do the regular path part of the residency.
Good luck to you.
If you are a medical examiner(ME), primarily working on the forensic side of pathology, you will most likely be a state employee. As such, you will be at the low end of pay scales for physicians. However, according to this ME you can do private autopsies for families or insurance companies and supplement your income. It does seem very interesting, but I couldn't do the regular path part of the residency.
Good luck to you.
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Forensic Pathology is a fellowship of pathology. It is a one year fellowship. It is not very competitive at the moment.
As was said earlier salaries are on the low side for doctors. Normally a state or fed employee so starting salaries will be 80s to low 100s. Where a private practice pathologist will start 150s-180s.
Pathology is not a 5 year residency anymore. It is a 4 year residency, starting this year, if you are doing both Clinical Pathology and Anatomic Pathology. If you are only doing one or the other it is only a 3 year residency. Most people do both though. To do forensics you have to do Anatomic. So you could do forensics in a total of 4 years if that is all you want to do. But, that would limit you if you decided to go private practice later on.
As was said earlier salaries are on the low side for doctors. Normally a state or fed employee so starting salaries will be 80s to low 100s. Where a private practice pathologist will start 150s-180s.
Pathology is not a 5 year residency anymore. It is a 4 year residency, starting this year, if you are doing both Clinical Pathology and Anatomic Pathology. If you are only doing one or the other it is only a 3 year residency. Most people do both though. To do forensics you have to do Anatomic. So you could do forensics in a total of 4 years if that is all you want to do. But, that would limit you if you decided to go private practice later on.
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