Question About Forensic Path...

[adpitan]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hello. I've been lurking around for awhile and usually only post on the Post-Bac board but I have questions. Before I ask I want to assure those of you who are going into forensic path that I am not a "CSI" junkie nor does my passion for forensics come from that crap. My passion is long and hearfelt, 11 years worth of reading books, 3 years of working in the field, 3 years of being a member of a coroners association program and one NAME meeting under my belt. That said, I hope this qualifies me to get some real answers rather than a referral to watch the show and see how they do it 🙂

My journey has been an interesting one and let's say I have strayed from my true passion and am currently trying to make up for being lost. I will be attending SFSU for their post-bac program beginning in either Spring or Fall of 05. My question to you forensic junkies that believe in the autopsy minus the autopsy poo, where are you attending medical school? Where are you doing your residencies? I know most med schools are known for something and I can't think of any besides UNC that are known for turning out pathologists and especially forensic pathologists. Any suggestions? I am looking for someone currently in school or just out of that can give suggestions. All of the forensic paths I know have been doing this for many years and can only say what they did 20 or so years ago and while they are good suggestions, I'm looking for an updated opinion.

Thanks in advance.

 

[desmangt]

Hello. I've been lurking around for awhile and usually only post on the Post-Bac board but I have questions. Before I ask I want to assure those of you who are going into forensic path that I am not a "CSI" junkie nor does my passion for forensics come from that crap. My passion is long and hearfelt, 11 years worth of reading books, 3 years of working in the field, 3 years of being a member of a coroners association program and one NAME meeting under my belt. That said, I hope this qualifies me to get some real answers rather than a referral to watch the show and see how they do it 🙂

My journey has been an interesting one and let's say I have strayed from my true passion and am currently trying to make up for being lost. I will be attending SFSU for their post-bac program beginning in either Spring or Fall of 05. My question to you forensic junkies that believe in the autopsy minus the autopsy poo, where are you attending medical school? Where are you doing your residencies? I know most med schools are known for something and I can't think of any besides UNC that are known for turning out pathologists and especially forensic pathologists. Any suggestions? I am looking for someone currently in school or just out of that can give suggestions. All of the forensic paths I know have been doing this for many years and can only say what they did 20 or so years ago and while they are good suggestions, I'm looking for an updated opinion.

Thanks in advance.

Medical schools usually are not focused on forensics at all. This is a fellowship position after a pathology residency. I would just focus on going to medical school first, then find a path residency that is know for heavy placement of their residents in foresic programs like New York ME, Allegheny County Coroner's Office Program (Pittsburgh), or Dade County Medical Examiner's Office Program (Miami).

 

[adpitan]

I do understand that the fellowship is after medical school and that medical schools aren't specific to path or to cardiology for that matter. However, there are schools that are known for certain things. UCD being a great teaching school and certain med schools being connected with hospitals known for their L&D units. I am just wondering if anyone has attended or is attending a medical school that they feel has great opportunities to become connected with ME's offices or coroner's offices.

 

[kchan99]

Many med schools have elective rotations in med examiners' offices for med students after 2nd yr. When you get around to researching schools, look at their elective offerings.

May I ask what sort of forensics work experience do you have?

Karin

 

[QuietSylph]

University of New Mexico is supposed to have an especially strong forensics program.

 

[yaah]

New Mexico probably has a strong program because they are one of the states where all forensics cases from the state are shuttled to one specific site. Thus, a central location where all forensics autopsies are done. You can't help but see a lot. I don't really know much about which other states are like this...

 

[adpitan]

May I ask what sort of forensics work experience do you have?

Karin

I have autopsy experience - participated in & supervised, death notification, I am able to positively identify a decedent through fingerprins, I have attended a homicide investiation course, scene experience for all manners of death, interview experience with family, friends and other law enforcement, participated in "Every 15 Minutes" as well as assisted in teaching first time offender drunk driver courses. I have seen the floaters & the crispy critters & the decomps, worked a suspected Legionnaire's Disease case & Hanta Virus. The hepa filters are awkward and hot but obviously very worth it. So far it's only 3 years of experience, and of course there is the Coroner's Association meeting I have attended as well as the NAME meeting.

I've done a few things & loved every minute of it 🙂


Thanks! I will look into New Mexico

 

[BeastNovot]

I have autopsy experience - participated in & supervised, death notification, I am able to positively identify a decedent through fingerprins, I have attended a homicide investiation course, scene experience for all manners of death, interview experience with family, friends and other law enforcement, participated in "Every 15 Minutes" as well as assisted in teaching first time offender drunk driver courses. I have seen the floaters & the crispy critters & the decomps, worked a suspected Legionnaire's Disease case & Hanta Virus. The hepa filters are awkward and hot but obviously very worth it. So far it's only 3 years of experience, and of course there is the Coroner's Association meeting I have attended as well as the NAME meeting.
I've done a few things & loved every minute of it 🙂
Thanks! I will look into New Mexico

Good luck with your pursuit, but are you sure you really want to completely dedicate 10 years of your life to this pursuit, and give up nearly all your other interests to pursue this? Make sure you spend some real time with a pathologist, and attend numerous autopsies. You might want to think about being an autopsy tech before you dive into the medical school route, just to make sure you really want to go all the way and be a pathologist. Forensic pathology is a very cool specialty, but jobs are limited as are incomes.

As for your original question: I don't think it really matters where you go to med school, as long as you can then get into the path residency (and then the following fellowship) that you want to attend...

Regardless, good luck to you!

 

[governaitor]

New Mexico probably has a strong program because they are one of the states where all forensics cases from the state are shuttled to one specific site. Thus, a central location where all forensics autopsies are done. You can't help but see a lot. I don't really know much about which other states are like this...

How can it be better than doing it in Chicago where all cases from a county of 6 million are sent to a single site?

 

[kchan99]

Adpitan, Have you considered any of the pathology assistant programs?

Karin

 

[yaah]

How can it be better than doing it in Chicago where all cases from a county of 6 million are sent to a single site?

Yeah, that's another good program I would wager. NM isn't the only state that does things like that either.

In general, there are lots of big cities with good forensics programs. Surprisingly though, Boston is not one, from what I have heard. Baltimore, NYC, Atlanta. Some path programs are more closely associated with forensics programs and will send residents there. Others, not so much. I am not hugely interested in forensics so I haven't really looked into it a lot.

 

[adpitan]

Good luck with your pursuit, but are you sure you really want to completely dedicate 10 years of your life to this pursuit, and give up nearly all your other interests to pursue this? Make sure you spend some real time with a pathologist, and attend numerous autopsies. You might want to think about being an autopsy tech before you dive into the medical school route, just to make sure you really want to go all the way and be a pathologist. Forensic pathology is a very cool specialty, but jobs are limited as are incomes.

As for your original question: I don't think it really matters where you go to med school, as long as you can then get into the path residency (and then the following fellowship) that you want to attend...

Regardless, good luck to you!

I don't care if it takes me the rest of my life to do it. I can not imagine my life being fulfilled if I do not do this. I dont' care how much money I make because it's not about the money, never has been and never will. I took a 2 year internship that required 2 days during the working week & a minimum of 2 on call shifts without pay and it was THE BEST experience of my life. I've attended and assisted in clost to 100 autopsies and loved every minuted of it. I've done deiner work and spent time preparing cassettes to be made into slides so that I could spend time with the forensic path so I could pick their brain about work and everything else. This is my passion and nothing will keep me from doing it...well unless I die of course but this is what I am suppose to do. I love everything I have done, the NOK, interviews, attending scenes but where I truly want to be is in the autopsy room doing the autopsy myself with the occasional scene attendance. I love getting ready to do an autopsy, even the decomps. There are so many things you get to see in an autopsy and even though grossly if you've seen one kidney you've seen them all and to quote many forensic pathologists "parts is parts" but I think part of your challenge is to find the unique feature in each case . I love it, I love doing the Y-incision and using the rose shears to get into the chest cavity to see what you will find. Cardiac tamponade interesting, seeing a fatty liver is always fun, I like to see how much they weigh. Sometimes you get things that are just plain smelly and sometimes you don't even need your scalpel to remove any organs you can just ladel them out due to severe decomposition. I love it, love every minute of it. I could be 80 by the time I finish medical school and my fellowship and would not regret one minute of it because I knew I was following my passion. Or I could stay where I'm at, make good money, incur no future debt besides a mortgage and never be 100% fulfilled. I don't want to wonder what if or be 60 and say "I should have..." No, this is my passion, this is what I want. I will not be detered from this nor will anyone say anything to me to change my mind about being a forensic pathologist.

 

[adpitan]

Adpitan, Have you considered any of the pathology assistant programs?

Karin

I would consider it if it got me to my goal of being a forensic pathologist.

 

[PathOne]

As someone who has worked in forensic pathology, I certainly understand and appreciate your interest in the field. However, I would agree with most of the other posters that it doesn't really matter which medical school you attend. A good forensic pathologist has knowledge of a number of medical specialties, and you'll get to do autopsies etc. soon enough (apart from the ones you have participated in already). That being said, UNC at Chapel Hill certainly has a reputation in the field, and NYU is host to the forensic institute affiliated with the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner. But, speaking of the NYCME, I think you might want to visit it sometime before you make your final decision, because it's in facilities like that that you'll probably have to work in -- and they're certainly not for the faint at heart (I'm not referring to the work, but the workspace).

 

[kchan99]

The NYCME is one of the more competitive locations for forensic path fellowships from what I heard. So I wouldn't say "have to."

 

[PathOne]

Obviously, with 700+ homicides a year, NYCME is an interesting place to be. I'm just saying that it would be a good idea to see the facilities at 1st Ave. before deciding. I have never in my life seen a place as run down, desolate and cash-strapped as the med. examiners' office there. Was offered a position there once, but after seeing the place and learning that I'd mostly be doing AIDS-deaths (it was several years ago), I decided against it. Washington DC is way better, facility-wise, but the caseload is murder (excuse the pun). Don't know about other places.

 

[kchan99]

Boston (MA state) has good facilities.

 

[adpitan]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I had considered very seriously making my way out to UNC, especially bc one of the forensic pathologists I know attended there and he had great things to say about it. I do know that I can attend any medical school and can do my fellowship any where. I am just not a big fan of moving, so I am trying to gauge where a good place to go to school is that I could apply for a fellowship close by and get the best experience. I will take a look at NYC, Boston, NM and UNC more carefully. I really appreciate it.

Thanks again.