To become a forensic medical examiner, one must complete an undergraduate degree in biology, chemistry or science, then attend medical school for four years to earn an MD or DO degree. After completing medical school, individuals must undergo extensive training as residents in a pathology program and pass a certification exam. The process can take years, and emotional stability is necessary due to the nature of the job.
A forensic medical examiner is responsible for determining a person’s cause of death. If death is suspicious, the examiner must perform an autopsy on the body and provide a report to law enforcement authorities. To become a forensic medical examiner, a person must complete specific education and training requirements.
The steps to becoming a forensic medical examiner are similar in most countries. In the United States, applicants must first attend a four-year university to earn an undergraduate degree. Typical majors for this job include biology, chemistry, and science. If schools offer electives in criminal justice or investigative studies, students must also enroll in one of those classes. College students may also want to look for a part-time job assisting a local medical examiner, hospital or forensic lab.
After completing an undergraduate program, individuals who want to become forensic doctors must go to school to earn a medical degree. Most medical schools in the United States offer two types of medical degrees and they are highly competitive programs. One type of medical degree is a Doctor of Medicine, also known as an MD. The other medical degree is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or DO. Both medical degrees take four years to complete and meet the requirements for a forensic examiner position.
When students finish medical school, they undergo extensive training as residents in a pathology program. Most residency programs consist of three or four years working in a clinical and anatomical pathology unit and one to two years of additional training in forensic pathology. Residents work alongside licensed medical examiners and assist in performing autopsies. This position also allows the resident to prepare an investigative report on the autopsy under the direct supervision of the medical examiner.
After a person goes through the residency program, they must pass a certification exam to become a forensic medical examiner. Many jurisdictions have a national and state committee of medical examiners who approve candidates. Medical examiners also need to apply for a state or jurisdictional license to practice in a specific location.
A person interested in a career in the forensic field should be aware that the path to becoming a forensic medical examiner is a long one and can take years to complete. Coroners are usually on call to assist local law enforcement agencies and often have to travel to the location where a crime was committed. Due to the nature of the profession, these individuals need to be emotionally stable as many of the autopsies are of men, women and children who died a violent death.
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