Who is medical examiner

In addition, this specialist may testify in court and present their findings before a judge and jury. According to the U. Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS , there will be a growth rate of 3 percent between and , which is less than the average for all occupations BLS However, the demand for physicians remains steady as the field of healthcare expands, and the BLS predicts 22, new positions will open up in the coming decade. Those interested in pursuing the field should look into some of the different professional organizations expressly for medical examiners, such as the National Association of Medical Examiners NAME.

Finally, it is also possible to find information from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences AAFS , which provides support to all manner of scientists working in forensics. The bottom two wage percentiles are as follows:.

Here are the top-paying industries for physicians BLS May :. Self-reported salary data offers a unique perspective for career-specific salary information for forensic examiners.

For instance, PayScale , a site that aggregates self-reported salary data for a myriad of jobs, has collected some details about how forensic pathologists, a similar position, in the U. Reported salaries range as follows:. Like most positions, salaries for forensic medical examiners depend on the number of years of experience. Here are the self-reported salaries for forensic pathologists with forensic toxicology skills in according to PayScale :.

The best way to determine an accurately predicted salary for the job is to look at the various states and cities hiring medical examiners and then inquire about the specific compensation. Interestingly, the top-paying states for physicians are correlated to locations with a more affordable cost of living which is a rare occurrence.

Here are the top-paying states for physicians BLS May :. According to MERIC, in , Alaska is the only state in the top 10 most expensive states to live for physicians and forensic medical examiners. Becoming a medical examiner takes a substantial amount of work and schooling. They will need additional residency training in forensic pathology or a forensic pathology fellowship.

Preparation for medical school happens as early as high school. Students should do their best to excel in all coursework, particularly biology, chemistry, and other science classes. Future medical examiners will need to excel in their undergraduate education since admissions for medical schools can be highly competitive. Students interested in this career may choose a pre-med track with a major such as biology, chemistry, or a related field.

Students who pursue a forensic science degree should ensure that they meet all medical school prerequisites with their undergraduate courses. Although it represents just one step on this list, medical school is a massive undertaking. A highly competitive application process means that students should be prepared to submit a thorough accounting of all academic work, letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, and scores for the Medical College Admission Exam MCAT.

Once admitted to medical school, students take rigorous courses in topics such as advanced anatomy, physiology, and microbiology and learn proper clinical practice and bedside manner. No matter what their ultimate career goal is, during medical school, students will also complete supervised clinical rotations to apply their skills in specialties such as internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics, pediatrics, and pathology. It is recommended that any student pursuing the medical examiner career take any available courses in forensics or pathology.

For example, autopsy pathology is one common elective in medical school and may also be available among clinical rotations. Doctors who complete medical school are awarded a medical doctor MD degree or a doctor of osteopathy DO , depending on the program.

The licensing examination consists of three exams beginning the second year of medical school, with the final exam taking place after one year of residency. Licensing requirements beyond this exam can vary between states, so those pursuing a medical career should be sure to consider where they plan to live and work before becoming licensed. After graduation, students begin a full-time residency to start to practice more and more independently as physicians. Instead, applicants should look for residencies that include autopsy and forensic pathology training as part of the program.

Homepage Profession Medical examiners Become a medical examiner. College membership for medical examiners The College would like to welcome new medical examiners as members of the College. Learn more about medical examiner training Training as a medical examiner involves both online e-learning and face-to-face training.

About medical examiner training. The College is the lead medical royal college for medical examiners and plays a key role in the training of medical examiners and medical examiner officers, as well as working closely with the National Medical Examiner on implementation of the service.

Over medical examiners and medical examiner officers have been trained since , and the College continues to provide regular training days and continuing professional development opportunities. Initial medical examiner training comprises two parts; online modules and a face-to-face training day. Medical examiners can claim up to 10 CPD credits after completing all mandatory 26 eLfH e-learning modules Nov revision.

Please access the modules via the eLfH website and not via trust-based ERS systems, which may not record completion. We expect the e-learning to take around hours, depending on previous experience.

The face-to-face training day 6 CPD credits may be completed online or in person, and can be booked via the Conferences section of the website.