stephahoe asked:
Also, what does it take to become a Medical Examiner/Forensic Pathologist? What is the salary? What medical schools in California are best for this area? What are the average hours? Thanks in advance!!
What is thte difference between a Medical Examiner and a Forensic Pathologist?
The hours are great, I can tell you that right off the bat. During the summers, I used to work with in the pathology department at a teaching hospital. The hours were 8-4, no weekends, no night call. My favorite things were autopsies and dissections. As far as an ME versus a forensic pathologist, the difference is primarily that forensic pathologists don’t always perform autopsies. They approach cases from more of a biological level while the ME performs the autopsy and then does the dissections and cytology. From what I understand, the pay is definitely adequate. Medical examiners may sometimes be city employees and thus, paid a bit less than if they worked through a major institution. It’s not the most lucrative field in medicine but then again, money is not the reason you go into this line of work.
A “medical examiner” is a title … the person who is legally responsible for ensuring autopsies are done and death certificates are filed in a county. Might not even be an MD, might be the local doctor.
A Forensic Pathologist is a pathologist (Med school plus lots of years) with extra training specificallly to do investigations of criminal causes of deaths.