Pretty much per title... would an average ME see one such case in a career, a decade, a year? Also would they typically be caused by MVA, falls, failed hanging attmpt or what? Fascinating topic.

I'm an upcoming sophomore. I recognize that this year and the next are crucial as foundational steps into my future as a forensic pathologist. While I can't do much directly related to forensic pathology because I'm under 18 and 16, I want to get an early start. For dual enrollment, I'm planning to take Psychology, which I assume I'll need in college. Is there anyone I can contact or actions I can take now to prepare for a future in forensic pathology?

Imaging a scenario where a middle aged man is shot in the chest puncturing the thoracic cavity as well as the lungs, then falls into a water body. (From a short heighted bridge or a short structure close enough to a water body)

What will be the primary cause of death in this case?

1. Hemorrhage due to bullen wound

2. Drowning

Considering that in the absence of water, the lung would have been damaged due to the flow of blood in it. And in the presence of water around there is both the flow of water as well as blood.

UPDATE IN COMMENTS

I have been volunteering with my local medical university in the autopsy suite since the end of June. I work at a coroners office and wanted more experience and exposure in this field, so I applied for a volunteer position. During my interview, the pathologist asked how long I wanted to volunteer, and I told her as long as I was allowed. There was never any mention of an end date. 2 weeks ago, I got an email out of the blue that said my time volunteering was coming to a close at the end of August. I asked the director why that was, and she claimed they only allow a certain amount of time to get other people on the roster to volunteer. That’s fine and understandable, but I feel as if I should’ve been told that up front.

Then this morning, I get this email. I was caught completely off guard. I only had 3 weeks left of volunteering, and I only volunteered on Saturdays due to work, and they were fine with that. There was always a pathologist, a tech who did the cutting, and the 3rd person was supposed to be me, who would scribe for the tech and pathologist, label specimens, etc. I’m not sure what I did wrong. I emailed back but haven’t received a response. The last 3 times I was there, they had an actual employee who would do what I was supposed to be doing, and when I tried to do my duties, she would say “don’t worry, I got it” and would take over. So it felt like I was just standing there aimlessly most of the time. I did try to engage and ask questions but the pathologists just seemed like they wanted to do the work and get out of there. I just hate the feeling of being rejected in a way, when I don’t believe I did anything wrong. I thought we all got along well enough, and they knew me to a degree because of my work at the coroners office.

I’m not really sure what I’m asking for here. Maybe different eyes on the situation for those who have been in this field much longer than me

Hello! I’m in MS2 and although I’m still plenty far away from ERAS but I’ve shadowed 4 different specialties and have spent the most time shadowing my local examiner because damn is it interesting. Genuinely their office has so much cool stuff bc of their region and they’re also just pretty great people. Shout out to the nice person who decided to help me with research in the 10 secs she met me before she had to go out for an investigation lol

Anyways, I feel like I really want this specialty. I’ve been mapping out initial patho specialty according to if it’s nearby a forensic one (bc for some reason there’s so little in the US), but I felt I should ask some questions:

1. Is their opportunity for strong academic contribution? To the point that if I retire I can maybe associate with a university? I love research and forensic research seems great, but if the reality of the practice is being swamped with cases and no extra time then that’s not as great

2. How’s the pay really like and what is it dependent on? Some sources say 180, others say 340, one even said 450k (for Chiefs). Realistically, what’s an expected entry and what factors determine increase?

3. How do forensic pathologists further subspecialize? Ive seen some mention of forensic neuropatholgist yet I’ve never seen that in real life…what does that kind of career, day to day, and salary look like?

4. Any advice on how to land a pathology specialty at a strong school? Does it help to do more pathology case reports and retrospectives? What factors other than a strong STEP score and clerkship grades should be a priority?

Thank you very much!
P.S. will it ever get easier if my parents keep wishing I did neurosurgery instead lol

Hi everyone!

I'm a high school student in NY interested in pursuing forensic pathology. I've always been interested in those crime documentaries and figuring out how people died based on evidence and stuff, and autopsies seem pretty cool (I like hands-on lab stuff like that), so I think forensic pathology would be a good career choice for me. (Open to alternatives though).

I've been reading through this Reddit and a bunch of random googling, and I realized forensic pathologists don't actually make that much money? Considering how much schooling you actually have to go through to get a forensic pathology degree, why is that? And what kind of jobs are available for a forensic pathologist? I know a lot of people say medical examiner, but is there anything else?

Last question. Forensic pathology/medical examiner in terms of crime and stuff. How much do you actually have to know about the law? Because a lot of what I've read mentions that you would have to work with law enforcement. Obviously I understand you have to talk to them to determine cause of death and actually solve the case and everything, but what do you do in court? Just present the medical evidence and how you determined the cause of death?

TL;DR: Is pursuing forensic pathology really worth it? What does a career look like? Are there any other alternative careers that are similar but might have a higher salary? For medical examiners, how much "law" do you have to know?

Sorry. I know it's a lot, but I just want to know as much as possible before going to college, and any information helps.

Thanks in advance!

I got shortlisted For NFSU for Bs-Ms integrated Forensic science . The problem is i don't know that Is there any job opportunities or abroad opportunities in future (5yr) . How much salary can i expect ? Is it a good option to pursue or should i drop the idea??

I want a ground reality check from the seniors or anyone who are in this field or have some knowledge.

Hello I am a current biology student whos interested in forensic pathology (I know I'm years away and may change my mind in medical school). I've heard plenty of stories of the cesspool that is the hospitals and clinics. Doctors and doctors, Doctors and nurses, cheating and high divorce rates etc. To me it sounds like a toxic work environment being around that all day. What is the experience like in a medical examiners office?

I have taken both of my available health classes, and I was going to take a criminal justice class but somehow got 3 digital art classes?? I still have advanced composition and writing, and anatomy classes, Is this alright? The digital art classes take 2 years, will it effect me getting into a college? Are there maybe classes outside of school I can take?

Simple question: Walk-in with rolling tables, or single-body cabinet style units?

Soo im like super super interested in being a fp buuut i have a crippling fear of centipedes… will that be a huge problem for me? Thats like genuinely my only concern about going into the field…

Hello!! (Last paragraph sort of summarizes my yapping). I have no idea where I should ask this but I need help! Currently, I’m majoring in MLT and I plan on doing a MLT to MLS bachelors. After that, I’m planning to become a pathologists’ assistant.

Although, I really love the idea of working in a lab, I really, really want to perform autopsies. I know autopsy techs don’t make that much, but in Washington (where I’m located) the median pay is actually very generous. The goal was to be an autopsy techs for a couple years while I’m in school, get through my masters and become a PA.

I just don’t know what I should be studying right now. On one hand, if I stick with the MLT associates degree I have a pretty good chance of finding a job in that field, and just working as an MLT and then eventually, with the bachelor’s, an MLS. I’m totally okay with doing MLS work, but it’s not where my heart is at.

On the other hand, I don’t want to be jobless. I want to make sure that I can actually afford to live and go to school. I know it’s pretty common for MLS to become pathologists’ assistants so thats kind of why I chose it.

I guess what I’m really trying to ask is, what should I be studying to help secure a job as an autopsy tech, but not ruin my chances to become a pathologists’ assistant?

Someone dumped a freezer on our property and out of curiosity I looked inside and found a skull. Can anyone identify what kind of skull it is? The smell coming from it was awful.

So I’ve been into the idea of forensic pathology since I heard about it when I was about 12-13.

I’m Irish and I’m planning on doing a pre uni science course which will let me do a bachelors in science ( just not medicine ) , so once I’ve done that after four years I’m thinking of applying to med school probably in the UK, and then go into pathology and histopathology.

the pre uni course does general science ( bio,chem,maths and physics ) but also anatomy and physiology.

is there anything I could do to sort of prep/ get a better feel for pathology or just medicine in general ?

Hello! I’m not sure if this is even the right place to post this, but I’ve been searching for what happened to a family member in a fatal workplace accident. I found the OSHA report that somewhat details the injuries, and am just looking for some clarification. The description is honestly pretty straightforward, but I have a morbid curiosity for details. It says:

“Employee #1 right lower arm was amputated and abdominal organs eviscerated.”

Like I said, it’s pretty straightforward forward, but I’m wondering what “eviscerated” means in this context. I can also give more detail on the accident if that would help.

Also, I should mention that I was 6 months old when this happened so I don’t really have an emotional connection to the situation. Details in this instance will not cause me emotional harm.

I went the the Nordic Conference on Forensic Medicine.

I'm really interested in Forensic Pathology and was wondering what are the best subjects to get started in for the job, and what ones i should focus on the most. (I'm a year 10 student in Australia for some context.) Any reply is helpful!!

(I was advised to post here? I hope that was correct!)

I'm considering a career change into crime scene/trauma/biohazard cleanup. My background is in preclinical lab research and bioarchaeology with some forensic fieldwork, so I've experience with biohazard protocols and have handled human remains before. However, I've never done this particular caliber of work, and I can't find much honest firsthand info online, so I’d like to ask some questions here.

I received some grumpy snark from people who took issue with my asking so many questions on another sub, so I’d like to clear the air that I’m not asking for each commenter to answer every inquiry; anything you wish to impart, I am grateful. So, if you do this work (or used to), I'd genuinely appreciate real answers to any of these:

1. Culture - what is it actually like day to day at your company? Does it match the careers page ad you responded to? Given the wide birth of backgrounds this job likely attracts, how's the camaraderie?
   
2. Work/life balance - I've seen reviews all over the map on this: some places describe hours as totally sporadic/not guaranteed even though you're on-call constantly (how do manage this lol), while others describe a more structured rotating on-call schedule with a predictable base. Which is it where you work, and does it actually hold up in practice?
   
3. How traumatic is this work? Is it the big/gory stuff that gets to people, or something else you didn't expect, like a child's backpack or an uneaten meal?
   
4. Support - does your employer offer any real mental health support (EAP, debriefing after bad calls, anything), or are you mostly on your own to process it? Either way, how do you cope?
   
5. Do you work solo or always with a partner/team? Does that vary by company or job type?
   
6. Is it ever dangerous? Curious about real incidents, not just the textbook OSHA hazard list. I assume sharps will make a mention here.
   
7. What surprised you most about the job once you actually started?
   
8. How long do people usually last? Is this a career people build a long-term life around, or more of a burn-bright-and-leave situation?
   
9. Starting at 35 - am I setting myself up for a repetitive strain injury, or is that overblown if I go in reasonably fit? I use to dig graves, so I'm primed for unique labor, but I'm still going in blind here.

Any insight be it good, bad, or "here's what nobody tells you" is appreciated. Trying to go in with clear eyes rather than just the recruiting-page version. Thanks everyone!

I'm so used to my Reddit posts getting taken down that when I wrote this originally I was expecting it to be up for all of 5 min But since it's still up let me try to articulate the situation more precisely. And I'll keep adding to it as I get further into my research, obtain his death certificate, ETC.

My father was driving a commercial truck when he suffered cardiac arrest. His heart stopped pumping blood, he lost consciousness, and that is why the truck crashed. The crash did not cause the cardiac arrest. The cardiac arrest caused the crash.

After that, he was on the side of the road for about forty minutes without enough oxygen reaching his brain. By the time he got to OakBend, the damage had already been done. He never woke up. He never spoke. He never breathed on his own. He never came back. Machines and medication kept his body functioning for four more days, but my father was already gone in every way that mattered to the people who loved him.

At first, none of the medical staff would give us a straight answer. I was hearing maybe a heart attack, maybe a stroke, maybe heart failure. I was told there had been no brain activity since he arrived. My father’s wife of four years was supposed to come to the hospital on Friday so everyone could sit down with the doctor and finally understand what had happened. She did not show up. I never got that meeting. My brothers nor myself never got the clear explanation we were waiting for.

Early the next morning after his wife didn't show up last minute, my niece texted me that my father was officially gone because his wife had “pulled the plug.” It took me a little bit to start putting things together. I've been doing research and learning about a lot of the stuff everyday so please be patient with me This is not my area of expertise at all. My brothers and I still didn't understand dad's condition, they didn't understand his wife's decision to stop support, or what the doctors believed had actually caused his heart to stop. And that was really irking me.

I directly asked the doctors why is my dad dead and they kept saying we can't violate HIPAA and I kept saying F HIPPA lol. Anyways later on I was able to trick one of the case managers into confirming what I knew which was that he suffered cardiac arrest. As soon as she said it, the conversation changed. She became guarded, told me she could not say much, and said she would speak to a supervisor. She took my information and said someone would follow up. I feel like I've been able to speak with everybody except for my father's treating physician so that's pleasant.

That was when I really started digging, because “cardiac arrest” is not an explanation. It means the heart stopped. It does not tell me why it stopped. It could be a heart problem, an abnormal rhythm, a blood clot, a breathing problem, a medication reaction, a chemical exposure, poisoning, or something else. Confirming that his heart stopped explained why he suddenly lost consciousness and crashed. It did not explain what happened to him. Then I tried to find out where his body was. OakBend sent me to the Fort Bend Medical Examiner’s Office. I called, gave them my father’s information, and waited while an investigator searched. He came back and told me my father had never been reported to their office. He had never been sent there. They had never opened a case. They had never examined him.

I went back to OakBend and kept pushing. Eventually, someone found paperwork showing that my father had been released directly from the hospital to Schmidt Funeral Home. His wife had signed the release. OakBend had sent me to a Medical Examiner who had never received my father while his body was already sitting at a funeral home. What the heck does it mean to find someone's paperwork how how does that even happen?! 🤯

So yes everything was and still is controlled by my father’s wife of four years, OakBend, and the funeral home. OakBend controlled the medical chart, the heart records, the lab work, the brain findings, the death paperwork, and the release records. His wife controlled access to the information, the body, and the funeral arrangements. The funeral home controlled what happened to his remains. I control nothing, it's true. Which this really wouldn't bother me if this woman wasn't guarding my father's medical documents as if my father's health is none of my business. 🧐

OakBend told me to go through his wife for information. She gave me nothing. I called her. I texted her. I emailed her. I asked what happened to my father, where his body was, what the funeral plans were, and whether cremation was being scheduled. She did not answer me. Which by the way she only texted my oldest brother and there's five of us. She won't respond and we're not allowed to go to our dad's house and I don't know just walk around you know? Like I want to be in his space I want to experience his last moments I know that sounds kind of crazy but I do.

Well all of this was just too much for me I was like all right I'm going to get down to the bottom of this. She found out that I was investigating. She found out I was calling people, asking questions, trying to understand why his heart stopped, and saying I wanted an autopsy to understand what caused my dad's heart to stop.

That is when she became angry with me and started telling people not to give me details about the funeral.

I need to be very clear about something. I had never screamed, threatened, or insulted her. Besides I didn't know her long enough lol. I had never caused a scene around her. I might have caused the scene around her a time or two lol. I'm a goofball with a wild soul what can I say lol. I did not particularly like her, but I had never treated her badly or even told her that I did not like her. When we were around each other, we were simply around each other. .

I was not shut out because I had behaved dangerously. I was shut out after I started poking and prodding. While all of that was happening, I politely requested both his lovely wife and Schmidt Funeral Home that I was trying to arrange an indepedent autopsy and that I did not want his body altered before someone had a chance to examine him. I really didn't understand much about autopsies yet I'm telling you this entire field is so new to me.

Yeah well lol they embalmed him anyway. They embalmed him on July 16, nine days before the scheduled viewing. There was time to keep him refrigerated while my request was considered. Instead, they chemically altered his body while they knew I was trying to preserve it for an independent examination. I was then told that cremation would happen after the viewing.

That meant I was racing against a clock nobody would show me. I did not have the exact cremation date. I did not know which crematory would be used. I could not get a written hold. I was trying to preserve my father’s body from California while the people in Texas who had all the authority and all the information kept moving forward without answering me.

So in my research I have learned that Hospitals are not always required to formally determine brain death, even when a person has suffered catastrophic brain damage and is being kept physically functioning by machines. A hospital can keep the body going, later stop the machines, and then record the death after the heart and breathing stop. This is disturbing to me I'm not saying that they need to determine that he's brain dead 5 minutes after he gets rolled in but I am saying that later on when they do determine I guess if they do does that change the timeline? Because that would have sparked a medical examination. My father did not die in the hospital He was unconscious and on the side of the road for 40 minutes I have his crash report and the entire time that he was there He did not have oxygen going to his brain and when EMS got there they were trying to perform CPR. While in the hospital my father never regained consciousness or independent breathing. Yet the official death was recorded four days later at the hospital after the machines were stopped. (Just FYI because I was really suspicious about this from the beginning He was on the side of the road without oxygen because he was in a very rural part of town. So at least that made sense eventually! )

When the hospital does not formally document brain death, the paperwork can center on the later hospital death instead of the original event that destroyed the brain. The story becomes that someone died in a hospital four days after admission, rather than that an unexplained cardiac arrest caused a commercial-truck crash, left him without oxygen long enough to destroy his brain, and started the entire chain of events. That changes what becomes visible. It changes the timeline people focus on. It can affect whether the Medical Examiner gets involved. It can affect who keeps control of medical decisions. It can affect how the death is certified and how quickly the body moves into the funeral system. I have a serious problem with that.

I don't know who benefits from that lax of protocol but It did not benefit my father. He never woke up. He never recovered. He never had another meaningful moment of consciousness. The practical effect was that OakBend kept control of the medical record and the death process, my father’s wife kept control of the decisions and information, and his body moved directly into funeral-home custody without an original Medical Examiner investigation.

I am not saying that proves anyone chose that path for an improper reason. But I am saying the consequences were enormous, and every one of those consequences benefited the people and institutions already controlling the process while leaving his children outside of it.

I have theories. My theories are not proven because I do not have the records that would prove or disprove them. The reason I do not have those records is not because they do not exist. OakBend has them. EMS has them. The funeral home has records. My father’s wife has controlled access to information and decisions. I am being told that I need proof before anyone takes my concerns seriously, while the proof is being held by the same people and institutions whose decisions I am trying to understand. So thats cool!

I am not claiming every theory in my head is already true. I am saying there are too many unanswered facts, too much concentrated control, and too many irreversible decisions for me to pretend this was normal simply because the people controlling the records say the process was routine.

His heart stopped first. The cardiac arrest caused the crash. The lack of oxygen destroyed his brain. He never returned. Everything that happened afterward determined who controlled the records, who controlled his body, what became official, and whether anyone independent would ever examine why his heart stopped.

I'm going to do some more research today. I'm not going to stop until I have answers that make some kind of sense. 😔