| Whenever a crime scene involves the death of a | | | | What is a medical examiner? |
| person, a coroner or medical examiner is called out to | | | | A medical examiner (ME) is a doctor of medicine who |
| investigate. In some jurisdictions, a coroner and | | | | is licensed to practice medicine. Most ME's are trained |
| medical examiner are one in the same. However, | | | | in pathology, particularly forensic pathology. This |
| there ARE differences between the two. | | | | means they have specialized training in pathology and |
| In this article, I will attempt to explain the differences | | | | training and experience in forensics. A forensic |
| between a medical examiner and a coroner. I will also | | | | pathologist is a clinical pathologist who has special |
| discuss what each of their job duties entails. | | | | training in the field of forensics. He is usually the |
| Across the nation, there are two kinds of forensic | | | | person in charge of a crime lab. He is an overseer of |
| investigative systems: the coroner system and the | | | | all aspects of death and criminal injury. The primary |
| more modern medical examiner system. Most | | | | duty of the forensic pathologist is to perform |
| jurisdictions are pushing for the medical examiner | | | | forensic autopsies, which are needed to determine |
| system. | | | | the cause and manner of death. |
| What is a coroner? | | | | Many rural areas, where county, state, or federal |
| A coroner is an elected or appointed official who has | | | | funding is minimal, still have the coroner system |
| no background in medical or forensic science. A | | | | today. The coroner in these jurisdictions are elected |
| coroner is a politician who wins enough votes to | | | | public servants in charge of investigating a death. The |
| become the incumbent. He can be a sheriff, a dentist, | | | | reason for this trend is that these developing areas |
| a baker, or local pizza shop owner. He will have little | | | | just do not have a big enough population to justify |
| or no knowledge of forensic investigation. | | | | the presence of a highly trained forensic pathologist |
| During the past quarter century, the rules of the | | | | as a medical examiner. Under these circumstances, a |
| office of the coroner have evolved such that many | | | | coroner must outsource a forensic autopsy when |
| jurisdictions today require the coroner to be a | | | | needed. |
| licensed medical doctor. He may be an internist, a | | | | With advancing technology, the coroner system will |
| gynecologist, or dermatologist but does not | | | | eventually be obsolete leaving the medical examiner |
| necessarily have to be a pathologist or a forensic | | | | system all by itself. Highly educated individuals with |
| pathologist. He may not have the qualifications to | | | | special knowledge of laboratory testing and forensic |
| perform the duties of a coroner. For this reason, the | | | | autopsies will be required to fill the position of the |
| medical examiner system has evolved. | | | | office of the medical examiner. |