| Determining the cause, mechanism, and manner of | | | | And finally, one year of fellowship in forensic |
| death takes an intimate knowledge of human | | | | pathology. He must be board-certified by taking an |
| anatomy, physiology, and pathology. Pathologists, | | | | examination administered by the American Board of |
| doctors of medicine who specialize in studying the | | | | Pathology. |
| diseases that affect the human body, are the | | | | The forensic pathologist is at the top of the pyramid |
| persons responsible for performing autopsies. CSI: | | | | of the forensic system of investigation. However, |
| Miami and NCIS fans know these people as the | | | | the work of this profession is not all clean and tidy |
| characters, Dr. Alex Woods and Dr. Donald "Ducky" | | | | like working a desk job and pushing pencils all day. |
| Mallard, respectively. | | | | This profession requires you to be exposed to a |
| Pathology, the study of disease, is a postdoctoral | | | | deceased person's bodily fluids, smell, and disease. It |
| medical specialty that dates back to the 19th | | | | can also be rewarding, fascinating, and intellectually |
| century. By the latter half of the 20th century, | | | | stimulating. |
| pathologists began branching out into individual | | | | Once a person becomes a forensic pathologist, he is |
| subspecialties. It was not until 1959 that forensic | | | | eligible to work as a medical examiner or coroner. His |
| pathology became a board-certified specialty. | | | | duties will include examining dead bodies to ascertain |
| The forensic pathologist is concerned with the study | | | | the cause, mechanism, and manner of death; |
| of medicine as it applies to criminal law. Moreover, the | | | | perform autopsies; supervise the pathology lab; and |
| forensic pathologist is more likely to deal with injuries. | | | | perhaps run the entire crime lab. He must be called to |
| More than 50 percent of the cases he deals with | | | | the scene of the crime at any hour of the day since |
| involve death caused by the onset of disease. He is | | | | criminals rarely keep a 9-to-5 schedule. His job |
| qualified to perform autopsies that yield evidence | | | | description also entails assisting law enforcement |
| that he must attest to in open court as his | | | | officials with body search-and-recover procedures |
| professional opinion. | | | | and providing expert testimony in criminal court. He |
| In order for someone to become a full-fledged | | | | must be a fully licensed doctor of medicine in the |
| forensic pathologist, one must undergo years of | | | | state in which he practices as a forensic pathologist |
| training in college. It takes approximately 13 years of | | | | and have extensive knowledge of human anatomy, |
| training before he can work as a member of a CSI | | | | physiology, pathology, anthropology, dentistry, |
| team. He must complete four years of | | | | microscopy, x-ray and lab testing, evidence rules and |
| undergraduate work. Another four years of medical | | | | court procedures, crime scene evaluation, and local, |
| school. Another four years of pathology residency. | | | | state, and federal laws. |