Forensic Pathologist Training
Forensic pathologists, or medical examiners, are medical professionals who are trained to determine the cause and manner of a person's death by completing an autopsy, according to Education-Portal.com. These professionals are medical doctors who have completed specialized study in this area and can work for the government or in private practice. Becoming a forensic pathologist requires at least 13 years of schooling beyond high school.
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Degree
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Individuals who are interested in becoming forensic pathologists first must complete a bachelor's degree program. Although no four-year bachelor's degree programs exist in this field as of 2010, students should complete a science-related major such as chemistry or biology or complete a college's pre-medicine program to prepare for medical school training. Following a bachelor's degree program, students then must apply to medical school, which includes submitting transcripts, letters of recommendation and competitive Medical College Admission Test scores, according to the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education accredits medical schools.
Medical School
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Aspiring forensic pathologists must complete four years of medical school, which gives them the chance to receive specialized training in this area. After earning a medical degree, students then must complete four to five years of resident training. They can choose to complete a residency in anatomic pathology, which takes about three years, followed by an extra one-year residency in forensic pathology. Residents also can choose to concentrate on the area of clinical pathology before receiving forensic pathology training. Resident training programs allow students to perform autopsies and to help with active death investigations under the supervision of experienced forensic pathologists.
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Fellowship
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Following resident training, students complete a board examination offered by the American Board of Pathology to obtain certification in this field. Forensic pathologists must be certified in at least one state. These professionals then can apply for forensic pathology fellowships, which typically last one to two years. During these university fellowships, students complete a large number of autopsies to get a better understanding of how to handle medical cases. Fellowships also might allow individuals to conduct research or even specialize in subfields such as forensic radiology, forensic odontology or pediatric pathology. Students then must complete a subspecialty board examination. Some fellowships require individuals to have a medical license in the state in which the fellowship is offered.
License
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As medical doctors, forensic pathologists must be licensed to practice medicine. All doctors must pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination once they have graduated from an accredited medical school. In some cases, medical doctors who have their license in one state can get a license to practice in another state without taking another examination, but some states restrict this.
Outlook
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Employment of physicians, which include forensic pathologists, is projected to climb 22 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The job outlook is particularly good for forensic pathologists as more people are becoming aware of their availability and are hiring private forensic pathologists to testify in their court cases, according to ForensicPathologist.com. The average medical examiner salary in 2010 was $87,182, according to CBSalary.com, CareerBuilder's salary information site.
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References
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