How to Become a Medical Examiner

Video Transcript

"Hello, my name is Mark MacBayne. I'm the practice administrator for hematology/oncology at UCSF Medical Center, and I'm here today to talk about how to become a medical examiner. A medical examiner is typically an appointed or an elected position. However, in order to be an ME, or medical examiner, you must typically have an MD degree and have specialized in pathology. The first step in becoming an MD is to go to college. You need to complete a four-year degree of study at a college or university, typically in a science such as biology or chemistry. However, it is not required that you major in a science in order to go to medical school. If you choose not to major in a science, however, you will need to complete all of the science prerequisites for medical school, being at least two years of biology, at least two years of chemistry, a year of physics, and a year of calculus. Towards the end of your undergraduate career, you'll need to take what's known as the MCAT, or Medical College Admissions Test. This is a standardized exam that medical schools use to evaluate applicants. You will also need to maintain a strong GPA--3.7 or higher. Admission to medical school is highly competitive, and a strong GPA along with good MCAT scores will make you a viable candidate. Upon acceptance to medical school, you are committing to an additional four-year course of study, the first two years of which are typically reserved for didactic instruction in the health sciences, and the second two years of which are typically reserved for training in clinical skills. Upon completing your four-year MD program, you must then complete a residency in order to specialize in a particular field. In this case, to become a medical examiner, you will need to do a residency in pathology. Once you've completed your residency, you can also opt to do a fellowship, which is an additional one to two years beyond your residency, and is typically pursued by those interested in an academic career, or in this case, an appointed or elected position such as a medical examiner. Once you have practiced as a pathologist and have experience in that field, you can either apply for a position as a medical examiner--typically, this is a county position--or you can run for elected office as a medical examiner--again, typically in a county jurisdiction. Either way, upon being appointed or elected, you become a medical examiner. This is Mark MacBayne, practice administrator for hematology and oncology at UCSF Medical Center."