(ARME) Role of the Medical Examiner Lesson

Role of the Medical Examiner

A medical examiner is a physician officially authorized by a governmental unit to ascertain causes of deaths, especially those not occurring under natural circumstances. Not all counties within states conduct death investigation and certification under the guidance of medical examiners, however. Some counties instead elect a coroner. A coroner is an elected official who may or may not have any medical or forensic training. Their primary duty is to investigate any death thought to be of unnatural causes. This is a controversial topic in death investigation and Forensic Science because the coroner system does not require Pathology or medical training. The Georgia requirements for a Coroner are as follows:

(From legislation in Title 45)

  1. Coroners are elected and hold their offices for four years
  2. Must be a citizen of the United States
  3. Must be a resident of the county in which he or she seeks the office of coroner for at least two years prior to his or her qualifying for the election to the office and remains a resident of such county during his or her term of office
  4. Must be a registered voter
  5. Must be at least 25 years of age prior to the date of the general primary in the year he or she qualifies for election to the office
  6. Has obtained a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent
  7. Has not been convicted of a felony offense or any offense involving moral turpitude
  8. Has successfully completed the next scheduled class no longer than 180 days after such person's election or appointment a basic training course provided by the Georgia Police Academy
  9. Any person serving as mayor in a county with a population of 5,000 or less may also serve as the county coroner

Interactivity: Roles of the Medical Examiner

Medical examiners generally acquire a Bachelor of Science degree in either Forensic Science, Biology or Chemistry. After earning this degree, they then enter medical school to obtain either a Medical Doctor (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree. Once they have earned a medical degree, they apply for a position in a 5 year residency program. Following residency, a prospective Medical Examiner will take an exam for board certification in Pathology and Forensic Pathology. After Board certification is acquired, a Forensic Pathologist usually completes a fellowship, or specialty training in an area of interest, such as Toxicology, Autopsy or Serology. The salary ranges from about $105,000 to $500,000 with 13-15 years of education after high school required.

[CC BY 4.0] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION