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 About
Forensic Pathology
What is forensic pathology?
Forensic pathology is a subspecialty of medicine that studies the causes of human death. The word forensic originates from the Latin forensis, which means "of a forum." A modern forensic pathology practice contributes to the health and safety of our community.
Who is a forensic pathologist?
A forensic pathologist is a physician who has received special training in pathology and forensic pathology. This training process lasts for up to six years after graduation from medical school. After completion of the training period, physicians can sit for examinations offered by the American Board of Pathology. If a passing grade is achieved on the examination, the physician is considered board certified. All of our staff members have completed this special training and are board certified in forensic pathology, as well as other areas of pathology.
What is the difference between a medical examiner and a coroner?
Medical examiners and coroners are two different groups that provide a similar service to their communities. Coroners are part of an older system whose origins date back to England many centuries ago, and are usually elected lay individuals. Coroners contract with physicians to provide autopsies and medical expertise to support their investigations. In contrast, the medical examiner system is an American creation approximately a century old. Medical examiners are almost always appointed to their positions, and should be physicians with training in medicolegal death investigation.
Does Tennessee have a Coroner or Medical Examiner system?
Currently, Tennessee has a medical examiner style system. There is an appointed State Chief Medical Examiner, whose responsibilities include administering the archives of the state’s Postmortem Examination Division, providing education and training for the County Medical Examiners, and medicolegal consultation for state and local officials. Each county in Tennessee has a locally appointed County Medical Examiner who is responsible for medicolegal death investigation in their respective counties. They may perform the autopsies personally or contract with a pathologist to perform the autopsies for them. Currently, Dr. Levy serves as the State's Chief Medical Examiner and County Medical Examiner for Metro Nashville and Davidson County.
How is the Medical Examiner’s Office funded?
The Medical Examiner’s Office is funded by our tax dollars.
What is the difference between a medical examiner autopsy and a hospital autopsy?
Medical examiner autopsies are governed by state law and assist the medical examiner in determining cause and manner of death. Permission of the next-of-kin is not required. In contrast, hospital autopsies can only be conducted with the permission of the next-of-kin and assist the medical staff with quality assurance and training. The actual autopsy procedures are similar in nature and scope, but not identical.
I am a big fan of the forensic shows on television. Do these shows accurately reflect the work of a medical examiner?
These forensic shows arevery popular and provide a somewhat accurate but skewed perspective on the work of medical examiners. Television medical examiners act more as a detective than a medical examiner usually does. At times, their forensic abilities go beyond what is actually possible in real life. We can all remember Quincy, after completing his investigation, stating something like, "I can’t be exactly sure when he died, but it was somewhere between 6:00 p.m. and 6:12 p.m. last night." In reality, Quincy should say, "I can’t be exactly sure when he died, but it was sometime between the time he was last seen alive and when he was found dead." More realistic, but a lot less interesting for a television drama.
How do I become a forensic pathologist?
The training period is long and difficult. First you need to become a physician and graduate from either a medical or osteopathic school. After graduation, you would enter training (residency) in pathology and forensic pathology, which is currently a five year process. You would then be eligible to sit for examinations in order to become board certified in pathology and forensic pathology.
How do I become a medical examiner?
In most jurisdictions in the United States, a medical examiner needs to be a licensed physician. In some cases specialized training in forensic pathology is required (see previous question). This is typically an appointed position. Courses in death investigation are available for those without previous training or experience from a variety of sources.
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