How to Become a Coroner Washington DC

Steps

1. Major in biology or a pre-medical program.
2. Research the state laws for your intended medical program (in addition to any states you may reside in for the future) regarding Coroners and Medical Examiners. The definitions, functions and requirements of these jobs vary from state to state, country to country.
3. Attend medical school after undergraduate school.
   • Take as many biology, forensic biology, forensic anthropology, microbiology, anatomy and chemistry courses as you can during high school and college.
   • Take electives that relate to your field of study, such as: government and jurisprudence, public administration, education and training, and also dentistry courses when they are available in medical school.
4. Specialize in an aspect of examination in addition to understanding the general aspects of your field.
   • Specializations can include forensic entomology, toxicology and law. This will enable you to be valuable on a regional scale in addition to a local level.
   • Get internships and/or residency work with Medical Examiners and Coroners as soon as you can.
5. Become state licensed (if required) and pass all state examinations and medical board exams.
6. Write up a resume and start applying. The majority of medical examiners will work for universities, hospitals or government agencies.

Tips

• Discuss vocational planning with a school counselor, or with professors at your university who may have experience in this field.
• Learn the difference between coroners, medical examiners and morticians from professors, doctors and career counselors.
• Each state has a different definition of what a coroner's job functions are, and how to become one. In some states this is an elected position and does not require the same credentials as a medical examiner.
• Deputy coroners work for the coroner. Deputy coroners typically study to become undertakers or morticians. Some states require schooling and testing for certification.
• A "forensic medical examiner" is very different from a regular ME. FME's are specially trained to deal with death from crimes, handling of evidence, etc. (From a DVD about California ME Michael Baden, search for it on Netflix.)

Warnings

• Coroners usually work shift work and may work "on call", especially while an intern or for the first five years after hire.
• There can be a major difference between a medical examiner and a coroner, or no difference at all. This is entirely defined by county, state and country regulations and if is up to you to figure out where you will practice and what is required before you get there.
• Coroners and medical examiners do not function like they are depicted on television shows. They function more or less like surgeons, and often refer work to specialized medical examiners. Cases are not solved by a single coroner in a dimly lit room over a weekend.
• Bodies may arrive at the coroner's office in any condition, from natural causes to frozen solid, skeletonized, eviscerated, etc. Bodies may be of infants to the elderly, and they may have died and suffered from any number of terrible ways. While such gruesome conditions should naturally cause distress, it is important that the coroner should have the fortitude to work under such conditions.

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