The job of a forensic pathologist needs nearly 13 years of education and serious medical preparation after school, spending about 10-12 hours on foot under challenging conditions, and a daily encounter with death and cruelty. These specialists undergo substantial training, specializing in many spheres, in order to be able to fulfill their duties and find out the cause of the death of the individual that died suddenly. They provide evidence for crime investigations coordinating their work with law enforcement agencies. Although their work is challenging, time-consuming, and requires much effort, forensic pathologists contribute to establishing justice and protecting the public.
The daily duties of forensic pathologists require them to use medical knowledge and tools to conduct investigations of various crimes. Experts in this field examine the bodies of people who died unexpectedly to establish the person’s identity, time, cause, and manner of death (Forensic pathologist, n.d.). To do this, the pathologist studies the medical history, conducts an autopsy, examines evidence from the crime scene, and looks for other evidence related to the death of an individual. They can also act as experts in court and testify based on the proof gathered, provide reports on it, cooperate with law enforcement, and even work with alive patients – victims of cruelty. Consequently, forensic pathologists are involved in investigating crimes, contributing to the search for truth and suspects, and restoring justice in society.
Forensic pathologists’ duties require them to have a solid educational background to make their evidence reliable for application in investigations. In addition to knowledge of medicine and especially anatomy, the pathologist must have a good understanding of toxicology, DNA technology, serology, and ballistics. This specialty also relies on such disciplines as chemistry, mathematics, physics, anthropology, and psychology, and the specialist should master them and receive the required knowledge (Forensic Pathologist, n.d.). The educational pathway of those who wish to become forensic pathologists includes a focus on science in school and college, medical school training with pathology classes attended, additional education in pathology, and a one-year residency (Forensic Pathologist, n.d.). These specialists’ educational paths and careers are pretty challenging; therefore, students must be confident in their route choice and ready to invest much effort.
Having gained the necessary knowledge and degrees, forensic pathologists can plan their career paths. In particular, the work should meet the financial needs of the individual and contribute to successful budget planning (Excel High School, 2022). Various sources rate the outlook for this profession as excellent, which should attract those exploring possible options for choosing a direction in education (Forensic Pathologist, n.d.). Notably, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics argues that the demand for the work of physicians, including pathologists, will increase by 8% by 2028, and their average wages will be more than $102,000 per year (Forensic pathology majors, n.d.). As a result, the profession of forensic pathologists can be assessed as promising and beneficial for those looking for career paths in medicine.
Thus, forensic pathologists go through a demanding educational path to get an equally challenging job, which, in turn, has an excellent outlook. These specialists are involved in sudden death investigations and apply their knowledge and skills to find out the deaths’ causes and manners, which helps to collect the necessary evidence. Despite all the difficulties of such a job, pathologists who believe in their work and responsibly fulfill their duties significantly contribute to restoring justice in society.
References
Excel High School. (2022). Life skills. Web.
Forensic pathologist. (n.d.). ExploreHealthCareers.org. Web.
Forensic pathology majors: Salary and career facts. (n.d.). Learn.org. Web.