Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions

1. Why did you decide to go into forensic pathology?

Whilst I was at secondary school I enjoyed Science, particularly biology.  I read a number of biographies of forensic pathologists, and was fascinated by the cases they had worked on.  Whilst I was at medical school, I worked with the local forensic pathologist so that when I finally graduated from medicine, I had already spent some time working in pathology with a forensic pathologist.  Forensic Pathologists find themselves working with a wide variety of non medical people such as the legal profession, police and other emergency services personnel.

2. What made you choose forensic pathology out of the many fields of forensic study?

I have been interested in many areas of forensic science, but I find the study of the human body as a crime scene particularly fascinating.  Whilst there are many serious crimes which require investigation, crimes against the body of a person causing serious injury or death effects the community in a special way and demands a high level of medical forensic investigation. 

3. As a forensic pathologist, what does a typical day at work consist of for you?

I usually get up in the morning at 5.30am and make my way to work arriving at around 6.30am.  I spend an hour or so dealing with email messages and letters, and then around 8am go to the mortuary.  At our forensic medical institute, we have 5 forensic pathologists and between10 to 15 autopsies are performed each day.  In addition to carrying out a number of autopsies, I might also perform an external examination on a number of deceased persons, and review police reports and medical records regarding their death before advising the Coroner (a lawyer or judicial officer) as to my opinion regarding the probable cause of death.  In addition to examining individuals who have died and determining a cause of death, I will also assist in evaluation of the circumstances in which they died, and any factors in which contributed to their death.  After the autopsies and other examinations have been performed I would prepare a written report into each of the cases I have deal with.  As with any job within an academic and service institution, there are a number of important meetings and case conferences to be held with other forensic medical and scientific staff, as well as police and the legal profession.  During the afternoon I examine the sections of tissues from the body under a microscope, so that the final autopsy report can be completed and released to the Coroner's office.  In many cases a cause of death cannot be ascertained until the body tissues have been examined under the microscope, and in addition, it may be necessary to wait until toxicological analysis has been carried out in order to arrive at a final cause of death.  During the day I may have to give lectures to medical students, provide tutorial sessions for post graduate specialist pathology trainees, science or law undergraduates and members of the community.  I may have appointments to meet with the family of a deceased person to explain to them the results of the autopsy examination and there are usually a number of small research projects that I have underway that need following up.  If there are no meetings in the early evening, I usually leave work at around 6.30pm and take a number of documents home to read. 

4. What is the best thing about being a forensic pathologist?

It might seem strange for a doctor to be working on the dead!  But ultimately, that is not what a forensic pathologist does.  Forensic pathology is about the living.  It is about understanding the risks and hazards of everyday life, and identifying what happens to people when they die in order to identify factors which have caused death that can be prevented.  Forensic pathologists are able to identify design features of machinery that cause particular injuries that have proven fatal, they can identify diseases caused by exposure to substances in the workplace or in the home, they can discover diseases caused by genetic factors that may have implications for the surviving family members, and they can help to inform governments about the incidents of disease, and accidents and injuries within the community.  Most people think of forensic pathology as doctors investigating murders, but in reality that is a very small, although very important part of what we do.  The criminal justice system needs independent medical specialists to be able to tell a court what caused the death.  A very important part of being a forensic pathologist is speaking to families and explaining to them what happened to their loved one in order that they can come to terms with the grieving process surrounding the death. 

5. What advice do you have for someone interested in becoming a forensic pathologists?

There are many scientists who work in the forensic fields who are not involved with medical matters at all.  Just as the vast majority of medical practitioners have no involvement in forensic case work.  To be a forensic pathologist you need the required background training in medicine, and then, once you are qualified as a doctor, you need to undertake a period of post graduate study in the medical speciality of pathology before undertaking specific studies in forensic pathology.  Post graduate training in pathology usually takes some 5 or 6 years, during which time the doctor is working at a hospital or pathology laboratory, engaged in practice as a junior pathologist under supervision.  All this means that most forensic pathologists ill have had a period of tertiary and post graduate training of a minimum of 12 years before they will be able to practice forensic pathology as an independent specialist.  A forensic pathologist needs to be able to communicate effectively, and sympathetically, both with families of the deceased, as well as medical colleagues, lawyers and the courts. 

6. What job opportunities are available after completing the post graduate diploma?

Having qualified as a medical practitioner, and then taken the qualifying exams of the relevant specialist medical college, a pathologist is able to undertake independent specialist medical practice, either as a private pathologist providing medico legal advice, or as an employee of a variety of medical in states, university departments, or private pathology laboratories.  Currently in Australia there are about 25 specialist forensic pathologists and in the last ten years there have always been one or two vacancies.  Currently, there is a national shortage of pathologists generally in Australia, and a particular shortage of forensic pathologists.  Despite this, the actual number of jobs available is relatively small. 

7. Is there someone I could talk to further about courses and future employment?

Formal courses in forensic pathology are few and far between.  Most post graduates in medicine who are studying pathology, gain forensic pathology training and experience from working as a registrar or trainee in an established department.  Most states and territories in Australia have one or more central institutions providing forensic pathology services for the state or territory Coroner.  In some cases this will be a single forensic pathologist working out of a major hospital, whilst in other centres, there will be a specialist institution employing a number of forensic pathology staff.  People interested in a career in forensic pathology would be advised to talk to the local forensic pathology institution, or forensic pathologist working in their state or territory.

8. What subjects should I study in high school to enable me to become a Forensic Pathologist?

Given that to become a forensic pathologist requires you to graduate as a medical practitioner, the choice of subjects at high school should be directed towards obtaining admission to medical school.  The secondary school careers staff will be the best source of information on the admission requirements for medicine at the various universities. 

9. How long does an autopsy take, on average?

It is extremely difficult to provide an answer to this question as there is no such thing as the average autopsy.  A straight forward autopsy may involve no more than15 minutes of reading the background materials and notes, approximately an hour of dissection, half an hour of compiling a report and a further half an hour to review the microscope sections of the biopsies taken at autopsy.  In contrast, a complex homicide case may involve the pathologist spending 3 to 4 hours at a death scene, followed by an autopsy that may take 4-6 hours, compilation of a report that may take 2-3 hours, analysis or microscope sections of the autopsy biopsies, that may again take several hours, as well as meetings with police and legal officers, and then a court appearance as a witness for a committal hearing and a possible eventual trial. 

10. What skills or abilities are necessary for you to perform your job?

Apart from a general background of medical and pathology skills, the general skills required to be a forensic pathologist include good written and oral communication skills, an understanding of legal and social issues, and attention to detail that sometimes borders on the obsessional!  An ability to deal sensitively with families under significant emotional stress in times of bereavement is part of the background medical practice skills that every forensic pathologist should have. 

11. What experience gives you the most satisfaction in your job?

Providing oral testimony in court that is able to shed light on a problem faced by the court or a jury in understanding what happened, is perhaps the most satisfying experience in forensic pathology.  Going with that, is the experience in identifying an obscure, hidden disease that has real significance for the family and the community, and whose correct identification means that preventative measures can be implemented for others, is also one of the most satisfying aspects of forensic pathology.

12. What do you like least about your job?

I suppose most people would imagine that my answer would be dealing with a decomposed body, or being cross examined aggressively in court, but in fact, these are not particularly stressful or difficult parts of the work that a forensic pathologist does.  Sometimes the long hours and the associated fatigue can be stressful, but perhaps the most stressful aspect of being a forensic pathologist is the difficulty in actually having a diary or calendar of work that you can reply upon.  By this, I mean that a forensic pathologist will often be served a subpoena to appear to give evidence in court on a particular day.  However, the only thing you can be certain about is that you will not be giving evidence on the day in question, this makes managing a diary or organising holidays extremely difficult, and represents the most frustrating part of forensic pathology practice. 

13. What are your opportunities for promotion?

Given the very small of forensic pathologists working in Australia, the opportunities for promotion are very limited.  However, there are very few “ranks” for forensic pathologists.  Each forensic pathologist operates independently as a specialist in their own right.  They work closely with colleagues, and the group of forensic pathologists working together are largely working in a collegiate atmosphere.  In the large institutions there may be one or more forensic pathologists who have a leadership role that carries with it a larger degree of administration, but there are probably more than half a dozen such posts within Australia.

14. What advice would you offer to someone considering this career?

I would advise a potential future forensic pathologist to have an opportunity to sit down and talk with a practicing forensic pathologist, and perhaps meet and talk with a lawyer and a clinical pathology specialist.  Attending court and hearing evidence given would also provide useful exposure to the environment in which a forensic pathologist works.  I would certainly advise a secondary school student to ensure that they planned their school work to ensure admission to medical school, as this is an essential prerequisite. 

15. What's the salary range for your job?  What is the entry level salary?

Most of the medical specialist salary scales and trainee specialist salary scales are determined by health departments in the hospital, within the government health care sector.  The forensic pathology salary scales are based loosely around this and in some cases, although in some cases the salary is often slightly below that of the equivalent public hospital specialist.  The overall salary package range might extend from approximately $120,000.00 per year, although there are considerable differences between states and territories and different employer groups.

16. What would you change about your job if you could?

There are some exciting developments in forensic pathology today that I would love to become involved in and I believe these would both improve the service we can provide the community and also, the work practise of forensic pathology.  The introduction of new technologies and new skills in post mortem radiology and imaging of bodies, together with a stronger focus of helping the families of the deceased in the form of providing an outpatients clinic in forensic pathology for families would be significant developments that would certainly change the emphasis of my job. 

17. What qualities does your employer look for in an employee?

Any pathologist applying for a forensic pathology position will be expected to have the requisite training and a level of experience in forensic pathology.  To succeed in forensic pathology requires an individual to pay attention to the details of their work, as well as having a broader vision of where forensic pathology is going, and new potential developments within this field.  Good writing and oral presentation skills are essential, as well as an understanding of medico legal matters, and in particular ethical principles of medical practice. 

18. What hours do you work?

Most forensic pathologists would work between 10 and 12 hours a day, although there will be periods of time when they are “on call” and maybe required to attend death scenes over a large geographical area at any time day or night.  Certainty of work hours is something that simply doesn't exist in forensic pathology practice. 

19. Can you refer me to any sources that might help me.

There are a number of website that may be of use to people contemplating a career in forensic pathology.  These include the

http://www.nifs.com.au/

http://www.rcpa.edu.au/public/default.cfm

As well as a range of major forensic medicine institutes around the world.  There are a number of useful text books and other reference sources, and students should look for books written by professor Bernard Knights, Dr Di Maio.  There are many other leading authors in this field, but this should provide you with a starting point.