Forensic Pathology: A Case Study

Forensic scientists can identify the body through dental records, DNA samples or if the fingers are intact, fingerprints.

The evidence that they find gets relayed to the medical examiner. Forensic anthropologists have the ability to classify the cause of death by examining marks or fractures found on the bones which in return helps officials determine the weapon used. All of this information helps the medical examiner find the cause of death, based on damages to the bones that a forensic anthropologist finds.

This method may have been sufficient in the 10th century when people were illiterate and believed the world was flat; however, the scientific world since then has grown exponentially. Science is a powerful study, aiding us in understanding the complex process life and the absence of life, death. Pathology, the science of disease, has assisted in the arrests of countless criminals, uncovering the truth and more notably providing a sense of closure for the loved ones of the deceased. A coroner system without the foundation of science is a system that keeps murders on the streets, the innocent behinds bars and prosecutors frozen in cases. The most memorable example of inefficiency is Dr. Paul McGarry, who made careless errors in not just one but four autopsies. In the case of new prison inmate Cayne Miceli, McGarry initially determined the cause of death to be a drug overdose. Upon the further examination, a second examiner found a heap of mucus in her lungs indicating she had severe asthma. The doctor then concluded the real cause of death was the jail restraints on her chest blocked her airways during an asthma attack (Thompson, 2011, para 13-16). A peculiar fact about the case was the McGarry concluded the cause of death before he got the test results. Could he had been trying to hide something? After all, he is an elected official which according to the NAS

After that they “analyze bones to determine the victim's biological profile” as it is said in “What is Forensic Anthropology” by R.U. Steinberg.

What three aspects does a forensic autopsy seek information about? Describe each of these aspects.

The main theme of “Final Cut” by Atul Gawande is that medicine is an inexact science and doctors are not always sure of themselves, even if they appear confident. Gawande’s main argument is simply stated: there has been a decline in the amount of autopsies performed in the medical field as a result of medical arrogance; over confident doctors believe they know the cause of death and do not want to perform autopsies. Gawande illustrates his argument by outlining the history of autopsy use in medicine, incorporating medical cases that he has experienced as a surgeon, and including statistics on autopsy usage. “Final Cut” is an outstanding profile on the decline of autopsy use in medicine. What makes “Final Cut” an enjoyable and informative article for all readers is its use of strategies associated with fiction such as the establishment of characters, balance between medical information and personal experience, and its use of active voice.

The career that I researched was forensic pathology. The job of a pathologist is to determine a person’s cause of death by examining tissues and fluids from the body. A forensic pathologist does this as well, but they are trained to examine people who died unexpectedly or violently and to recognize other things that a regular pathologist might not, such as recognizing something as intentional rather than accidental. They have to determine who the person is, the time of death, the manner of death, and if it was accidental, the instruments which caused the death.

A Forensic Pathologist studies the cause of death of human remains. To become a forensic pathologist it takes time and hard work. The average time at school is thirteen to eighteen years. The average salary is 100k- 500k. At school they have to study anatomy, but also serology and toxicology.

In this paper, I will discuss the background of forensic pathology, the pros and cons of forensic pathology, and the similar and different in a forensic pathologist and a coroner. There are various disciplines in Forensic Science that can help with a crime, and solving that crime. One of these various disciplines is Forensic Pathology which the study of disease, and its causes, moreover; it involves the discovering the cause of the death where a death is sudden or suspicion to law enforcement. While a Forensic Pathologist can be helpful to law enforcement, and helpful in assisting in crime investigation, there are cons to being forensic pathologist. Furthermore, forensic pathologist can be confused with coroner even though they do the same

This truth forms an essential link between the enforcement of law and protection of the public in the administration of justice.” Forensic pathology is clearly a crucial role in the justice system. You have to be a little weird and crazy to have a passion for the kind of work that the coroners and M.E. go through on an everyday basis. They use past knowledge to make decisions on how death occurred and they come across many different postmortem changes in dead bodies. Every field is important in forensics, but pathology advocates for truth and justice to dead

Human death has once held more mystery than facts. In pursuit of prolonging life countless knowledgeable individuals attempted to define patterns of work of our body as well as find cure to common illnesses and injuries. Thus in certain way or form, any civilized society would amass experience that translated into early medicine. Simultaneously, the same society would establish rules and regulations that helped govern population. Combination of these two fields led to development of forensics.

An autopsy is an examination of the body after death. It usually consists of an external and an internal examination of the body. The external examination also documents identifying features such as scars, tattoos or other markings which may assist in the identification of the body. The internal examination looks at the internal organs to document any natural disease processes and/or injury .Its purpose is to learn the truth about the persons health during life and how the person really died, These situations include, violent deaths such as homicides, accidents, and suicides. Other categories are suspicious deaths, sudden and expected deaths, deaths in children and infants, prisoners, persons under the care of an institution,

They collect the body from its place of demise and take it back to a lab for further evaluation if need be. In order to obtain this job, you have to first complete a four-year undergraduate degree in any science major like chemistry or biology (“What). At Georgia State University, a Pre-Medical track is available, which a great opportunity because the next step is medical school. You must earn a Doctrine of Medicine to learn everything about the human body and how it functions. After that, the next would be to complete another four years of training in the specialty, Forensic Pathology.

Crime scene investigation and medical examiner television shows are always interesting and exciting to watch, but what happens when you make the contents of that television show your life? Often times, the one you see doing the investigating with not only the body at the scene, but also inspecting the body of the victim in their exam room is called the Forensic Pathologist. A Forensic Pathologist is often called to the scenes where a death has occurred so that they can legally gather information and observations so that they can proceed with the investigation. For example, they will try to find the time of death. It is very important that the forensic pathologist be contacted very early on in the investigation, due to the amount of evidence that needs to be overlooked. Forensic pathologists are educated as physicians, and are also licensed for the practice of medicine. Regional tests are given, which means that if you decide to move at any time after taking the regional test, you will be required to take it again if you move to a new state. Autopsies are a daily occurrence, and the goal of the forensic pathologist is to recreate the series of events that led up to the death of the victim.

Forensic specialists, crime scene investigator and/or evidence technician, law enforcement, and medical examiners who have extensive training and experience in