Forensic Pathology

The branch of medicine that helps in determining the cause of death is known as forensic pathology. This is usually done in the cases of criminal law cases and in some jurisdictions also in case of civil law cases. The word forensics has been determined from the Latin word 'forensis' which means forum or public while the word pathology literally means 'study of suffering'.

Role of a Forensic Pathologist

The role and responsibilities of a forensic pathologist can be defined as follows:

• The doctor is responsible for a forensic pathology autopsy and post mortem examinations to examine a dead body and determine the cause of death. The process involves examining the body for injury or death that directly or indirectly through a course of events causes the death of the individual. The autopsy also helps in establishing the identity of the dead body if it is not known.
• The forensic pathologists work with the medico-legal authorities (medical examiner) and help determine the cause of sudden and unexpected deaths.
• The pathologist also serves as an expert witness and testifies in civil or criminal law cases.

Branches of Forensic Pathology

The two main branches of forensic pathology are as follows:

• Anatomic Pathology: This branch of pathology deals with the evaluation of tissues that is obtained from living or dead people with the help of the microscope. The main subcategories of anatomic pathology are autopsy, surgical and cytopathology. The surgical pathologist examines tissues and organs with the aim of making a diagnosis for any disease. An autopsy pathologist task is to perform autopsies on dead bodies and determine the cause of the death usually in the cases where the death of the individual cannot be explained. The role of a cytologist is to examine cells of the body under the microscope and help diagnose various benign and malignant conditions.
• Clinical Pathology: This branch of pathology involves the evaluation of body fluids with the help of the laboratory. The main subcategories of clinical pathology are hematology, microbiology, chemistry, hematology and immunology. Among the forensic pathologists the branches chemistry and toxicology are most popular.

Autopsy

An autopsy is the examination of the body after the death of the individual and the process includes the external and internal examination of the body. The main aim of performing an autopsy is to identify any disease or injury that may have resulted in the death of the individual. During the external examination, identifying features like scars and other markings that help with the identification of the body are documented. During the internal examination, the organs are examined to identify diseases or injuries. Incisions across the midline of the chest and abdomen and also along the sides and top of the head are made during the autopsy process, which are not visible after the autopsy is completed. The autopsy can take anywhere between 30 minutes to a couple of hours depending on the presence of any injury or disease.

Become of Forensic Pathologist

It takes a lot of patience and hard work to become a forensic pathologist. To become one, you will first have to complete a four-year college degree which is followed by a four-year medical school. After obtaining a medical degree, you will have to complete a three to five years of a residency training program in general pathology. The entire duration of the residency will depend on whether the program is in anatomic pathology or for both anatomic and clinical pathology. To become a forensic pathologist, your course must include anatomic pathology. Once the residency is completed, you will have to complete a one year specialty training program in forensic pathology at the coroner's or the medical examiner's office.

Other than the degrees and trainings, the most important thing is that you must be very interested in science and must have the talent for it. Another thing to remember is that you will constantly be dealing with dismembered and rotting bodies and you must not find it disgusting. Further, as a forensic pathologist, you will also need good communications as you will often be called an expert witness to the court of law to provide your findings as to the cause of death of an individual.

I hope that the information provided in this article has been useful and has cleared any doubts that you may have had about forensic pathology.