Medical Examiner Job Description

One of the many medical jobs in the health care industry is that of a medical examiner. Typically, this is a health care professional who has been handed over the responsibility of studying dead bodies and concluding the cause of death. In simple words, you can say that he is one who performs and administers autopsies.

Job Description

The responsibilities of a medical examiner depend on whether he is an anatomical pathologist or a forensic pathologist. An anatomical pathologist is one who studies and examines the internal parts of a dead body in order to determine what was the reason and source of death. These professionals are largely employed by hospitals and health care facilities. On the other hand, a forensic pathologist studies the body of victims for assisting in criminal cases. Therefore, they are mostly required to provide services in state or federal government agencies.

After performing detailed examinations of the dead bodies, medical examiners have to draft a report regarding the conclusions and hand it over to the respective authorities for further analysis. In certain situations, these professionals may be required to testify in the court of law for clear investigation and legal proceedings in court cases. Their responsibilities may include writing death certificates. The main duty of the chief medical examiner is to review all forensic pathology functions carried out in the setting.

Requirements

There are some requirements for gaining entry into this career; which include a bachelor's degree of four years in science; followed by a doctor of medicine which again requires four years, and eventually a certification in pathology. For obtaining the certification administered by the American Board of Pathology, you may have to undertake a four-year residency program. Some education in law is certainly considered to be an added advantage.

Salary Range

The pay depends on a wide range of conditions such as the state and city of service, additional educational certifications, category of employer, expertise and experience, and similar aspects. Those with one to four years of work experience may get an annual salary package ranging from $31,000 to $44,000. As the work experience increases to between five to nine years, the income potential also grows from $32,000 to $48,000 approximately.

Medical examiners with 10 to 19 years of experience can demand a per annum pay anywhere between $35,000 to $54,000. Those possessing more than 20 years of expertise can earn anything near to a whopping $200,000. As per the state-wise classification, the state of New York offers a per annum pay of $50,000 to $110,000. In Texas, the salary range falls anywhere between $44,000 to $74,000; whereas in California, the remuneration can be between $51,000 to $70,000.

This was some information on the job description, salary, and educational qualifications required for medical examiners. Note that the job responsibility may vary slightly as per the case and the employing entity.