No Bedside Manner Needed - Coroners

You ever wonder who the Coroner is or where he came from?

I mean, is that a guy who went medical school just so he could cut up dead bodies all day and figured out how those people died? That's kinda weird right? Well, it's not all it's cracked up to be in the TV shows and you don't necessarily have to be a Doctor. It's kind of a strange situation--but you have to be kinda strange to want to be the Coroner. So, what do you do?

Now, most Coroners are Doctors. I understand that--and that makes sense--but there are cases when the Coroner or Medical Examiner is a person who has perhaps a Masters Degree in Forensics. Sometimes there's not a Doctor available in smaller rural areas and a person with the qualifications I've mentioned is needed.

Now, if we're talking about the majority of places then you'll definitely need to be a Doctor. Well, do you just go to Medical School and then get a job as a Coroner? I suspect you could do that, but you would be working as someone's assistant.

You might actually want to work in a different specialty and then get into Forensics later in your career. You see, there are not THAT many jobs in Forensic Medicine, but there are plenty of places for Doctors to work. So, it's conceivable that you could work in Family Practice, the ER, or even in Surgery and then move into Forensic Medicine later.

If you're dead set on getting into Forensics then you might want to work as someone's assistant first--or you could even work in forensic investigation and then move into the Medical Examiner's office. You might feel a little overqualified to work as a "CSI" if you have an M.D., but you'd be a great resource for the people around you AND you might find it to be fun.

Unfortunately, it isn't all just like the TV shows, but it could be exhilarating for you.

Just keep in mind a few things:

1. You don't HAVE to be a Doctor, but you will have to have some kind of advanced degree. You won't be able to just walk in and be the Coroner--but working as his assistant you might rise to that position one day. It's not ALL about being a Doctor--but only in certain places.
   
   
2. No bedside manner is needed. Your patients always listen and they don't talk back. Or at least if they do, then you know that YOU need to see a doctor.
   
   
3. If you liked dissecting frogs in Biology in 7th Grade then this might be the thing for you. If you liked Anatomy class in High School then this might be the thing for you. Not everyone on the planet is intrigued by these things, but if you are then you're doing a job tons of people don't want to do.
   
   
4. It could be sort of fun. I don't know what your definition of fun is--but maybe this is it.

Just keep in mind that you have options--you may not be through Medical School--but maybe you're getting there. Maybe you don't know what specialty you want to get into yet--this might be the one!