I just wanted to point your attention to a new show that will be airing on Discovery Health on Friday July 23, at 9pm. It is called Dr. G: Medical Examiner. It looks like it will be a 12- episode series starting on July 23.

From the website:
"Each episode follows at least three unexplained cases. Viewers have the opportunity to witness the extent to which Dr. G goes to ensure that the victims — and the families they've left behind — rest in peace."

It seems like an interesting show that will give people a greater understanding of the profession. The show might be a way to spur some discussion as well.

Here is the link to the website: http://health.discovery.com/fansites/drg/drg.html

I know I made some promises that I couldn't keep. Sorry about the lack of updates. Also, I apologize if you sent me an email and I never responded. The email account that I used for this blog just got so filled with spam and viruses that I just ditched it. Anyway, I am off to medical school, so my life will be anything but exciting for at least the next four years. The autopsy updates are officially finished. However, I realize that forensics, autopsies, death, and the like are still an interest to people. So I created a Messageboard/Forum for people to participate in discussions about these topics. I also figure that it would be an easy way for me to answer the questions people had for me since I was not so timely in responding to emails. So if you have a question or simply want to get involved in some discussions, register an account with the messageboard. I think I have a 30 day trial (as of yesterday) for my "Gold Membership," but after that I guess it gets downgraded to the not-so-gold version, unless I pay (which god knows I do not have such funds for that now). To me this suggests pop-ups, but who knows. If pop-ups do become a problem, try Mozilla Firefox or Opera . I use Firefox and haven't had problems with pop-ups in a long time. To put it bluntly, Microsoft Internet Explorer is just plain bad (not to mention the security issues with IE).

Oh I do remember someone did ask me for links to what the papers for an autopsy report might look like. Here is the link: http://www.afip.org/Departments/oafme/diagrams.html These are just links to diagrams that a medical examiner might use to sketch out some findings during the autopsy. Not all the diagrams are used and it really is just a matter of personal preference. Some jot down notes during the autopsy, others dictate notes into a voice recorder. After the autopsy is finished, notes from the other findings (toxicology, histology, etc..) are compiled and a formal report is made. This is the report that is generally only available to immediate family members or lawyers if the death is involved in a legal case. A bunch of questions in the emails that people sent to me asked how they could get a hold of someone's autopsy report. My guess is that the actual law about this depends on the state, but most only allow immediate family members to view the autopsy report.

Almost forgot, here is the link to the Messageboard:
Autopsy Report Messageboard My username will be ForensicAutopsy. There is a Private Message feature that you can use if you want to ask me more personal questions, but I encourage people to use the board since there might be readers who know more about the subject matter than I do. I am also up for any other suggestions or people who might want to volunteer to be forum moderators.

Thats it for now.

If you were reading this over the summer you may remember a case that I described about a headless and handless decomposing body that was found in the woods. There was also a tattoo that had been cut up probably as a way of preventing identification of the body. Here is the link to the posts to jog your memory: http://www.autopsyreport.netfirms.com/2003_07_27_autopsyreport_archive.html

Well, it recently came to my attention that the body has finally been identified. It took a few months, but the police were successful. Apparently the tattoo that we were piecing together fit the description of a tattoo of a woman that had been reported missing to another police department. The police recognized the description and contacted our police department. I believe the identification was then confirmed with DNA analysis. The woman who was killed was a prostitute, so if you know anything about forensic psychology, you know that prostitutes are low-risk victims. What this basically means is that it will be harder for the police to link someone as a suspect to her murder.

Sorry for the lack of posts. I have been busy. There is a possibility for more posts soon, but we'll see. I am in the process of responding to many of the emails I received over the past few months. If you sent me an email and never received a response, send it again.

Almost a month since I last posted. I have definitely been busy between school and medical school interviews. So far the topic of my experience with the medical examiner has come up almost immediately in every single interview. One interviewer started by saying "Oh, you're the morgue guy. I never met anyone who has worked in a morgue and I have been interviewing people for over 20 years." I also think that it is worth mentioning that there are even doctors who are not entirely sure what goes on in the morgue. For example, one interviewer was not aware that when bodies are sent to the ME from the hospital, all tubes and such are left in place. Also as an aside, if there are any people who are responsible for conducting interviews for anything, here is a suggestion: try to make it as conversational as possible. I much prefer being interviewed in a conversational setting (closer to real life) than a random question and answer session. That's just my two cents, so take it or leave it.

I have a few more interviews scheduled and I am waiting to hear back from some more schools. Keep your fingers crossed because this application process is quite intimidating. Also, I am planning on contacting the medical examiner near my school and asking if I can volunteer one day a week or so. Also #2, I received a whole bunch of emails from readers and I have been trying to respond. If I did not respond, I apologize, just resend it to remind me. Also #3, I had some links to post, but I have them on another computer so I will post them shortly. I actually forget what they were.

Here's a quick FYI: If you have access to HBO, tune in on October 11 at 10pm. Michael Baden, M.D. will apparently be going through a complete autopsy on t.v. I'm not sure how graphic it will be and how it will be done, but I am curious to see. He will apparently also be talking about some of the more complex cases that forensic pathologists have faced over the years. I have seen a few of the shows from the HBO Autopsy series, and I have enjoyed it. It's like a real life CSI. I will post a reminder as it comes closer. Here is a link to the website for the show: HBO: Autopsy. Definitely also surf around this site because there is a lot of good information.

Wow, I haven't updated in a while. Blame it on the med school application process. All my applications were finally complete as of last week. Now it's just a waiting game.

I thought I would comment on how my experience with the Medical Examiner has affected me. First of all my appreciation for human anatomy, physiology, and pathology has increased noticeably. However, aside from the science, I gained many other insights into human nature. I am able to relate my experiences to all sorts of situations. In my healthcare ethics class, for example, we were discussing the importance of a doctor being able to build a patient's history and to have empathy for the patient. Well it may not be as obvious in the medical examiner field, but a "patient's" history is extremely important. The investigators are able to build that history from medical records and interviews with family members. The latter can be quite difficult because you are trying to get information out of a grieving family member. This is where the empathy comes in. You cannot get impatient. It is important to possess the proper skills in order to be able to obtain that information. Many times the medical examiner staff will come off as being unemotional, however they are usually more than willing to provide comfort to a grieving family and answer any questions that they might have concerning their loved one.

I have also noticed that I have become more aware of violent crimes and deaths reported in the newspaper. I never used to notice the small articles about car accidents or the stories about a recent murder. Now I am very aware of it and I always imagine how an autopsy is proceeding in these circumstances. This has recently caused me to invest in a police scanner so I can monitor the police and emergency channels. I guess I do have a morbid curiosity after all.