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.