Coroners are medical detectives. They work with other investigators to that are accidental, violent, or unexplained. Coroners perform or supervise autopsies and highly specialized lab tests. When a coroner is also a physician, he or she is called a medical examiner. They may visit the scene of the death and confer with law enforcement and public health officials to gather information. It’s up to the coroner to determine or assign a cause of death, and issue a death certificate. A coroner is a public officer, and may be appointed or elected. The coroner may be called to testify in court, in some cases to convict a person of a crime, so they must be methodical and detail-oriented. Coroners’ work hours can be irregular and involve a great deal of careful documentation. Sometimes, coroners must speak with relatives of the deceased, which requires sensitivity and respect, and can be emotionally draining. Local laws define the specifics of each coroner's duties. A bachelor’s degree is a minimum requirement; majors vary from criminal justice to mortuary science to forensic pathology. A medical background is a plus. Many state coroners' associations offer certification programs. The work of coroners is an important service to the living. It can help to solve crimes and prevent future homicides or accidental deaths.
What they do:
Direct activities such as autopsies, pathological and toxicological analyses, and inquests relating to the investigation of deaths occurring within a legal jurisdiction to determine cause of death or to fix responsibility for accidental, violent, or unexplained deaths.
On the job, you would:
Perform medicolegal examinations and autopsies, conducting preliminary examinations of the body to identify victims, locate signs of trauma, and identify factors that would indicate time of death.
Inquire into the cause, manner, and circumstances of human deaths and establish the identities of deceased persons.
Complete death certificates, including the assignment of cause and manner of death.
Arts and Humanities
English language
Health
medicine and dentistry
Business
customer service
management
Safety and Government
law and government
Basic Skills
reading work related information
talking to others
Problem Solving
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Social
understanding people's reactions
changing what is done based on other people's actions
Verbal
communicate by speaking
communicate by writing
Ideas and Logic
make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
use rules to solve problems
Visual Understanding
see hidden patterns
quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things
Hand and Finger Use
hold or move items with your hands
People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
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