Difference between a Coroner and Medical Examiner
Although the profession of coroner and medical examiner may sound very similar, in fact, they are very differentcareers. The paths to each career are not similar at all, the job duties are almost as different as black and white, and how each deals with legal matters also differs from the other.
To become a medical examiner, a person must first become a licensed doctor. This requires going to medical school and passing the state's medical board examination. Once a medical license is attained, a specialty in forensic pathology must be sought as well. This specialty has to do with the study of disease as related to crime. Once these requirements have been met, the person should be able to achieve the title of medical examiner.
A coroner’s career is obtained by being elected to the office. There is no medical school required. There are specific requirements in order for a person’s name to appear on the ballot for medical examiner. They must be 18 years or older and live in the county where they would like to be elected. Once elected, they become that county’s coroner.
Examinersperform autopsies. An autopsy is the physical examination of a dead body to determine possibly cause and time of death (Encarta Dictionary). The autopsy typically includes study of the internal and external body, including internal organs, external scars and lacerations, as well as body fluids such as blood and urine. They are very likely to be called to court to testify as to the findings of the autopsy.
The duties of acoronerinvolve the investigative side of a person’s death. They are responsible for bringing a dead body in, looking over autopsy reports and test results, performing certain administrative responsibilities, and working with the victim’s family and other survivors to determine the actual cause of death and who may be responsible. They are called into court on a regular basis, and may be the county’s sheriff at the same time.
The legal differences between these two professions are huge. A medical examiner is working to thoroughly examine the body and give an educated conclusion as to what happened to cause the death. The coroner takes the findings of the medical examiner’s autopsy, combines that information with other tests and investigations, and works with local law enforcement to not only discover the cause of death, but to also determine if someone else was responsible for that death.
