To prepare for the discussion this week, review An Overview of the Medical Examiner/Coroner Systems in the United States – Development, Current Status, Issues, and Needs, a presentation from the National Academies Forensic Science Needs Committee, to get an overview of the medical examiner/coroner systems in the United States. Next, listen to Coroners Don’t Need Degrees to Determine Death, an audio podcast to learn about problems in the autopsy field. Finally, watch All About Forensic Science, a video that explains how forensic science is used to solve crimes.
Now, participate in the following discussion:
Prior to beginning this discussion, review the required readings for this week, and, using a minimum of three scholarly sources from the Ashford University Library or another scholarly source of information, compare and contrast the pros and cons of required professional qualifications for all medical examiners, regardless of where they work. Should a person who conducts an autopsy be required to be medically trained, have pathology training and/or certification, or should each jurisdiction be allowed to determine its own criteria? The discussion should include an assessment of the implications for forensic evidence collection and evidentiary admissibility at trial. Your initial post should be a minimum of 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly sources, and properly cite any references using APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
