Forensic Pathology: Not just for TV Anymore
Is "CSI: The Complete Seventh Season" on the top of your holiday wish list?
Do the words "Cause of death: blunt force trauma to the head," make you giddy?
When watching an autopsy scene, do you think, "aw, cool!" while all your friends are groaning, "aw, siiiiiick...
If you said yes to any of the above, then a career in forensic pathology may be for you!
According to the November issue of the Career Advancement Management (CAM) Report, there is a serious shortage of forensic pathologists in the United States. In fact, the Chicago Tribune reports that only 400 are employed in the US. (And we know that at least three of them are hard at work on the sets of "CSI: Las Vegas", "Miami", and "New York", so that leaves just 397 for the general public. I kid, I kid.)
The shortage is most pronounced in rural areas, where, according to the CAM Report, "pathologists are putting in 12+-hour days, logging thousands of miles to cover vast counties, and performing up to 400 autopsies a year." Never mind that national guidelines recommend performing not more than 250 a year.
Although these statistics are dismaying, it does present ample opportunities for those interested in pursuing the profession. (A profession in which, by the way, the vast majority of workers report enjoying their work immensely: being able to act as detectives, providing grieving families with a sense of closure, and acting as expert witnesses in trial cases. The $100,000 a year average salary is nothing to sniff at, either.)
If you think you might be interested in forensic pathology, consider this: only 35 out of every 15,000 students enrolled in medical school are studying to become forensic pathologists. In fact, the Tribune reports that "nearly one-third of forensic pathology fellowship programs had no students" (count ‘em: NONE) in the fall of 2007. Translation: very little competition.
So check out The American Board of Pathology, the American Society for Investigative Pathology, and the National Association of Medical Examiners websites for more information. Then hunker down over winter break to complete those applications. Just be sure to crank "The Who" while you're at it.
