Medical examiner

United Kingdom Medical examiners in England and Wales have been used to investigate deaths that are not investigated by a coroner since September 2024, and a national medical examiner has been appointed since December 2025. United States In the United States, as the coroner is not necessarily a medical doctor, they may be a lawyer or a layperson. In the 19th century, the public became dissatisfied with lay coroners and demanded that the coroner be replaced by a physician. In 1918, New York City introduced the office of the Chief Medical Examiner and appointed physicians experienced in the field of pathology. In 1959, the medical subspecialty of forensic pathology was formally certified. ==United States==

In 2002, 22 states had a medical examiner system, 11 states had a coroner system, and 18 states had a mixed system. Since the 1940s, the medical examiner system has gradually replaced the coroner system and serves about 48% of the US population. The requirements to hold office vary widely between jurisdictions. The largest medical examiner's office in the United States is located in Baltimore, Maryland. The types of death reportable to medical examiners are determined by federal, state, or local laws. Commonly, these include violent, suspicious, sudden, and unexpected deaths, death when no physician or practitioner was present or treating the decedent, inmates in public institutions, those in custody of law enforcement, deaths during or immediately following therapeutic or diagnostic procedures or deaths due to neglect. A medical examiner's duties vary by location, but typically include: • investigating human organs like the stomach, liver, and brain • determining cause of death • examining the condition of the body • identifying unknown dead • performing other functions depending on local law. In some jurisdictions, a coroner performs these and other duties. It is common for a medical examiner to visit crime scenes or to testify in court. Medical examiners specialize in forensic knowledge and rely on this during their work. In addition to studying cadavers, they are also trained in toxicology, DNA technology and forensic serology (blood analysis). Pulling from each area of knowledge, a medical examiner is an expert in determining a cause of death. This information can help law enforcement solve cases and is crucial to their ability to track criminals in the event of a homicide or other related events. ==Qualifications==

United Kingdom In England and Wales, a new statutory Medical Examiner system based in NHS Acute Trusts commenced in 2019 and is expected to be fully operational several years later. A medical examiner is always a medical doctor, whereas a coroner is a judicial officer. Pilot studies in Sheffield and seven other areas, which involved medical examiners looking at more than 27,000 deaths since 2008, found 25% of hospital death certificates were inaccurate and 20% of causes of death were wrong. Suzy Lishman, president of the Royal College of Pathologists, said it was crucial there was "independent scrutiny of causes of death". United States Qualifications for medical examiners in the US vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In Wisconsin, for example, some counties do not require individuals to have any special educational or medical training to hold this office. In most jurisdictions, a medical examiner is required to have a medical degree, although in many there is no requirement for specialized training in pathology. Other jurisdictions have stricter requirements, including additional education in pathology, law, and forensic pathology. Medical examiners are typically appointed officers. == Education ==

In the United States, medical examiners require extensive training in order to become experts in their field. A medical degree (MD or DO) is often required to become a medical examiner. == Career ==

The general job outlook for medical examiners in the United States is considered to be excellent. Remuneration varies by location, but it is estimated to average between $105,000 and $500,000. ==Shortage==

In the United States, there are fewer than 500 board-certified forensic pathologists, but the National Commission on Forensic Science estimates the country needs 1,100–1,200 to perform the needed number of autopsies. The shortage is attributed to the nature of the work and the higher pay in other medical specialties. It has caused long delays in some states and resulted in fewer investigations and less thorough investigations in some cases. ==See also==