Forensic Pathology

ELEC 835 / PHSP 662

Department
Health Sciences Education and Pathology

Clinical or Non-Clinical Course
Clinical

Physician Assessed Patient Facing
No

Prerequisites
Completion of Phase 1

Goal

Students will follow Board certified Forensic Pathologists through a very busy consultant private practice serving Illinois Coroners in central Illinois in Bloomington and Peoria autopsy facilities. The student will review the investigation circumstances of the death; participate in pre-autopsy interactions with police, coroner, deputy coroners, and assist in performing the autopsies in individuals who suffer sudden unexpected death, most commonly of traumatic nature, involving natural, accidental, and suicidal means. The student will view but not assist in homicidal autopsies. The student will choose one of their autopsies to prepare a final report discussing the forensic aspects of the investigation, autopsy, ancillary studies, and determining the cause and manner of death. The paper may be submitted as a case report to a forensic pathology or sciences journal and will be appropriately referenced and researched.

Objectives

Upon completion of this elective, the student will be able to:

  1. Describe how Cause and Manner of Death is determined medically and be able to perform this task after completion of the rotation on their own patients who die naturally.
  2. Discuss the pathophysiology of the death of the individual under investigation and postmortem examination.
  3. Describe the morbid anatomy of the deceased and the pathologic alterations seen at autopsy and learn to apply those principals of anatomy to their own future patients.
  4. Describe the basic injuries seen in motor vehicle incidents, suicide, drug intoxication, gunshot wounds, medical mishaps, and asphyxia deaths.
  5. Appropriately, verbally communicate their understanding of the anatomic and pathologic features seen on and within the deceased utilizing the terms of pathology and clinical medicine previously learned.
  6. Interact in a professional manner with other physicians, coroners, deputy coroners, police, autopsy assistants, and office support staff within the coroner offices.
  7. Understand that the physician, even in primary care, must learn to interact with the coroner and forensic pathologist when a death occurs, whether they are the attending physician of the deceased or not.

Method of Assessment

  • Standard Clinical 2wk Elective Evaluation - Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
  • Standard Clinical 4wk Elective Evaluation - Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail

Additional Methods

The faculty will base their evaluation on: 1. The student will continually be evaluated by the forensic pathologists so that they meet the above objectives. 2. The student will prepare a case report from the first two weeks of their rotation and the case report will be suitable for publication, as described above. Successful completion and credit for the rotation depends on completion of the written report. 3. The standard medical school evaluation form will be completed by the course director.

Course Director
J. Scott Denton, M.D.

Course Coordinator
Stephanie Thomas
smaho3@uic.edu
309-680-8641

Location
McLean Co Coroner's Office (104 W Front St, Bloomington, IL)

Setting
Neither Outpatient nor Inpatient

Night Call
No

Laboratory
Yes

Please Specify
Morgue Autopsy Work

Weekends
Yes

Please Specify
If necessary

House Staff
No

Number of Learners per Block
1

Duration
2 or 4 weeks

Who is this elective available to
Both M3s and M4s

Blocks Available
All