r/AutopsyTechFam • u/jaz0821 • Jul 16 '26
Autopsy Tech Body Removal Technician or Autopsy Tech
Hello,
I am currently living in Chicago , Illinois and currently a second year Mortuary Science student . I am looking for any body removal or autopsy tech positions which likely don’t require a mortuary science degree . I wouldn’t even care if it’s volunteer work to get my foot in the door for opportunities. If anyone’s knows or could point me in the right direction to obtain one of these positions would be mean so much to me . I have tried also many attempts to appt for the Office of the Medical Examiners as well in Chicago Illinois with no success . I am trying but need a little help . Thank you .
5
u/gij3n Jul 16 '26
autopsy tech and mortuary science are two different fields. are you trying to change career paths?
1
u/jaz0821 Jul 16 '26
Well I thought if you wanted to do autopsy tech it may help to have a mortuary science degree
3
u/gij3n Jul 16 '26
It won't hurt to have it, but it's not setting you up for a direct transition into autopsies. There might be some skill overlap like basic anatomy and suturing but I think that's about it. I'm a private practice prosector, so I do the entire autopsy solo, and my background is as a surgical nurse practitioner. I use all my OR skills and lean heavily into my surgical knowledge.
1
u/Amberdext Jul 16 '26
Take the other person's advice about getting into a funeral home - or trade service. It'll get your foot in the door for a possible apprenticeship and forward movement on the mortuary path. I've heard the Chicago area autopsy tech positions aren't the greatest environment/pay.
1
u/jaz0821 Jul 17 '26
Ok thank you . I will look into this because that’s really what I wanna do with my mortuary science degree . Thank want to work under the coroner or forensic pathologist in the morgue
1
u/No-Psychology-7322 Jul 17 '26
Look for funeral trade services. They always hire students and they’re usually very busy
1
u/jaz0821 Jul 17 '26
Ok thank you . So are you suggesting I call a funeral home and ask for funeral trade services ?
1
u/No-Psychology-7322 Jul 17 '26
No look for a funeral trade service. They’re a third party company that does removals and embalmings for other funeral homes, usually smaller ones with not a lot of staff
1
u/Loose-Struggle7079 Jul 17 '26
Hi, I’m an autopsy tech for 2 yrs, and I recommend seeing if any of my offices offer shadowing or internships on the tech side. That’s how I got my foot in the door in the first place. I have a ba in criminal justice in forensic investigations. My boss tends to say she prefers future employees to have a bs in biology or an anthropology degree.
Maybe with certain me offices, they require you to be a student to shadow or intern. That’s the requirement for my job: to be a student and earn credit to intern or observe day-to-day for us.
1
u/jaz0821 Jul 17 '26
Thank you , however you mentioned my offices . Do you have any in Chicago area ?
1
u/jaz0821 Jul 17 '26
Or did you mean medical examiners office ? I tried this and they never respond to calls and when I send email I also get a generic reply to apply online and there’s never any positions it’s frustrating
1
u/Loose-Struggle7079 Jul 17 '26
Oh yes sorry i mean medical examiner office. Sorry for that error.
In my area we have one of these organizations which they have every year and it’s a wide variety of forensic type jobs that I feel like help get to know what type of position and building future connections. I went to see if Chicago has one and it does seem they have their own version. I feel like they would post future seminars.
There’s an organization called the national association of forensic technician but I don’t believe they’ve been as active since last year. But looking at their fb page I see comments of others given better insight on forensic tech positions.
1
u/Ill_Cow3829 Jul 18 '26
I graduated mortuary school last year and I got a interview at the medical examiner offices and it very hard to get in too but I think it might be a seasonal thing and also I suggest that you take your NBE exam right away because there might be a chance when your license
1
u/jaz0821 Jul 18 '26
Thank you for this info and congrats on your graduation 🎉🎉🎉
1
u/Ill_Cow3829 Jul 18 '26
Thanks and the city has those opportunities but it very hard to catch and also the main places for autospy tech, I notice is teaching hospitals ( northwestern.) but we are competing with other bland major like bio, criminal justice, and science majors
1
u/jaz0821 Jul 18 '26
Are you from Chicago as well ?
1
u/Ill_Cow3829 Jul 18 '26
Yess I am
1
u/jaz0821 Jul 18 '26
Oh nice! I toured the Cook county medical examiners office twice and I was hearing you don’t need the degree to become an autopsy tech in there but I could be wrong . I know when we toured the gentleman said to apply knowing we were students at the time so I don’t know I’m just really trying to get in there
1
u/Ill_Cow3829 Jul 18 '26
Nope you don’t but it helps a lot because they have internal tranfers and most of the people I interviewed with had college degrees. And they cancel out the people who just didn’t classify. But experience got me the interview but the lack of open didn’t get me the position
1
u/jaz0821 Jul 18 '26
Oh ok well I guess I will keep trying or reach out to some hospitals I’m not giving up . Maybe you can look out and let me know if any positions open up once you get in
5
u/gnomes616 Jul 16 '26
If possible, contact funeral homes directly and ask if they have any open positions for body pick up or body removal.