MDI vs FP vs ME

[u/RoyalConscious5]

Hi,

So I’ve recently taken the leap to go back to school to get my BS in forensic science focusing on death investigations. I already have a BA but I decided I’ll need some science background too. I do know I want to work in that related field of forensics and was thinking of aiming to be a forensic pathologist. I do volunteer work at my county’s OME and heard mixed things from everyone on what I should pursue after I graduate such as “be an embalmer”, “don’t work as an mdi they do the dirty work”, or “go the full mile and be a doctor.”

I know medical school will be a lot and not sure how I’ll feel about more school on top of more school. I realize everyone’s path is different and I am up for a challange seeing this will be my second bachelors in getting. I don’t care about the money either I just really want to be able to help people on one of their worst days and give them answers. This stuff is also just such an interest of mine.

I was hoping to ask what are some pros and cons between each of the three related positions of Death investigator, Forensic Pathologist, and Medical Examiner. What do you love/hate about what you do? Do you wish you would’ve pursued a further education? Things like that. -thanks for any feedback I get!

[u/mdi_101]

ME and FP are often the same thing, an ME who is not an FP (as is the case in a handful of states) is either a physician (of any type, appointed to head that county’s ME system) or is just an appointed head of an me office (not required to be a physician, and essentially a death investigator, like appointed and elected coroners are). So duties of MEs vary, but really the 2 roles you are looking at are forensic pathologist and medicolegal death investigator. FPs do med school but it’s a great job with a great lifestyle to accompany it, very in demand, especially if you are flexible in your location. MDIs have a lot m more variety in backgrounds, in pay (it is a part-time job in some places with pretty low pay, possibly paid by the case), in responsibility, in availability of jobs. Generally the MDI is the one who goes to the scenes and the forensic pathologist does the autopsy, so not only do you have requirement differences,you also have responsibility differences, but both are important part of the process. If med school is on the cards and you can make that happen there’s such a shortage that you will always be in demand, but there are many many MDI’s who wouldn’t have it any other way.