Extra Credit 3: Post Mortem

            I just finished watching the documentary Post Mortem on frontline. This documentary goes into details about coroners and forensic pathologists. In the documentary we learn of many examples and cases of forensic pathologists and coroners who perform multiple autopsies every day but have no training and don’t know what they are doing. Many Americans have false impressions of forensic pathologists, coroners and autopsies from media and entertainment. Many shows like CSI, SVU and House give viewers false perception of what really happens post mortem.

            All over the country there are incorrect autopsies given. 1300 counties across the country elect politics to carry out death investigations. These coroners have barely any requirements to hold this job. In South Carolina there was a coroner who was in practice for forty-seven years and was blind. The only requirement for coroners is that they have to have received a high school diploma. There is no federal oversight of death investigators any where in the country. In Massachusetts it was reported that body parts would often go missing during autopsies. In Michigan many of the coroners and forensic pathologists missed very obvious things during autopsies. For example, one practice didn’t find the bullet on the side of a deceased persons neck. In Nebraska many murders have walked free because the autopsies were incompetent. On the other hand there has been a shockingly high number of innocent people in jail as the result of a terrible autopsy.  

            The geography in this documentary was all across the United States. Many of the cases talked about during the documentary took place in California and New Orleans. One practice in LA, California says that out of the 60,000-70,000 deaths a year, they only see about 20,000. Forensic pathology is a very difficult field and there are not that many qualified pathologists. In New Orleans Dr. Frank Minyard was elected for ten, four-year terms. He is often being accused of being bias to police force and many of his autopsies are completely wrong. Politics are involved in this because in many counties the coroner must be elected and also the coroners try to protect the police force.

            Economics plays a huge part in the incompetency of autopsies and the people who administer them.  Coroners and forensic pathologist practices are very poorly financed. This results in terrible facilities and those who administer the autopsies are not paid very high so they give poor quality examinations. Many autopsies are done in garages with barely any light and there are often no refrigerators to hold the bodies. When a survey was given a couple of years ago, 10% of the practices did not have an x-ray machine.

            This documentary was very disturbing and really surprising. I was shocked to learn how unjust and unqualified coroners can be. Autopsies are very important in society and I believe they need to pay more attention and increase qualifications. In California, it is legal that a doctor can sign off on the death certificate without even reviewing the body. I really hope that this area in the medical improves as soon as possible. Every person can be affected by the incompetency of coroners, forensic pathologists and autopsies.