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Assists in the direction of a State medical examiner program or directs the post-mortem program of a district medical examiner office.

The duties require providing administrative and pathology assistance to the Chief Medical Examiner either in the central office or as director of a district office. Responsibility is assumed for training newly appointed medical examiners in local areas, reviewing their reports for accuracy and completeness, initiating revision of the manual of procedures and devising new methods of statistical reporting. An incumbent participates in research and procedural analyses of medical examiner systems and programs and acts as advisor to the Chief Medical Examiner in the implementation of such programs. The work requires performing autopsies, medico-legal interpretations of findings and testifying in court cases on autopsy results. An assignment may include teaching of medico-legal courses in a State medical school and participation in consultations with other professional or law enforcement personnel. Supervision is exercised over a clerical staff accumulating and preparing statistical data. Technical advice is provided to local medical examiners and other staff personnel. Administrative supervision is received from the Chief Medical Examiner.

Examples of duties characteristic of positions in this class:

1. Performs autopsies to determine nature and cause of death; excises and dissects organs for laboratory analyses; releases body from medical examiner jurisdiction; orders post-mortem examinations when necessary.

2. Prepares reports of autopsy for Chief Medical Examiner's review; prepares data for statistical surveys and research including all medical findings; assigns appropriate statistical code to medical examiner reports.

 

 

 

3. Trains local medical examiners in technical aspects of death investigation and advises local medical examiners concerning procedures. Reviews local medical examiner's reports for accuracy and completeness.

4. Advises Chief Medical Examiner on needed changes or new techniques in procedures and methods; participates in development of policy for medical examiner's office; consults with professional and law enforcement personnel on cause and manner of deaths; testifies in court providing medico-legal interpretations of autopsy findings.

5. Supervises clerical staff in preparation of statistical reports and proper filing of statistical data; may provide technical assistance on interpretation of data for report purposes.

6. May be assigned to teach medico-legal courses in a State medical school; in a district office may be responsible for employment of staff assistants subject to approval of Chief Medical Examiner and State Health Commissioner.

 

Graduation from an accredited school of medicine, eligibility for license to practice medicine in the State; and three years of training in pathology.

Thorough knowledge of legal medicine and ability to make medico-legal interpretations; ability to work effectively with professional and lay persons in promoting a medical examiner program.