Resident Manual

Forensic Pathology

Anatomic pathology residents are required to spend one month in a medical examiner's office in order to gain a basic knowledge of forensic pathology.  We have arranged rotations in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Baltimore or with Dr. Saralee Funke in Allentown.  These rotations will be of maximum benefit if they are taken after you have developed a basic understanding of postmortem techniques.  As such, this training requirement should be fulfilled during the last twelve months of your anatomic pathology experience.  This rotation will be arranged by the Chief of Anatomic Pathology after a tentative schedule has been arranged by the chief resident.

Additional training in forensic pathology will be provided through occasional conferences and through the performance of autopsies with legal implications under the direction of Dr. Wayne Ross at the Dauphin County Coroner's Office (see below).

After completion of the forensic pathology rotation, the resident will be expected to present a conference to the Division of Anatomic Pathology in which the individual discusses one of the cases he assisted with during the preceding month.  This conference should include a discussion of postmortem findings as well as the legal ramifications.

Forensic Rotation At Dauphin County Coroner's Office

Residents will attend forensic cases performed by the Dauphin County Coroner's Office (DCC) in the course of their 8 month autopsy rotation at HMC.  Should the residents not have any duties at HMC, they would be free on any given day to go to the Dauphin Manor, where the autopsies are actually conducted.  It is understood that residents may have conflicting duties at HMC, such as in-house autopsies and conferences which they must attend.  This may preclude their attending a forensic case or participating in other activities related to medical-legal investigation at the DCC.

Notification: Residents should call the DCC office between 3 pm and 4:15 pm to find out if there are any post-mortems pending for the next day. The DCC Office is open 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. They should re-check by calling the Office in the morning, in case there are new cases.

Expectations for residents:

1. Residents will observe and participate in medical-legal cases under the supervision and guidance of Wayne Ross, M.D., at the Dauphin County Coroner's Office.  Assistance at the gross autopsy examination will be their primary area of participation.  Residents should be adept at prosection and will learn different methods of dissection, such as organ-by-organ vs. en-bloc evisceration.

2. Residents should have a general understanding of what to do at a gross dissection, and how a medical-legal case differs from a non-forensic case.  This is achieved through careful observation, interaction with the attending pathologist, Dr. Ross, and through extensive reading.  Dr. Ross recommends DiMaio DJ and DiMaio VJ (in HMC library). 

3. Residents are encouraged and will have the opportunity to collaborate in research involving cases seen at the DCC Office. 

4. The resident will not have any direct responsibility for the case, although his/her presence and participation will be recorded.  The resident's autopsy check list will be signed by the pathologist after every forensic autopsy.  A log of participation by residents will be kept by our office by Ms. Weaver, for documentation purposes.  It is the responsibility of the resident to return their signed attendance sheet to Ms. Weaver in the Anatomic Pathology office after attending an autopsy in order to receive proper credit for the case.

5. Dr. Ross' evaluation of each resident will become a permanent part of the resident's record.

Phone Numbers:

DCC Office: 564-4567; 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Graham Hetrick, F.D., Dauphin County Coroner

Dauphin Manor: 558-1000 (ask for Morgue)

Dr. Wayne Ross, Lancaster: (717) 481-8510

Description of Forensic Pathology Rotation with Dr. Funke at Allentown

1. Observe and participate in both in-house autopsies and medical-legal cases.

2. Review interesting material from the autopsy files.

3. Review interesting medical-legal cases as a learning process after they have already been reviewed and analyzed by me.

4. Learn something about how the legal system works including:
   1. Accompany pathologist testifying in court.
   2. Accompany pathologist having meetings with plaintiff or defense attorneys in civil cases.
   3. Accompany pathologist in meetings with district attorneys or defense attorneys in criminal cases.

   4. Be present in court and evaluate testimony in relationship to the cases.

5. Accompany pathologist giving lectures to either pathology residents at Hershey, police or paramedic students.

6. Look up certain subject material as the situation arises which may be necessary either for a publication or testimony.

The resident's attendance and participation sheet will be signed by one of the pathologists after every autopsy.

Forensic Pathology Evaluation

A letter from the medical examiner's office, from Dr. Funke, and/or from Dr. Ross will serve as the main instrument in measuring the resident's performance. Residents should review the A.S.C.P. Forensic Pathology check samples as a means of self-assessment.

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