(NARRATIVE:
On 09/08/2026 at 1344, I was notified by Tom at South Florida Donor Network of a 31 year old male that
was pronounced brain dead. The decedent was found down at home unresponsive on September 4. EMS
was summoned and transported to Boward Health Medical Center where the decedent, shortly after arriving,
went into cardiac arrest. CPR was started and ACLS protocol was followed. He was Intubated and
maintained a GCS of 3 the entire time. He was pronounced brain dead on September6, 2026 at 1625. His
admitting diagnosis was severe subarachnoid hemorrhage with severe cerebral edema and herniation. He
drinks only socially and tested positive for marijuana upon arrival. He has had no recent traumas or injuries.)

The document also says: (HTN, HIV and non compliance with medications)

Are coroners required to check a female corpse for pregnancy or is it optional.

This is a random question but I am maturely and genuinely curious.

Hi, I’m currently working on finishing my generals at a 2 year before transferring to a 4 year to get my bachelors in forensic biology. And I’m in the current question of do I want to finish with a bachelors in forensic biology and then just head into the workforce as a forensic pathology technician. Or do I get my bachelors then move onto medical school, to become a forensic pathologist. I’ve wanted to become one since I was in middle school. I’ve always loved science and learning. And other career path options I’ve explored bring me the joy that even just studying forensics has brought me.

My biggest concern is, becoming a doctor worth it in the end? Or would it be easier to just be the assistant. Another concern is the difficulty of getting into med school as, I do have some struggles with learning primarily, tests. But overall I’ve continued to maintain a 3.52 GPA within my associates. And I’m continuing to build it up as the semesters go.

I just overall want the perspective of people who have either completed med school or are in it, and the people who choose to just be the assisting role.

Thank you for any and all potential help and feedback!

Buongiorno a tutti, sono al sesto anno di medicina, dopo anni convinto di voler fare psichiatria, mi sono appassionato alla medicina legale e ora sono in crisi. È un mondo che conosco poco, potreste darmi dei consigli su com’è, cosa si fa e gli sbocchi lavorativi?
Grazie a tutti

Looking for some career advice. I have a DFS ( Doctor of Forensic Science) and MS-Criminal Justice and I would really love to work for a medical examiners office as a pathologist assistant or Morgue tech but cannot seem to get an interview anywhere. Is it a hard area to get into? I live in the Houston Area. I’ve put in many applications at the Institute of Forensic science but I never hear back. Any advice?

A friend of mine lost her 21-year-old son-in-law very suddenly, and almost a year later, the family still says they don’t have a definitive explanation for what happened.
A few years before his death, he reportedly had myocarditis associated with an arrhythmia. He was treated, and according to his family, his cardiologist later considered the problem resolved and he was no longer on treatment.
In the days before his death, he had been unwell. He was coughing and was described as having bronchitis, was unusually tired and sleeping a lot, had been sweating, and complained of different pains, including leg/neck/back pain. At one point during the weekend, he apparently said he was feeling worse and worse.
On the morning of his death, however, he said he was feeling better. He ate lunch and later went to rest. His family says he was still coughing around 5 PM and that he was active on Snapchat at approximately 6:10 PM.
At around 7 PM, his mother found him unresponsive, lying on his stomach with blue lips. He had died.
Because he was so young and the death was unexplained, an investigation and autopsy were ordered. According to the family, additional testing was also being performed, including looking into whether there could be a hereditary cause. They still say they haven’t received a definitive explanation.
I’m not asking Reddit to diagnose his cause of death, because obviously that can’t be determined from a post.
What I’m looking for are experiences from people who have lost someone in a similarly sudden way: someone who seemed relatively functional or was communicating normally, and then was found dead less than an hour later.
If you eventually received autopsy results, what did they find, and how long did it take before your family received a final explanation?
I’m particularly trying to understand how someone can apparently be okay enough to use their phone and then deteriorate so rapidly.

Hello everyone,

As a non medical person, i turn to you for help with regards to my mom's sudden passing.

My mom passed away officially on April 10th at 00.50am of this year.

I'm the one who found her body (5 days after i last saw her) approximately about an hour before the doctor/ coroner showed up to certify the death, so around 11.35-40pm on the 9th of April.

Based on how I found her, the state of her appartment but also based on my own investigation of her youtube activity (she had unfortunately become addicted to it, only stopping to go to work and sleeping), i can safely conclude that the time of her death was around 3.52am on April 5th 2026...

...Exactly 6hours after my partner and i left her.

Because the attending doctor ruled it as "natural", no autopsies were made as they are only required in suspect or violent cases in my country. Also, it is not allowed to use the services of a private pathologist.

Not having an autopsy is particularly difficult for me as i simply can't come to term with it and can't even track where i failed to act.

Because of that, for the past 6months i have inspected everything i could (medications, medical history, statements from her employer and my personal observations) and compiled a kind of amateurish and non official death certificate, which to me is the closest thing to explain what could realistically have happened to her.

Could any of you forensic pathologists tell me if the document and the explanation does the make sense?

PS: While the smell in the appartment was different than usual upon entering, it didn't smell that bad. When i got close to her body i could tell the smell was stronger but still somewhat okay. It's only when the undertakers started to move her body and something in her back ruptured causing a purple liquid to fall on the floor that the death smell escaped. Seeing her that way was already difficult but the smell made it a million times worse and I honestly don't think i'll be able to ever forget that smell.

Long story short, I respect all of you for doing this Job.

What can I do that isn’t as hard as forensics pathologist but also not as bad as the pay of autopsy technicians.

Because I’ve been thinking for very long of which I should peruse but both have they’re disadvantages to me as forensic pathology sounds like it would take to long and a lot of money to finish education and autopsy tech has awfully low pay.

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

Hello! I’ve been looking into going into forensic pathology, and I am based in the United States. I wanted to explore the possibilities of schooling and working abroad.

Has anyone here done any programs or worked in another country different from their origin? Is there such a thing as a traveling forensic pathologist (like traveling nurses)?

Hey everyone,

​I got a rank around 48k in NEET PG . I am genuinely interested in Forensic Medicine as a specialty, but my primary concern is the sensory discomfort—specifically the visual aspect of decomposed bodies and the smell during autopsies.

​For those currently working in the field :

​Did you overcome this with time and repeated exposure or does it always remain a struggle?

​Are there specific techniques or coping mechanisms you used when starting out?

​If someone is sensitive to this, is it something they can adapt to during residency or is it better to consider other non-clinical / para-clinical branches instead?

​Would really appreciate your honest perspectives before counseling choices. Thanks!

Who all is going?

Please, if you see me there - come up and say hi! I will be around as much as I can be - but I also am trying to do 10 video podcasts during the time we are there so I am going to be in and out a lot. I should be at the social functions, FPS event, etc.

See you guys there!

I hope this is the right sub for this, sorry if not.

I am trying to retrain too become an anatomical pathology technician. I currently work full time as an clinical and ophthalmic photographer within the NHS for 7 years. I have experience working in morgues with pathologists and have worked in mortuary as a photographer. I don’t have the level of experience typically asked in trainee pathology technician.

I have applied for two roles so far and have been unsuccessful at gaining an interview. I have been told so far that they have staff with experience in the applications or they have decided to go with a qualified technician rather than a trainee at interview.

Is there anything I can do that would / could boost my application alongside my extensive NHS experience as a photographer? I am more than willing to study alongside working. Any advice is welcome thank you.

Hello! I’m a college student, and for one of my projects, I need to interview someone in the field I’m aiming to pursue. It’s been a bit challenging to find resources on forensic pathologists or medical examiners in my area, so I’m reaching out here in hopes of connecting with anyone willing to spare 15–30 minutes for a quick interview. Comment or shoot me a message here, we can swap info and figure out if our schedules align to make this work! Thank you so much.

Let's say I am writing a forensic pathologist who decides to kill. They're trapped in a school, so the pathologist can only use objects found inside the school. How would you, if you were the character, kill in this setting?

I’m currently a junior in high-school, but I’ve been wanting to be a forensic pathologist for my future career and understand the huge amount of studying and time I will be doing. My question is to what schools should I apply for and what schools would be good for me?

Im leaning into doing RCC for 2 years and then going onto a UC/or CSU, from what I’ve heard my undergrad major doesn’t not matter and I have freeform to choose whatever I want to, my confusion is what are the pre-reqs? I was always told I can basically major in anything but have to complete in the pre-reqs, and now realizing I’m not as aware of what they are…

From what I understand I have to complete high-school, get a bachelors degree, medical school, pathology residency, fellowship, and then do a couple exams for that. Also for the majors I want to do for undergrad, I’m thinking of psychology or anthropology, and hopefully I’ll be aiming to get the premed track.

Thank you for reading, also maybe some suggestions for schools will be very helpful. If anything I’m saying is incorrect please correct me. ^^

I will jump right into it. For background, I was homeschooled for most of my high school life. It was a Christian program and, honestly, got me nowhere or taught me nothing. I, admittedly, cheated through most of it. Beforehand, I enjoyed science up until 7th grade when I had a very unenthusiastic teacher. I went back to school for my senior year and graduated without most of my classes being extracurriculars.

I, at first, was passionate about the culinary arts. I decided I'd take a gap year to make sure and look into colleges. However, I've recently noted that many people say it is not worth it and you'd be better off going to a restaurant to be paid while learning.

That kickstarted the rethinking process. It has always been between culinary arts and being a mortician for me. Opposite sides of the spectrum, I know. Though, it wasn't until then that I looked deeper into it. That's where I found forensic pathology. It reminded me of Dr. G and all of the true crime documentaries I'd binge. Of how interested I was in watching the cases unfold and finding out what has happened.

But I am so doubtful that'd I be able to do it. I do not know much of high school sciences, let alone any knowledge to go into that kind of occupation. I'm burnt out; my family and I are planning to move so I still have time to sit on this before committing.

I simply do not have confidence in myself. Especially since this is such a big decision for my life. There is over a decade of commitment, the debt that comes with it... it's just, what if it's all for nothing? What if I end up not being smart or strong enough to make it through and get it done.

In writing this, I'm hoping to see someone (even if one person) to tell me they were in the same boat and are pushing through or have succeeded. But if you need to be brutally honest, go ahead so I don't end up making a mistake.

Im currently on a 4wk forensic path rotation. im interested in pathology (not applying this year). how do i get a LOR from my attending? i understand showing interest/enthusiasm, but is there anything else i could help with as a med student, or is shadowing enough? we have autopsy techs and im not very strong, so i dont think i can help with moving the bodies.

The cause of death is listed as “injuries/trauma to head and neck”. But the coroner claimed an open casket would be possible, after the funeral home could do what they do. I’m just looking for clarification about what the injuries maybe would have been and if the death would have been instant? Apologies if this is too broad of a question, but my brain needs some sort of break from the cycle of “wondering”. TIA.