A medical examiner is a special kind of doctor who investigates deaths. Their job is to find out how and why someone died, especially when the death is sudden, unexpected, or might be due to crime.[1]
They look closely at dead bodies to find clues about how the person died.
This is when they carefully open and study the body to learn more.
They take samples like blood or tissue to test in a lab.
They look at the person's health history to see if it explains the death.
In cases where a crime might have happened, they help the police understand what happened to the body.
They explain their findings in official documents.
Sometimes they have to explain their work to judges and juries.
To become a medical examiner, a person must:
Medical examiners work in government offices, usually for cities or counties. They play a crucial role in the legal and healthcare systems by explaining deaths that might otherwise remain mysteries.