Medical Examiner Intern

Job Description

About the company

Spokane County supports internship programs aimed at providing valuable work experience for students enrolled in accredited post-secondary institutions, aligning with their fields of study. The internship program is designed to allow students to apply theoretical knowledge, acquire new skills, explore career paths, and receive supervision and mentorship from professionals. The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office (SCMEO) is a crucial department responsible for forensic investigations of deaths that fall under its jurisdiction. This includes assisting pathologists and morgue staff in the performance of autopsies. The office operates in an environment that requires staff to cope with death and trauma, interact with grieving families in highly emotional circumstances, and deal with sensitive topics on an ongoing and daily basis.

Job Description, Detailed

This is an UNPAID INTERNSHIP with the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Intern Responsibilities And Learning Opportunities
Under the direct supervision of Medical Examiners, investigators, autopsy staff, or administrative staff, the student may:

• Learn about the work performed by the Medical Examiner’s Office and develop skills required for a Medical Investigator and/or Autopsy Assistant.
• Assist with forensic investigations of deaths under the jurisdiction of the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office.
• Assist pathologists and morgue staff in the performance of autopsies.
• Become familiar with laws surrounding Medical Examiners and Coroners, and learn to determine case jurisdiction based on standard guidelines.
• Receive notification of deaths from law enforcement and medical facilities, learning required information for jurisdiction.
• Travel to death scenes (homicides, suicides, accidental, questionable, and/or unattended deaths), perform initial on-scene examination of remains, identify pertinent scene findings to assist pathologists, and collect relevant information.
• Gain familiarity with forensic photography techniques and investigative/medical interview techniques.
• Develop basic knowledge of crime scene investigation, processing, and evidence collection techniques.
• Learn which cases require follow-up investigations and practice data gathering skills.
• Write complete, accurate, and comprehensive investigative reports describing scene circumstances.
• Practice appropriate environmental safety and/or infection control methods, learning about blood/airborne pathogens and universal precautions.
• Become familiar with processes to maintain proper chain of custody for human remains, clothing, personal effects, or jewelry; learn how bodies are received and released.
• Learn to prepare the body for autopsy, take photographs, weigh and measure human remains, suture incisions, and clean up the body post-autopsy.
• Learn autopsy techniques, including basic evisceration and toxicology specimen collection.
• Assist pathologists and/or morgue staff in collecting and handling trace evidence, physical and biological evidence, and finger and palm prints.
• Learn processes for proper handling, transfers, labeling, and storing of histological specimens (tissue blocks, slides, etc.) and all other samples and items of evidence.
• Become familiar with general and specialized databases to identify next-of-kin, learn the process of locating and contacting them, and document search efforts.
• Review and document personal property, learn photographic documentation techniques, and learn processes for release and/or disposal of personal property.
• Learn about different imaging modalities used in death investigation (Lodox scanner, CT scanner, portable XRAY machine), operation, and archiving of images.
• Learn how to review and back up case images, autopsy reports, and toxicology reports, and learn processes for quality assurance of images and data.
• Become familiar with statutes regarding retention of medical examiner/coroner records, learn processes for archiving case files, review for completeness, and redaction.
• Learn processes for identifying unidentified persons and become familiar with the National Missing and Unidentified Persons database (NAMUS).
• Learn processes for data entry and quality assurance of autopsy paperwork, specimen tracking, electronic death registration entry (EDRS), and case file review for completeness.

Supervision
Interns will receive instruction and direction from Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office personnel as assigned. They will be given learning opportunities requiring the application of knowledge in death scene investigation, autopsy, and administration, with associated deadlines similar to academic assignments.

Working Conditions
Assignments may involve field trips to the scene of death and potential exposure to:
• Contagious diseases (including communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, and AIDS).
• Bodies exhibiting various degrees of decay, mutilation, or infestation.
• Other biological and environmental hazards.
Under instruction and guidance, interns will learn and apply investigatory principles at scenes of accidents, natural and man-made disasters, and in remote locations. Participation and observance of autopsy work are performed in the Spokane County Medical Examiner facility and requires the use of needles and surgical instruments. Paperwork assignments are performed in a normal office environment. Accommodations for individuals with disabilities will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Hours: To be determined mutually by the student and Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Wage: Unpaid.
Workers Comp: Not covered. The school authorizing the internship is responsible for coverage.

Minimum Qualifications
• Must be able to show proof of enrollment in an accredited post-secondary institution at the time of the Internship (summer or fall enrollment for summer internships).
• Must be a Sophomore, Junior, Senior, or graduate standing, with a minimum 3.0 GPA.
• Currently working towards a degree in criminal justice, biological sciences, anthropology, or closely related fields of study.
• Must be able to communicate and work effectively, both orally and in writing, in a multicultural workforce serving a diverse population, in potentially stressful or emotionally charged situations.

Preferred Qualifications
• Working towards a degree in Forensic Science.
• Has successfully completed any of the following courses: Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, Forensics Practicum, Crime Scene and Medico-legal Death Investigation, and/or Forensic Anthropology.

Necessary Special Requirements
• Must obtain academic credit for the entirety of the internship.
• Must have the physical fitness necessary to travel over difficult terrain, remain standing for several hours, and assist in lifting and maneuvering human remains weighing up to 175 lbs.
• Required to sign a Confidentiality Agreement to maintain confidentiality of all information.
• Required to successfully pass a background check, including a criminal record background check.