Forensic Pathology Fellow – Office of Medical Examiner

City and County of Denver • Denver, CO

36d • Onsite

About The Position

Forensic Pathology Fellow – Office of Medical Examiner With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver. Within the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE), the Office of the Medical Examiner (OME) investigates all violent, suspicious, and unexpected natural deaths that occur in the City and County of Denver. The goal of forensic investigation and autopsy is to develop logical, scientific, and unbiased information necessary to determine the cause and manner of death for the proper and accurate completion of the death certificate and autopsy report. The agency also offers death expert testimony/consultation, death scene response and investigation, and deceased identification and death notification. OME reports and other information can be found at: Office of the Medical Examiner. We foster an inclusive culture by respecting the values, customs, and authenticity of everyone and by implementing equitable public health strategies so Denver communities can thrive. The Office of the Medical Examiner has an opening for a Forensic Pathology Fellow for the 2027-2028 academic year. This position will function as a Pathologist within the Office of the Medical Examiner for Denver’s Department of Public Health and Environment.

Requirements

• Education requirement: Possesses an MD or DO degree from an accredited medical school.
• Experience Requirement: None
• Education/Experience Equivalency: No substitution of experience for education is permitted.
• License/Certifications: Completion of ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education) approved postgraduate residency program in anatomical pathology or anatomical pathology/clinical pathology by the date of the start of the fellowship term.
• Must be eligible for licensure in Colorado and board certified or board eligible in anatomic pathology or anatomic/clinical pathology by the date of the start of the fellowship term.
• Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment.
• It is a condition of employment that the Denver Police Forensics & Evidence Division form for consent for collection of a DNA sample be completed at the time of hire.

Responsibilities

• Reviews deaths reported to the Office of the Medical Examiner as required by Colorado Statute and determines which cases will require an autopsy or visual examination.
• Performs medicolegal autopsies with appropriate supervision, in accordance with accepted standards in the recognized medical specialty of forensic pathology.
• Orders and interprets necessary diagnostic tests to aid in the diagnosis of disease and non-natural pathology, understands the effects of postmortem interval on laboratory test results, and determines the cause and manner of death.
• Shares on-call responsibilities with other staff physicians, responds to homicide or other suspicious death scenes as requested by the Medical Examiner investigator, and consults on the release of organs and tissue for recovery by procurement agencies.
• Gives testimony as to the cause of death and renders expert opinions in a variety of legal forums, both criminal and civil.
• Collects evidence and preserves it using accepted chain of custody procedures, documents findings at autopsy including pertinent traumatic injuries in the form of a written report, and photographs pertinent findings and traumatic injuries.
• Consults with medical experts as necessary to aid in the determination of the cause of death.
• Meets and/or confers with attorneys, law enforcement, and health professionals to discuss the autopsy findings and investigation.
• Meets and/or speaks with families to discuss the results of the autopsy and the particulars of the death investigation and communicates with the media and other interested parties about the autopsy report.
• Assists in the education and training of medical students, residents, interns, and others in the function of the Medical Examiner/Coroner and in forensic pathology.
• Assists in the planning and participation of research activities that the office collaborates on.
• Assists the Chief Medical Examiner in assessing the quality of services provided, helps ensure that staff and visitors conform with office and department safety policies at scenes and in the autopsy room, and assists in the development of office safety policies and in the development of office emergency preparedness plans.
• Assists in the collaboration with local, regional, and state law enforcement, investigative, legal, and medical agencies including public health.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 11 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday and 1 volunteer day per year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date
• This position is eligible for benefits, including medical, dental, vision, retirement, and education/continuing education reimbursement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree