A Comprehensive Analysis of Forensic Science Training in Forensic Pathology Fellowship Programs

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to assess the current nature and extent of forensic science training in the nation's 43 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited forensic pathology fellowship programs. This manuscript describes the results of a survey of training program directors performed as a project for the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Forensic Identity Committee. The results show a considerable diversity in the forensic sciences training in forensic pathology programs, ranging from one to ten weeks, with an average of 4.1 weeks. However, almost one half of programs provide no training in at least one of the surveyed disciplines. Only 58.1% of responding programs meet the ACGME requirements for forensic science training, and a similar percentage (56.0%) currently provides the duration of forensic science training recommended by the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME). The deficit in the NAME training recommendations, surprisingly, was strictly in the field of toxicology.