Forensic Pathology Resources

Forensic pathology resources that focus the needs of the pathologist and pathology with regard to forensic casework.

Latest from the Forensic Pathology Committee

CAP Forensic Pathology Cases Program (FR/FR1) Order FR/FR1

FR prepares hospital-based pathologists, forensic pathologists, residents, fellows, and medical examiners/coroners for success by keeping them current in forensic pathology techniques and practices. This educational program is also designed for investigators, analysts, and technicians/technologists. Cases may include or reflect anthropologic materials, ballistics, dental identification, DNA identification, environmental pathology, forensic evidence, injury pattern, medicolegal issues, toxicology, and trace evidence.

Products of Conception Guidance

In response to outreach from members regarding the potential impact on the practice of pathology of the Dobbs v Jackson Supreme Court decision, the CAP created an aid for pathologists on the processing and reporting of pregnancy tissues/products of conception (POC) specimens.

Explore the Guidance

CAPcast: Forensic Pathologists React to "Body of Proof"

Three members of the CAP’s Forensic Pathology Committee react to how forensic scientists are portrayed in TV and film. In the first in the series, guests talked about the ABC show “Body of Proof.”

Listen to the CAPcast

Contact Information

Jennifer Murrie, BS, MT(ASCP)
325 Waukegan Road
Northfield, IL 60093
jmurrie@cap.org

Forensic Pathology Resources

Definitions

Forensic pathology: The subspecialty of pathology that directs its efforts to the examination of living or dead persons in order to provide an opinion concerning the cause, mechanism, and manner of disease, injury or death; the identification of persons; the significance of biological and physical evidence; the correlation and/or reconstruction of wounds, wound patterns, and sequences; and conducting comprehensive medicolegal death investigations.
Forensic pathologist: A pathologist with special training and experience in forensic pathology who is actively engaged in medicolegal autopsies and death investigations. Forensic pathologists shall be board-certified by the American Board of Pathology or American Osteopathic Board of Pathology after appropriate training and passing a rigorous examination.

Forensic Pathology Topic Center — Andrew Davidhazy. Shotgun shot sequence. CC-BY-3.0.

Fee-for-Service Autopsies

The autopsy fee-for-service list consists of members of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) who expressed an interest in performing autopsies on a fee-for-service basis.

Member pathologists must log in to access the Fee-for-Service Autopsy Listing Interest Form. In addition to the CAP list, NAME has a private autopsy list.

Guidelines for Cooperation Between Pathologists and Funeral Professional

CAP revised these guidelines at the request of the National Funeral Directors Association.

Sample Forensic Case

Range-of-Fire Determination (Elizabeth Douglas, MD, FCAP; Joseph A. Prahlow, MD, FCAP)

Guidelines, Statements, and Position Papers

National Association of Medical Examiners Position Paper on the Medical Examiner Release of Organs and Tissues for Transplantation

Related Links

Autopsy Topic Center
U.S. Death Certification Laws by State
Anatomic Pathology Educations Programs
National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME)
- NAME is the national professional organization of physician medical examiners, medicolegal death investigators and death investigation system administrators who perform the official duties of the medicolegal investigation of deaths of public interest in the United States. Their web site includes information about the forensic pathology match, forensic autopsy standards, forensic pathology position papers, information on how to become a forensic pathologist, job offerings, and a variety of educational content.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- CDC is the nation’s leading science-based, data-driven, service organization that protects the public’s health. Their website has a variety of useful resources about disease and death certification.
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
- The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) collects, analyzes, and disseminates timely, relevant, and accurate health data and statistics. Our products and services inform the public and guide program and policy decisions to improve our nation’s health.
American Academy of Forensic Sciences
- The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) is a multidisciplinary professional organization that provides leadership to advance science and its application to the legal system. Membership is comprised of pathologists, attorneys, dentists, toxicologists, anthropologists, document examiners, digital evidence experts, psychiatrists, engineers, physicists, chemists, criminalists, educators, researchers, and others. Our objectives are to promote professionalism, integrity, competency, education, foster research, improve practice, and encourage collaboration in the forensic sciences.