who does autopsies

Autopsies are done by specialized medical doctors called pathologists , most often forensic pathologists or medical examiners, depending on the circumstances of the death.

Main professionals

• Forensic pathologist / medical examiner
  • A physician who specializes in investigating sudden, unexpected, suspicious, or violent deaths.
  • Usually works for a city, county, or state and performs autopsies for legal and public safety reasons.

• Hospital (anatomic) pathologist
  • A physician who performs autopsies in hospitals to understand disease, confirm a diagnosis, or help families get clarity after a medical death.
  • Focuses more on medical learning and quality of care than on legal questions.

Supporting team

• Autopsy technician (diener)
  • Prepares the body, assists during the procedure, and handles instruments and samples under the pathologist’s direction.

• Toxicologists and lab specialists
  • Analyze blood and tissue for drugs, poisons, and other substances that might explain or contribute to the cause of death.

Coroner vs medical examiner

• Medical examiner
  • Usually a physician, often a forensic pathologist, who both oversees death investigations and personally performs autopsies.

• Coroner
  • An official who may or may not be a doctor; this role authorizes and signs off on the investigation, but a trained pathologist still performs the actual autopsy.