lacounty.gov

Forensic Pathology Fellowship

The Forensic Pathology Fellowship is a fully accredited one-year program offering four weeks of sub-specialized training, as well as access to an unmatched variety of cases and an expansion of skillsets that will prepare fellows to practice in any location or setting. A lecture series on postmortem computed tomography prepares the trainee for the future of Forensic Pathology. There are two competitive positions for the 2028-2029 academic year.

Click here for more information about the Forensic Pathology Fellowship.

Applicants to the fellowship must meet the following requirements:

Licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy in California by fellowship start date.
Be a United States citizen or a permanent resident who has filed an intent to become a citizen.
Have successfully completed an ACGME-accredited residency in anatomic pathology or anatomic and clinical pathology, or have completed the equivalent Canadian training, or be certified in Anatomic Pathology or Anatomic and Clinical Pathology by the American Board of Pathology.
Pass a background check, fingerprint check, and medical clearance.

We are currently accepting applications for fellowship year 2028 – 2029.

We will only be accepting applications through Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) from July 15, 2026, through December 15, 2026, for the 2028 MATCH cycle. Please review the ERAS Fellowship Applicant Checklist for additional details: ERAS Fellowship Applicant Checklist.

Our program participates in the MATCH for Fellowship selection through National Resident Matching Program (NRMP): The Forensic Pathology Fellowship Match. Applicants must register with NRMP during the application process for consideration.

Notification of selection for interview will occur through ERAS between October 1, 2026, and December 17, 2026, so applicants are expected to monitor the “Message Center”. Interviews will take place between January and March 2027 and applicants invited to participate will be required to attend one full-day in-person interview. The Interview Day will include morning case discussion conference, tour of the facilities, autopsy observation, toxicology introduction, and interviews. There is no virtual option.

Applications accepted: July 15th, 2026, through December 15th, 2026
Interview Period: January 2027-March 2027
Interview Format: Interviews will be in person during a full-day Interview Day.
Match Opens: February 3, 2027
Ranking Opens: February 24, 2027
Ranking Closes: April 14, 2027
Match Day: April 28, 2027
Fellowship Begins: July 1, 2028 (first on-site day July 3, 2028)

Please email any additional questions to the Program Director and Program Coordinator for the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner’s Fellowship Program at MEFellowshipProgram@me.lacounty.gov.

Fellow’s Office Space

Our office provides a space to comfortably accommodate up to three fellows. This communal space for the fellows allows for some personalization, while also offering an environment for bonding.

Conference Rooms

There are two medium-sized conference rooms used for various business and educational activities. While we continue doing some meetings via Microsoft Teams, we recognize the importance of having certain discussions in person.

Office Library

While we offer access to online resources, including the University of Southern California online library, we continue to recognize the importance of access to books and a communal multiheaded microscope. The library also makes for an ideal environment for nonorganized case discussions and educational activities.

DME Coffee Bar

The Deputy Medical Examiner sponsored coffee bar space provides a selection of coffee and teas with occasional sweet or savory goodies brought in. Alongside the various lunch rooms located in the various buildings, there are multiple spots to enjoy a quick break and find refreshments.

SEM Lab

The office’s Scanning Electron Microscopy Laboratory is home to various criminalist techniques we offer on site. Not only a library of the various techniques they use, but this functioning laboratory is open to further advancing the fellows knowledge of cutting-edge techniques.

Autopsy Suite

Our large autopsy suite consists of a “U” shaped autopsy room that can accommodate over 15 autopsy examinations at one time, a separate autopsy suite with a viewing room attached, and a photo studio. It is directly connected to our largest crypt and the dock where the bodies are brought in.

Glossary of Terms

Autopsy: Also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy (particularly for non-human bodies), autopsia cadaverum, or obduction — is a highly specialized surgical procedure involving a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury present. It is usually performed by a specialized medical doctor called a forensic pathologist.
Biological Specimens: Blood, sections of organs, vitreous, bile, and urine.
Cause of Death: An injury or disease that ultimately leads to the death of the individual, determined by medical examiners in Los Angeles County.
Certificate of Religious Belief: In California, to execute a certificate of religious belief, a person must be 18 years of age or older and must state clearly that any postmortem anatomical dissection or specified procedures would violate their religious convictions. The certificate must be signed and dated in the presence of at least two witnesses, each of whom must also sign and print their name and residence address. California law allows the state to override religious objection if the medical examiner has reasonable suspicion that the death was caused by the criminal act of another or by a contagious disease constituting a public health hazard.
Chain of Custody: A method of keeping track of who has handled a piece of evidence and when.
County Disposition: The County of Los Angeles will cremate the remains of a decedent and hold the cremains (ashes) for about three years before interring them in a common gravesite at the Los Angeles County Cemetery.
Decomposition: The disintegration of body tissues after death.
DME: Department of Medical Examiner.
Evidence: Any physical items such as bullets, hairs, fibers, biological fluids, documents, statements, etc., included in a legal investigation for consideration by a jury or judge when determining an individual’s guilt or innocence.
Forensic Pathologist: A medical doctor specializing in forensic pathology who determines the cause of death by examining a corpse. Autopsies performed by forensic pathologists are usually done during investigations of criminal or, in some jurisdictions, civil law cases.
Forensic Science: The application of all forms of science to aid legal investigations.
Indigency: The lack of ability to pay, used as a legal reason for having certain required fees waived or being eligible for free services.
Inquests: A judicial or official inquiry to establish the facts of an unexplained, sudden, or violent death. Inquests include evidence gathering, witness testimony, and a public hearing to determine who, when, where, and how the death occurred, leading to cause and manner of death determinations and recommendations for prevention. Inquests are recorded as public record.
Legal Next of Kin: The nearest relative according to California State Law: spouse; if no spouse, then adult children; if none, surviving parents; or the closest blood relative, unless otherwise specified in a legal document.
Manner of Death: How the death came about.
Natural – due entirely (or nearly so) to natural disease processes.
Homicide – due to a volitional act of another person.
Suicide – due to injury with intent to self-harm or cause one's own death.
Accident – due to injury without evidence of intent to harm.
Undetermined – inadequate information to determine manner; e.g., an individual found unconscious with massive subdural hemorrhage where the circumstances cannot establish if the injury was accidental, homicidal, etc.
Medical Examiner: A medically qualified forensic pathologist and government official responsible for investigating deaths and injuries occurring under unusual or suspicious circumstances, performing post-mortem examinations, and initiating inquests in some jurisdictions.
Medicolegal Autopsy: A medicolegal autopsy is performed with the possibility of litigation in mind. It determines the cause of death, documents findings, and collects evidence. A key objective is reconstructing the events leading to death to establish a mode (natural, accident, suicide, homicide, or undetermined). It differs from a hospital autopsy, which focuses on confirming disease. Medicolegal autopsies emphasize external examinations and injury documentation; microscopic exams are done only when indicated. Information about identification, time of death, drug use, injury age, etc., is crucial and must be recorded clearly and objectively to remain interpretable for years.
Toxicology: Postmortem toxicology analyzes biological specimens collected at autopsy for the presence of drugs, toxins, and poisons to help determine the cause and manner of death.