Coroners
Government & Public Administration > GovernanceProjected Growth: Average
Projected Job Openings
Medium Preparation Needed
Job Description
Your job is to Direct activities such as autopsies, pathological and toxicological analyses, and inquests relating to the investigation of deaths occurring within a legal jurisdiction to determine cause of death or to fix responsibility for accidental, violent, or unexplained deaths.
Common job titles of Coroners include:
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Experience and Education
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
22.58% said they needed a High School Diploma.
19.35% said they needed a Associate's Degree.
Tasks
Locate and document information regarding the next of kin, including their relationship to the deceased and the status of notification attempts.
Confer with officials of public health and law enforcement agencies to coordinate interdepartmental activities.
Collect and document any pertinent medical history information.
Complete reports and forms required to finalize cases.
Observe and record the positions and conditions of bodies and related evidence.
Inquire into the cause, manner, and circumstances of human deaths and establish the identities of deceased persons.
Complete death certificates, including the assignment of cause and manner of death.
Perform medicolegal examinations and autopsies, conducting preliminary examinations of the body to identify victims, locate signs of trauma, and identify factors that would indicate time of death.
Direct activities of workers conducting autopsies, performing pathological and toxicological analyses, and preparing documents for permanent records.
Arrange for the next of kin to be notified of deaths.
Coordinate the release of personal effects to authorized persons and facilitate the disposition of unclaimed corpses and personal effects.
Inventory personal effects recovered from bodies, such as jewelry or wallets.
Provide information concerning the circumstances of death to relatives of the deceased.
Interview persons present at death scenes to obtain information useful in determining the manner of death.
Remove or supervise removal of bodies from death scenes, using the proper equipment and supplies, and arrange for transportation to morgues.
Observe, record, and preserve any objects or personal property related to deaths, including objects such as medication containers and suicide notes.
Collect wills, burial instructions, and other documentation needed for investigations and for handling of the remains.
Record the disposition of minor children, as well as details of arrangements made for their care.
Testify at inquests, hearings, and court trials.
Witness and certify deaths that are the result of a judicial order.
Tools
Triple beam balances
Toothed forceps
Tabletop centrifuges
Surgical scalpels
Surgical masks
Surgical gloves
Stryker saws
All ToolsStaining dishes
Specimen scales
Specimen collection containers
Skull chisels
Rib cutters
Protective eye shields
Protective coveralls
Postmortem suturing needles
Postmortem fingerprint equipment
Postmortem blood drawing syringes
Portable x ray machines
Personal computers
Microscope slides
Laptop computers
Floor scales
Enterotomes
Dissection scissors
Dissection forceps
Dissecting knives
Digital video cameras
Digital cameras
Digital autopsy scales
Dictation equipment
Desktop computers
Cadaver lifts
Bone dust collectors
Bone cutters
Binocular light compound microscopes
Autopsy scissors
Autopsy saws
Autopsy knives
Autopsy fluid collection vacuum aspirators
Autopsy evidence collection kits
Autopsy bone saws
35 millimeter cameras
Technologies
Git
Linux
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services
Transact-SQL
3D graphics software
Alcestis
Android
All TechnologiesAutopsy information databases
Bite analysis software
Corel WordPerfect
Douglas Associates Forensic Filer
EMC Documentum
Fingerprint databases
Genetic database software
Ingenuware CoronerBase
Mideo Systems EZDoc Plus
Rapid Medical Examiners System
Toxicology databases
Skills
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Abilities
Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Comprehension
Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Comprehension
Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Expression
Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Deductive Reasoning
Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Inductive Reasoning
Communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Expression
Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Problem Sensitivity
See details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Sensory Abilities › Visual Abilities › Near Vision
Arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Information Ordering