Internship presentation

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY FORENSIC & INVESTIGATIVE SCIENCE

Summer 2015 Internship

Angela Dembowski


Where?

• Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner (O.M.E.)

• Phoenix, AZ


Inside The O.M.E.…• Full examination suite with 10 exam stations

– Separate viewing area for law personnel• Special procedures room

– Possible infectious diseases– Decomposed remains

• Coolers that can store about 140 cases


Inside The O.M.E. Cont.

• Toxicology laboratory• Laboratory space for DNA,

trace, and serology testing• Exam room for Donor

Network of Arizona


What Did I Do?Exams• Worked with Medical

Examiners and Forensic Technicians

• Autopsies– Full– Partial– External

Investigations• Worked with Investigators

– Not Police• Scenes

– Crime scene– Hospitals

• Medical records• Jurisdiction


O.M.E. Jurisdiction

• Natural death– Decedent was “unattended”

• Unnatural death– Homicide– Suicide– Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA)


Investigations• Intern duties:• Took photographs at scenes• Drove the O.M.E. vans

– Filled them with gas– Restocked and emptied trash

• Requested and filed medical records


An Average Day In Investigations• My shift started at 5am• Filed medical records • Went to morning meeting at 7am• When Dispatch got a call, we would leave

– This could be a scene, hospital, or both• Once back at O.M.E. my shift ended at 3pm


Crime Scene• Arrive on scene• Investigator talks to Police & family members• We find the decedent• Necessary pictures are taken

– Address or apartment #– Decedent with surroundings– Close-ups of face and profile– Any wounds or suspicious marks– Any weapons, if applicable

• Decedent is put in body bag and transported back to O.M.E.


Hospital• Arrive on scene• Followed Security to the Morgue• Took photos of decedent

– I.D. tag on bag and ankle– Overalls of decedent– Close-ups of face and profile– Any wounds or marks pertaining to C.O.D.

• Decedent is bagged and transported to O.M.E.


Exams• Intern Duties:• Watched autopsies• Moved cases from admitting to release coolers• Fingerprinted decedents • Stocked supplies

– Formalin jars– 2oz jars– Syringes– Gloves


An Average Day In Exams• Started at 7am with the morning meeting

– Doctors discuss their cases– Decide the type of exam for each case

• Pull the first case for each doctor– Leave at appropriate station

• Autopsies began at 8am


An Average Day Cont. • We wore Personal Protective

Equipment in the Exam room• When finished, the room was cleaned

– Decedents returned to the release cooler

• Each station was re-stocked with supplies

• My shift was over at 2pm


To Recap…

• Both Exams and Investigations were very interesting– I’m glad I had the opportunity to do both

• This internship opened my eyes to new ideas and interests

• Any questions?

Internship presentation

Documents

Transcript of Internship presentation