Liberal Arts Major: Biological Anthropology
Hometown: Scranton, Pennsylvania
Experience Time: Summer 2022
Give us a brief summary of your experience?
As an intern at the Dauphin County Coroner and Forensic Center, my main function is to assist the Deputy Coroners in scene investigations to determine cause and manner of death. To accomplish this goal, we coordinate with law enforcement, take forensic photographs of the scene and decedent, locate next-of-kin, interview family members, examine for physical indicators of trauma and post-mortem interval (like rigor mortis), and investigate past medical history. I also perform support roles in autopsies by making the Y-incision on the decedent, weighing organs, extracting urine samples, and closing the incision at the conclusion of the procedure. The most exciting aspect of the internship is the dynamic, ever-changing nature of medicolegal investigations. No day is the same, and it provides for the constant stimulation of the mind.
"Interning with the coroner's office has given me insight into how to conduct a proper investigation, interact with different and pertinent agencies, and follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) outlined by my own agency."
How did this experience impact you academically?
While I have gained valuable experience in the medicolegal field, my internship also functions as an academic environment for learning and inquiry. I am required to read a Forensic Pathology textbook, with midterm and final examinations. Scene investigations and autopsies serve as practicals for my reading, forums where I may apply my knowledge to real-world situations. This intersection of learning and application has allowed me more insight into myself as a student and will prepare me for upper-level Anthropological Science courses with similar configurations.
How will this experience impact your career goals?
My ultimate career goal is to work for federal or international law enforcement organizations like the FBI or INTERPOL as a criminal investigator. Interning with the coroner's office has given me insight into how to conduct a proper investigation, interact with different and pertinent agencies, and follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) outlined by my own agency. Medicolegal investigation, thus, will guide my future career in intelligence through a well-rounded education of both the decedents' ailments and the perpetrators' motives, while a normal trajectory through criminal justice or forensics may limit me to one or the other, respectively.
How has the College of the Liberal Arts helped you to find and/or succeed in this experience (e.g., adviser, faculty, staff, enrichment funds, etc.)?
As a student transitioning from a branch campus to University Park, Anthropology and Liberal Arts advisors have been essential to guiding me through the internship process. DeAnn Martz, although not my advisor, has been diligent in answering my every inquiry and directing me to LA 495, Summer Internship Experience. Stacey Hoffman has helped me immensely with registering for LA 495 and leading me through the enrichment fund application. I am so grateful for their help!