Kelly
Internship: Morgue


How did you find your internship?

I'm an anthropology major and my advisor is John Verano who is a forensic anthropologist. When I first met with him Sophomore year I told him about wanting to be a forensic pathologist and he told me that Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office calls him when they get bones. He said that he would contact one of the investigators to see if she would take me on scenes. The investigator really liked how interested I was in forensics and introduced me to the forensic pathologists at the office who then let me come in and participate in autopsies and everything went from there.

Why this internship? 

Ever since I was 13 I was fascinated with forensics and interested in learning more about forensic pathology. Getting an internship at the morgue was perfect for me because it let me know if forensic pathology was meant for me -- and it is.

What were your general responsibilities?

I wasn't given too many responsibilities considering I am not trained in anything. My main goal was to learn as much possible and touch anything they would let me. On scenes I would sometimes take pictures for the investigator and check rigor mortis. In the morgue I would write down organ weights, help the detectives keep their photo log, and lend a hand whenever I could. When it turned into a more structured internship this past summer, I would do work in the office like typing autopsy reports that the pathologists dictated and update records.

What was a typical day like?

On a typical day this past summer I would get to work at 9 and see if there were reports to type up. I would then type them up until the pathologist showed up which could really be anywhere between 11 and one. Then I would go into the morgue and participate in however many autopsies we had for the day. Depending on the day (Mondays are the busiest because you have autopsies from all weekend) I could be in the back doing autopsies from one to five hours. On a really good day I would get to go to a scene in the morning before the autopsies. Those last an hour or two depending on the situation.

Did you receive any perks, benefits, or compensation?

At first, when I did the internship in the summer of '06 I didn't get paid but the next summer one of the investigators nominated me for a paying position and the Coroner gave it to me so I started working 20 hours a week for $7.00/hour.

Where did you live?

Stayed at school and lived at my house.

Future plans?

First I'll go to medical school, then do my residency, followed by a forensic pathology fellowship, and hopefully I'll be a forensic pathologist before I have gray hair.

Any particular advice?

Utilize your professors who teach subjects you're interested in. They've been around for a while and will generally have connections in their field that can be useful. Don't be afraid to reach out. Professionals are usually really excited when they meet younger people who are interested in what they have dedicated their lives to. Especially when it's in a field that can be considered kind of odd by the general public.