Deputy State Medical Examiner – Eugene

State of Oregon; Eugene (OR); On-site; CAD 35,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid licensure renewals

CME and memberships

Annual conference attendance

Relocation expense reimbursement

Job summary

The Oregon State Police invites qualified physicians to join the State Medical Examiner’s Office as Deputy State Medical Examiners. The role supports medicolegal autopsy services across Oregon, with a new facility underway in Eugene and long-term assignment in multiple locations.

You will contribute to education, policy, and public service while growing with a dedicated team. Successful candidates will perform autopsies, provide expert consultation, and testify as needed.

Qualifications

• MD or DO degree from an approved medical school.
• ABP-certified or eligible in anatomic/clinical pathology at hire.
• Board certification in forensic pathology within two years.
• Licensed to practice medicine in Oregon or able to obtain.
• Official transcripts from all institutions used for degree.
• Salary differential of 7.5% added upon board certification.

Responsibilities

• Perform autopsies and provide expert medical consultation.
• Share autopsy duties, rotating weekend/night/holiday coverage.
• Write autopsy reports and other death investigation documents.
• Provide training to law enforcement, examiners, and investigators.
• Provide credible sworn testimony in court or civil proceedings.

Skills

Communication skills

Teamwork

Testimony in court

Public outreach

Education

MD or DO degree

ABP board cert in pathology

Forensic pathology cert within 2 yrs

Oregon medical license or soon

Official transcripts

7.5% salary diff with board cert

Job description

Agency: Oregon State Police

Location: Eugene, Oregon

Initial Posting Date: 09/11/2026 | Application Deadline: 03/10/2027

Salary Range: $25,477 - $28,089

Monthly Additional Annual Salary: $305,724 - $337,068 (7.5% differential added to base pay with board certification) (4% Cost of Living adjustment – January 1, 2027)

Position Type: Employee – Full-Time, Permanent

Summary of Job Duties

The State Medical Examiner’s Office is the sole provider of forensic pathology services throughout Oregon. Our team closely collaborates with the county medical examiners and medical legal death investigators employed by each county’s death investigation program, providing technical supervision of all medicolegal death investigations. Deputy State Medical Examiners are stationed in the Portland metro area (Clackamas), Eugene, and Central Point, Oregon. Forensic pathologists at the State Medical Examiner’s Clackamas location currently perform all medical legal autopsies for Northwestern, Eastern, and Central Oregon; however, recent years have seen significant expansion of our program. This growth includes development of a state-of-the-art State Medical Examiner facility in Eugene that is currently underway. The estimated date of completion for this facility is early 2029. This position will be the first one to provide services at the new facility when it is completed. In the interim, the pathologist that fills this position will perform forensic autopsies at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend in Springfield, Oregon. Office space will be provided in a nearby OSP facility. Our forensic pathologists are supported by a wonderful staff of well-trained autopsy technicians and administrative specialists. Our team also includes a full-time forensic anthropologist who oversees Oregon’s Unidentified Human Remains program and provides a variety of consultant services on cases of skeletal remains. Toxicology testing is performed on-site by an ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) accredited laboratory. Our office’s work includes a teaching program providing regular lectures on legal medicine and death investigation to many groups, including students from Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) and Western University School of Osteopathic Medicine, law students, pathology residents, medical legal death investigators, police officers, and healthcare professionals. Forensic pathology fellows are encouraged to apply for this position. Interested fellows will start employment in our main facility in Clackamas. The fellow will first spend time working collaboratively with our program's senior forensic pathologists as they learn how Oregon's system functions and gain the necessary skills to practice independently. Upon demonstration of those skills, the fellow will transition to their permanent assignment. We anticipate that this will encompass the first year of employment but may be shorter depending on the candidate's progress and level of comfort. We offer paid licensure renewals, CME, professional memberships, and annual conference attendance, as well as generous relocation expense reimbursement.

You will:

• Perform autopsies and provide expert medical consultation in appropriate cases.
• Share autopsy responsibilities with the State Medical Examiner and other Deputy State Medical Examiners, rotating weekend, night, holiday, and vacation coverage.
• Write autopsy reports, and other reports as appropriate, relating to death investigations.
• Provide training, as requested, to law enforcement agencies, county medical examiners, district attorneys, and medicolegal death investigators.
• You must be able to provide credible sworn testimony in a criminal or civil proceeding arising from the performance of duties.

*Please Note: As a condition of employment and / or to routinely work in any of the Forensic Service and Pathology Division’s laboratories in any capacity, all individuals are required to provide appropriate samples for inclusion into the Confidential Staff DNA Identification Index, as well as maintain a valid Driver’s License.

Minimum Qualifications

• Graduation from an approved school of medicine with an MD or DO degree.
• Board certification or qualification for certification in anatomic or clinical/anatomic pathology from the American Board of Pathology (ABP) at time of hire.
• Board certification in forensic pathology within two years of hiring.
• Licensed to practice medicine in Oregon or the ability to obtain one at time of hire.
• If you are selected to move forward in the selection process, you must provide official transcripts from all institutions of higher education that were used in the award of your degree.
• A salary differential of 7.5% of base pay will be added upon board certification in forensic pathology.

Preferred Skills

• Must be able to work cooperatively, cheerfully, and respectfully with other members of the medical examiner team.
• Must have good communication skills and be able to work effectively with other agencies.
• In addition to carrying an equitable share of the office caseload, it is expected that the successful applicant will assist in teaching pathology residents, medical students, and medicolegal death investigators.
• Experience crafting and executing policy recommendations and/or participation in quality assurance activities.
• On occasion, take part in public outreach in the form of lectures or conference attendance on behalf of the office.
• Must, at all times, exhibit the utmost respect for the decedents entrusted to our care.

Special Qualifications

• Must possess a valid Driver’s License.
• Must be able to provide credible sworn testimony in a criminal or civil proceeding arising from the performance of duties.
• As a condition of employment and / or to routinely work in any of the Forensic Services and Pathology Division’s laboratories in any capacity, all individuals are required to provide appropriate samples for inclusion into the Confidential Staff DNA Identification Index.

Selection Process

The process will be comprised of the following evaluation assessment (subject to change). Interview

U.S. Veteran and/or Oregon National Guard Servicemember Status Designation

Eligible veterans and Oregon National Guard servicemembers (current and former) who meet the qualifications of the position will be awarded candidate preference. For more information, please visit Veterans Resources

What’s in it for you?

• Work/life balance.
• Paid vacation, sick leave, 11 holidays and up to 24 hours of personal business leave a year.
• Medical, vision, dental, and life insurance as well as additional optional benefits.
• Retirement programs through the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) and optional deferred compensation programs through the Oregon Savings Growth Plan.
• Abundant advancement opportunities within the agency and throughout State of Oregon government that carries your seniority and benefits with you.
• Opportunities to expand your technical and professional skills.
• Meaningful work with others who are passionate about public service.
• Make a difference in the lives of Oregonians.

Additional Information

Our Workforce Culture and Strategy Background Hiring Information Employee Benefits Pay Equity Information & Resources What You Need to Know to Get the Job Oregon state government is a large organization by nearly any standard. With over 40,000 employees working all over the state, in small communities and large, we are proving that government can be innovative. We work as a team, challenging ourselves to be better, faster and more efficient with taxpayer dollars. After all, when every day we are responsible for caring for the needs of a diverse population and thriving business community, we simply must have the best and brightest workforce. If you take responsibility for your actions, are passionate about helping others succeed, and have a reputation for excellence and honesty, why not make Oregon state government your next career move? Joining our team means you open the door to many possibilities. From entry level to executive, outdoor work to policy setting, we have a role for nearly every calling, expertise and background. If you’re looking at us from across the country (or beyond!), know that Oregon is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Made up of seven diverse regions, Oregon has the ocean, mountains, valleys, high desert, cities, small towns, and almost everything in between. Oregon “flies with her own wings.”