Forensic Pathologist - Office of the Medical Examiner

City and County of Denver; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 240,000 - 364,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension plan

457B Retirement Plan

PTO & holidays

Medical/dental/vision coverage

RTD EcoPass

Tuition reimbursement

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Job summary

City and County of Denver seeks a qualified Forensic Pathologist to perform medicolegal autopsies and lead forensic pathology practices. The role includes mentoring fellows, reviewing deaths, and testifying as an expert.

On-site at the Office of the Medical Examiner, you will collaborate with law enforcement and health professionals to determine cause and manner of death. You will participate in education, policy development, and emergency preparedness, reporting to the Chief Medical Examiner.

Qualifications

• Must have medical license in Colorado or eligibility for licensure
• Board certification in Anatomic or Anatomic/Clinical Pathology is required
• Must be eligible to sit for the Forensic Pathology Boards and complete within 18 months
• No substitution of experience for education
• Provide testimony as expert in legal forums when required
• Adhere to chain-of-custody procedures and assist in investigations

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical functions and leadership in forensic pathology practices
• Review deaths and determine autopsy type (autopsy/external/chart review)
• Perform medicolegal autopsies per standards
• Order and interpret diagnostic tests; assess postmortem effects on results
• Educate and mentor fellows, residents, and students
• Share on-call responsibilities with staff physicians
• Testify on cause of death and render expert opinions
• Collect evidence and document findings; take photographs
• Collaborate with law enforcement, legal, and medical agencies
• Assist in policy development and safety initiatives
• Participate in emergency preparedness and response activities

Skills

Forensic pathology

Mentoring

Teaching

Research

Legal knowledge

Education

MD/DO from accredited medical school

Board certification in Anatomic Pathology

Forensic Pathology board eligibility

Job description

About Our Job

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver.

What We Offer

The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. New hires are typically brought into the organization between $240,000.00 - $364,005.00. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to:

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 Wellness Day and 1 volunteer day per year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date
• Free RTD EcoPass
• Education Refund Program (tuition reimbursement) towards continued learning
• Eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program

Location & Schedule

In this position you can expect to work on site at the Office of the Medical Examiner, located at 500 Quivas St., in Denver, CO. The Office of the Medical Examiner is a 24/7/365 operation, though autopsies are performed Monday - Friday, excluding weekends and holidays. On-call duties are shared between all Forensic Pathologists including the Chief.

Who We Are & What You’ll Do

Within the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE), the Office of the Medical Examiner (OME) investigates all violent, suspicious and unexpected natural deaths within the jurisdiction of the City and County of Denver. The goal of forensic investigation and autopsy is to develop logical, scientific, and unbiased information necessary to determine the cause and manner of death for the proper and accurate completion of the death certificate and autopsy report. The agency also offers death expert testimony/consultation, death scene response and investigation, and deceased identification and death notification. OME reports and other information can be found at: DDPHE: Office of the Medical Examiner.

We foster an inclusive culture by respecting the values, customs, and authenticity of everyone and by implementing equitable public health strategies so Denver communities can thrive.

As a Forensic Pathologist , you will perform postmortem examinations and medicolegal autopsies to determine cause and manner of death. Additionally, this position will assist the Chief Medical Examiner in assessing the quality of services provided and ensure staff and visitors conform with department policies at scenes and in the autopsy room and will assist in the development and implementation of office policies and procedures. This position will report to the Chief Medical Examiner.

Specifically, in this position, you will:

• Provides clinical functions of the office and provide technical oversight, mentorship, and leadership in the development and application of forensic pathology practices.
• Reviews deaths reported to the Office of the Medical Examiner as required by Colorado Statute and determines appropriate examination type including autopsy, external, and chart review.
• Performs medicolegal autopsies in accordance with accepted standards in the recognized medical specialty of forensic pathology.
• Orders and interprets necessary diagnostic tests to aid in the diagnosis of disease and non-natural pathology, understands the effects of postmortem interval on laboratory test results, and determines the cause and manner of death.
• Assists in the education and training of fellows, residents, medical students, interns, and others in the function of the Medical Examiner/Coroner and in forensic pathology.
• Shares on-call responsibilities with other staff physicians, responds to homicide or other suspicious death scenes as requested by the Medical Examiner investigator or police department, and consults on the release of organs and tissue for recovery by procurement agencies.
• Gives testimony as to the cause of death and renders expert opinions in a variety of legal forums, both criminal and civil.
• Collects evidence and preserves it using accepted chain of custody procedures, documents findings at autopsy including pertinent traumatic injuries in the form of a written report, and photographs pertinent findings and traumatic injuries.
• Consults with medical experts as necessary to aid in the determination of the cause of death.
• Meets and/or confers with attorneys, law enforcement, and health professionals to discuss the autopsy findings and investigation.
• Meets and/or speaks with families to discuss the results of the autopsy and the particulars of the death investigation and communicates with the media and other interested parties about the autopsy report.
• Assists in the planning and participation of research activities that the office collaborates on.
• Assists the Chief Medical Examiner in assessing the quality of services provided, helps ensure that staff and visitors conform with office and department safety policies at scenes and in the autopsy room, and assists in the development of office safety policies and in the development of office emergency preparedness plans.
• Assists in the collaboration with local, regional, and state law enforcement, investigative, legal, and medical agencies including public health.
• Along with all DDPHE staff, actively participate in emergency preparedness and response team activities to support DDPHE’s responsibilities outlined in the City’s Emergency Operations Plan. This may require being 'on-call' from time to time respond to emergencies. Training will be provided.
• Other duties as assigned.

What You’ll Bring

We value diversity of ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, gender, religion, language, ability, and experience and exemplify this through the makeup of our team at all levels. You’ll be right at home here if you cultivate strong relationships and push yourself, your work, the people around you and Denver to the next level.

Our ideal candidate has some or all the following experience, skills, and characteristics:

• Experience as a Forensic Pathologist or similar position at a municipality.
• Experience with, and interest in, training and/or mentoring Forensic Pathology Fellowship students
• Passion for mentoring, teaching, training, researching, and instructional methods.
• Expertise in forensic pathology principles, methods, processes, and tools.
• Knowledge of forensic pathology quality assurance, quality control, and reliability.
• Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, regulations, and executive orders.

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Education requirement: Graduation from an approved school of medicine plus completion of post-graduate training approved by the American Board of Pathology.
• Experience Requirement: None.
• Education/Experience Equivalency: No substitution of experience for education is permitted.
• License/Certifications: Possession of a license to practice medicine in the State of Colorado at the time of appointment (or eligibility for licensure with the application process initiated) and board certification in Anatomic or Anatomic/Clinical Pathology is required at the time of application.
• Must be eligible to sit for the Forensic Pathology Boards at the time of appointment. Must pass the Forensic pathology boards within 18 months of employment.
• Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment.
• It is a condition of employment that the Denver Police Forensics & Evidence Division form for consent for collection of a DNA sample be completed at the time of hire.

Application Deadline

This position is expected to stay open until October 31, 2026. Please submit your application as soon as possible and no later than that date at 11:59 PM.

The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law.

It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact [e-mail] with three business days’ notice.

Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.

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