Recently, CoolCleveland columnist C. Ellen Connally shared her experiences participating in the Citizens Academy of the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner (aka coroner).
She described the experience: “Each week, the program focuses on a specific topic ranging from forensic pathology, toxicology, death investigations, fingerprint analysis, drug chemistry, trace evidence and epidemiology. The lectures were comprehensive and frequently hands-on, with demonstrations in various labs at the facility. This allowed us to tour the building, which appears to be state-of-the-art and very high tech. Participants are given detailed explanations of how the highly skilled and professional staff conducts death investigations to determine the cause of death. In the final weeks of the class, groups of students were given mock crime scenes where bodies (dummies) were positioned in rooms that looked like real crimes scenes.”
Participants were also given the option of viewing an autopsy. Connally said she chose to watch “from a distance,” while others in her class opted out.
If you found her experiences intriguing, good news! The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner is currently taking applications for its fall class. You must be 21, a resident of Cuyahoga County and have no felony convictions. No special training or medical background is necessary, just interest. Classes are held Thursday evenings from 6-8pm for ten weeks. It’s competitive; Connally said 368 people applied for the 30 slots in the class she took part in.
Here’s where to go for more information and to apply. Applications are due by August 8.