Session 24 Today's guest is Dr. Judy Melinek, a New York Times bestselling author and a Forensic Pathologist based in California. She documented her journey through her fellowship training in her book, Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner. One important thing to note is that Pathology isn't actually a required rotation in medical school, one reason that it's not commonly under the radar of most medical students. Listen to our discussion about the field of Forensic Pathology and how you can explore if this is something you're interested in. [01:20] Working as a Forensic Pathologist Dr. Melinek does some academic work. She is currently affiliated with UC Davis as a Research Associate. Forensic Science students from their Master's and undergraduate programs shadow her but she isn't presently on staff at any academic institution. Most forensic pathology jobs tend to be for government agencies, either a coroner/medical examiner's office. Any academic affiliation usually tends to be in the clinical instructor's status teaching residents and medical students. Dr. Melinek did her fellowship in Forensic Pathology from 2001 to 2002 and then she did another fellowship in Neuropathology from 2002 to 2003. In 2001, she started working as a Forensic Pathologist because even during fellowship, she got paid doing autopsies being part of the coroner/medical examiner's office, specifically working for the New York City Medical Examiner. [02:49] The Road to Forensic Pathology Dr. Melinek only figured out she wanted to become a forensic pathologist until later since she wasn't exposed to it as a specialty in medical school. She stresses this is something we need to further discuss and explore because it's a real failing in our medical education that pathology is relegated to second year academic discourse but there is no required pathology rotation in medical school like there is for internal medicine or general surgery. It's only something people have to discover on their own. Dr. Melinek got exposed to Pathology in second year medical school just like all medical students and then they offered this post-sophomore fellowship in pathology, which is an extra year you take in medical school between second and third year and work in the pathology department. You're just like a resident and you get paid but you're not just a resident or MD yet. But it's an opportunity for them to expose people to pathology in a more hands-on level. She basically did this post-sophomore fellowship in Pathology having wanted to take a gap year between college and med school. But she got in off the waiting list and she was afraid she would lose her spot if she decided to defer. So she found this as an opportunity to take a break but still be doing medicine and working at the same hospital she was training at. Dr. Melinek describes it as a great experience having been exposed to multiple different rotations in pathology including the blood bank, autopsy, and surgical pathology. Also during that time, she was allowed to do research and she actually decided to do research with the liver transplant team. That's when she fell in love with surgery and decided she wanted to be a surgeon. But everybody in Pathology convinced her to be a pathologist. Upon finishing medical school, Dr. Melinek matched in Surgery and went to a General Surgery residency and lasted for only six months until she collapsed from exhaustion and decided she wanted to be a Pathologist realizing it was a better fit for her personally and professionally. Because of her impressive work, the pathology department at the UCLA Medical School had saved her a spot outside the match so when she quit surgery, they gave her a spot to start in July. Dr. Melinek claims it was the best decision she ever made. [05:40] Post-Sophomore Pathology Fellowship and Demand This type of fellowship is sponsored through ACGME and the American Board of Pathology. The organizations that accredit p