Forensic Pathologist

About The Opportunity

The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department is dedicated to serve and protect the community through the highest standards of professionalism and ethical conduct by ENFORCEMENT, PREVENTION and EDUCATION in partnership with our community. Our Community demands the best service we can provide, so we continually search for candidates who have a strong desire to make a positive impact on it.

The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department offers multiple career opportunities in an organization that maintains Pride in Service, Dedication to Duty and Excellence in Performance. Our state of art coroner’s facility was dedicated in November of 2015. This 9,000 square foot facility has a large main autopsy room with advanced filtration and odor mitigation. It includes hospital grade lighting with a high definition camera system. In addition, we have a separate isolation autopsy room and another dedicated operating room for tissue recovery. Our facility stands out above and beyond other coroner facilities in California as it was designed with comfort and convenience in mind. We have a large main cooler, smaller secondary, and a separate freezer. There is a dedicated laboratory room onsite with a histology station and workspace for our Forensic Odonatologist. Pathologists have their own private office and dedicated dictation room. As a convenience, we have a 2,000 square foot fitness facility onsite.

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE

• Application Deadline: Continuous but may close at any time
• Oral Examination: TBA

THE POSITION

The Forensic Pathologist will perform forensic pathology services including but not limited to: management and development of a regional pathology model, autopsies at the direction of the Sheriff-Coroner or his designee, general case investigation, external examinations, professional medical consultations related to such work, medical record reviews, and expert witness testimony. The Forensic Pathologist is a single position assigned to the Sheriff's Office and performs related duties as assigned.

• Develop and manage a regional pathology model, including providing professional pathology services to other jurisdictions;
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with members of the legal profession, public, staff, and governmental agencies;
• Perform and oversee autopsies;
• Perform general case investigation, including preparation of comprehensive reports;
• Provide expert witness testimony and testify in Local, State, and Federal Court proceedings;
• At the direction of the Sheriff-Coroner or his designee, respond to death scenes, consultations and autopsies as needed during non-business hours;
• Maintain cooperative relationships with transplant organizations;
• Communicate with families and other interested parties to explain autopsy findings;
• May provide administrative, operational, and supervisory direction to staff;
• and Participate in countywide death review teams and hospital peer committees concerning traumatic death.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education/Experience)

• Current methods and techniques in Forensic Pathology and related scientific aspects of death investigation;
• Procedures, techniques, and equipment utilized in forensic medicine, including medico-legal autopsy, forensic toxicology, ballistic/firearms examination, trace evidence, forensic serology, forensic anthropology, DNA technology, and interpretation of histology and clinical chemistry;
• Identification procedures;
• Laws, legal codes, court procedures, and governmental regulations;
• Modern office procedures and equipment;
• Proper usage of English grammar and punctuation.

Skills/Abilities

• Perform highly skilled post-mortem examinations;
• Review and analyze complex investigation data;
• Prepare comprehensive case reports;
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing;
• Operate a variety of computer programs;
• Multi-task, prioritize and problem solve;
• and Travel to various sites when necessary.

Education/Experience

• Graduation from an accredited medical school including a Forensic Pathology Fellowship Program;
• Certification by the American Board of Pathology;
• Three years of experience in forensic pathology;
• Possession of a valid Physicians and Surgeons Certificate issued by the Board of Medical Examiners of the State of California;
• Possess and maintain a valid California Driver's License.

Note

No felony convictions. Must be of good moral character and must not have been convicted of a crime for which the punishment could have been imprisonment in a Federal penitentiary or State prison. Proof of education is required for verification purposes at the time of application. Applicants who are unable to submit proof must call 209-567-4412 to make other arrangements. Failure to submit proof will result in disqualification.