Forensic Pathology Fellow - Office of Medical Examiner

About Our Job

Forensic Pathology Fellow – Office of Medical Examiner

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. The salary range for this position is $80,217.00 - $132,358.00. 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 + 11 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday and 1 volunteer day per calendar year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective on the 1st of the month following the start date

Location

In this position you can expect to work on site at the Office of the Medical Examiner, located at 500 Quivas St. The Office of the Medical Examiner is a 24/7/365 organization.

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 that occur in 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: 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.

The Office of the Medical Examiner has an opening for a Forensic Pathology Fellow for the 2028-2029  academic year. This position will function as a Pathologist within the Office of the Medical Examiner for Denver’s Department of Public Health and Environment.

Specifically, the Forensic Pathology Fellow:

• Reviews deaths reported to the Office of the Medical Examiner as required by Colorado Statute and determines which cases will require an autopsy or visual examination.
• Performs medicolegal autopsies with appropriate supervision, 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.
• Shares on-call responsibilities with other staff physicians, responds to homicide or other suspicious death scenes as requested by the Medical Examiner investigator, 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 education and training of medical students, residents, interns, and others in the function of the Medical Examiner/Coroner and in forensic pathology.
• 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.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

This position is eligible for benefits, including medical, dental, vision, retirement, and education/continuing education reimbursement. For more information about our comprehensive benefits package, please visit our benefits page .

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.

Required Minimum Qualifications

Education requirement: Possesses an MD or DO degree from an accredited medical school.
Experience Requirement: None
Education/Experience Equivalency: No substitution of experience for education is permitted.
License/Certifications: Completion of ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education) approved postgraduate residency program in anatomical pathology or anatomical pathology/clinical pathology by the date of the start of the fellowship term.

Must be eligible for licensure in Colorado and board certified or board eligible in anatomic pathology or anatomic/clinical pathology by the date of the start of the fellowship term.

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 December 31. Please submit your application as soon as possible and no later than December 31 at 11:59 p.m. to ensure consideration.

About Everything Else

Job Profile

CO2300 Forensic Pathology Fellow

To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here.

Position Type

Limited (Fixed Term)

Position Salary Range

$80,217.00 - $132,358.00

Target Pay

$80,217.00 - $132,358.00

Agency

Dept of Public Health & Environment

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 [email protected] 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.

For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.