Forensics Journal - Stevenson University 2013 | Page 9

STEVENSON UNIVERSITY

WHAT ARE THE MOST CHALLENGING OR DIFFICULT
TYPES OF CASES TO RESOLVE? PLEASE EXPLAIN.

DAVID FOWLER, native of Rhodesia—
now known as Zimbabwe—David R. Fowler
attended medical school at University of
Cape Town in South Africa and completed a
five-year residency in forensic pathology. Dr.
Fowler came to the U.S. in 1991 for a residency in anatomic pathology at University of
Maryland Medical Center. He did a two-year
fellowship in forensic pathology at the Office
of the Chief Medical Examiner and remained
as an Assistant Medical Examiner. Dr. Fowler
was promoted to Deputy Chief Medical
Examiner in 1998 and named Chief Medical
Examiner in 2002.

Pediatric deaths are the most complex as there are multiple considerations of disease, abuse, etc. to resolve. There are a list of questions
that must be asked at every scene, depending on the victim and
circumstances. The questions required to be asked at pediatric scenes
are the most extensive.
ARE MEDICAL EXAMINERS AND INVESTIGATORS TRAINED
IN TESTIFYING IN COURT?
There is no specific training for testifying in court, as our Medical
Examiners have all been through residency programs requiring them
to demonstrate knowledge to supervisors. We do have a State’s Attorney come to talk to our fellows when they are training and when they
receive a subpoena, we do run them through typical questions and the
voir dire process. In addition, we talk about the difficulties of testifying when those asking the questions are uninformed about the work
we do. For example, popular media such as television and movies
create a false impression about the work we do. This can cause jurors
and attorneys to have misinformation about the autopsy process.

Dr. Fowler has had numerous articles published in medical journals, and his work
has been included in a number of books.
He holds numerous professional memberships and committee positions and teaching
services and lectures to federal, state and local
agencies and organizations.

DO MEDICAL EXAMINERS AND INVESTIGATORS RECEIVE
ANY PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAINING TO HELP DEAL WITH
THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF THEIR WORK?

Established in 1939 as the country’s first
statewide medical examiner’s office, OCME
today is the largest freestanding forensic
medical centers in the U.S.

This type of work really self-selects people who are able to manage
the psychological aspect of performing autopsies. By the time they
are working in the Medical Examiner’s office, they have been through
medical school, pathology, aut