Since being awarded grant funding through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA’s) Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner (ME/C) System Program, the Broward County Office of Medical Examiner and Trauma Services (BCOMETS) has successfully trained seven forensic pathology fellows. BCOMETS has one current fellow nearing the completion of their fellowship, with another aspiring forensic pathology fellow set to begin July 1, 2025. Additionally, BCOMETS is concluding interviews for the 2026-2027 academic year, aiming to welcome their ninth forensic pathology fellow that will be funded through their ME/C Program grant.
Through this fellowship program initiative, BCOMETS has successfully met their objectives by training and placing board-certified forensic pathologists throughout the country. Since the inception of BCOMETS’ fellowship program, two fellows have remained in Broward County, and all but two have continued their careers in Florida. At least six of BCOMETS’ fellowship graduates are full time practicing forensic pathologists, demonstrating their fellowship program’s impact on retaining physicians as medical examiners and playing a crucial role in addressing the national shortage of medical examiners.
BCOMETS ME/C Program grant funding has also been key in permitting their office to comply with the national standards to maintain their National Association of Medical Examiner (NAME) accreditation. BCOMETS is acutely aware of the continued lack of board-certified forensic pathologists and this funding has allowed them the time to encourage and mentor medical students and undergraduate students to follow a career in pathology/medicine, with a subsequent residency in pathology and subspecialty in forensic pathology.
