r/AutopsyTechFam

Hello. I have been given a chance to interview for an Apprentice APT role in the NHS. I'm trying to find information online about what these interviews are usually like beyond the standard NHS format. But I can't seem to find anything.

Has anyone done an interview for this type of role before?

Also I don't have any mortuary experience. From what I have been able to find out, this is one of the biggest things they look for in a candidate. All I have is dissection room practicals I did at uni with cadavers. I guess I'm worried it's a high bar I have to pass without this experience. I will have to travel quite far and get a hotel to attend this interview. So I'm debating if I should go for it.

hello, i first wanna start off by saying please give me grace, i have been trying to figure this all out on my own and those around me and my school has unfortunately been no help. im a little unsure of what i want to do, i'll explain what i was hoping to achieve with my career. i want to be able to conduct autopsies and work in labs to determine the cause of death in sudden, unexpected, or suspicious deaths. i initially was working towards becoming an a forensics pathologist assistant/autopsy, but i was just informed of other career options such as medical examiner, medicolegal death investigator, coroner, and autopsy technicians. just based on the research ive done its very hard to distinguish the difference between all careers. im based in california and i had no plans to attend medical school as i was told it wasn't needed for the intial career choices i picked but upon further research, it mentions i would need residency as well? im wondering if there's a career path that'll allow me to legally dissect bodies and conduct labs on the cause of death without going to school for 10 million years. if that's the only way then so be it, i will commit myself but i wanted advice from others in the field. my school does not offer any forensic science degrees so im majoring in biology and minoring in criminal justice studies. (im in my undergrad)

some of things i enjoy doing are conducting labs, dissections, and using detective skills, however i have considered becoming a forensic scientist if the initial pathways are too long. is it possible to get any advice? as of now im in the process of finding volunteer opportunities within the medical examiner's offices near me, including LLU for their forensic pathologist assistant program. please help! it's very frustrating feeling this lost without any guidance. thank you so much in advance. feel free to ask any questions for clarification

So, I need some advice. I’d really like to work as an autopsy technician. The thing is, I already have partial experience in the field.

From my understanding and from what I’ve read so far, the place where I used to work separated the Intake & Discharge section from the actual autopsy section into different positions. I worked in Intake & Discharge, where we handled everything from receiving bodies, documenting and photographing them, fingerprinting, to completing data entry and all physical case documentation all the way up to discharging the bodies to funeral home workers.

I’m pretty sure the reason the jobs were divided was because of the number of cases we received daily — usually around 20–30 on a normal day, and sometimes 40+ on especially heavy days. A “good” day was anything under 20 cases.

I had to leave the job because of health-related issues, but those are no longer a problem. I’d like to move to the U.S. and continue working in this field, but I only have a high school diploma, and I’m not sure whether the experience I already have is enough to qualify me for similar positions. For context, I have around 4.5 to 5 years of experience from my previous job.

If anyone has any insight or advice, I’d really appreciate it, my goal is to eventually work myself to be a full on pathologist assistant.

As the title states, I am considering a change. I have not yet finished mortuary school, but I've put in a fair amount of time in at a local funeral home. I've learned that I do very well with families, I am comfortable around the deceased, and I think that I am meant to help people rest in one way or another. I love the people I work with, but the glaring issues in the funeral industry are beginning to overwhelm me. The grueling hours, short staffing, lack of separation between work and home, and low pay are a bit much. All of my (wonderful) coworkers are so burnt out. I am becoming nervous that I too, would only make it about 5 years before quitting. 60+ hours a week to be at the poverty line in my area is just too much. I am aware that autopsy techs do not make much, either. However, from my limited understanding, the work/life balance is better and it seems as though the overall work environment may feel more casual. I want to stay in a field that I am skilled in and feel fulfilled in. I just want to have the time to enjoy my life outside of work. Has anyone else made the change? Pros vs cons? How hard did you have to look to get hired at an ME office?

I don't mean this to sound condescending! I'm genuinely wondering because I don't think my degree is going to be very helpful in getting a job in the field. (English major graduating soon; I was originally a bio major but for lots of reasons that didn't work out, and my only way to stay at this school was to switch my major to something my grades showed I was good at.) What do I do? Last time I asked a question here someone suggested I shadow at a funeral home. Would I have a chance at being able to do so with this degree?

Thanks, all replies are appreciated!