Weekly Reflection Three

My last week was the most exciting and the most sad. While I finished my main project and wrapped up some loose ends, I also spent a fair amount of time in the evidence room. Purging, video taping and sorting prescription bottles from crime scenes was very interesting. I even visited the morgue! As in previous weekly reflections and daily blogs, I have mentioned that all the activities I do may seem quite dull to the average person. However, I find it all fascinating! I know I am only an intern, but I think about the things I could do if I truly were a forensic investigator. I enjoyed being finished with my main project before the end of Senior Project because I had the time to sit down and talk with Kim about how the Medical Examiner's office works. We also discussed her work with the state's disaster plan committee. We looked over numerous cases, including crime scene photos. I have found that over these three weeks I have gained a necessary skill in the field of crime scene investigation - I have learned to desensitize myself. In the first week, I couldn't bear to look at the photos from the aircraft-related fatalities. When Kim and I were looking over the crime scene photos, I was able to really look at what the picture was. Whether it be a body or blood spatter, I was able to stomach it. Kim even suggested I come back in the summer to view an autopsy. I had never known I could be so passionate about something like this. Experiencing the world of a forensic investigator was always a dream to me - it never seemed real. I have watched CSI: Crime Scene Investigation for quite some time now and it's nothing like the real thing. I have been very fortunate to be able to see for myself what it's really like. I am also surprised and a little proud of myself for getting as much out of it as I did. I actually have considered a career in forensic investigation. I have to thank Kim for allowing me to intern at the Medical Examiner's office. I had such an experience and will never forget it! Thanks! 

My Very Sad Last Day...

As Rosie once said, "The office grows on you like a fungus", and it truly does. As the time ticked closer to five this evening, I was getting quite sentimental. While I have only spent three weeks at the Medical Examiner's office, I have started to call it home. My little nook in the file room was my home for senior project. I appreciate all the work I was allowed to do. I have learned so much! Thank you Kim for allowing me to intern in the first place. Thanks Rosie for giving me all the "dirty" jobs in the evidence room. Thanks to Lynn for always greeting me when I arrived at the office. I will miss you! I also want to thank everyone for letting me help you. In doing hands-on projects, I have experienced a very short life as a forensic investigator. When I first started watching CSI, my parents would scoff at the fact that I didn't know the "real thing". From day one of my senior project, I have been able to explain so much and teach others about my experiences. I had never known I would be interested in something so much! While at times I took part in mundane activities, I was always rewarded with a visit to the morgue or a road trip to the state crime lab. I am grateful that I was able to work at the ME's office for my senior project. I will always remember my experiences! Thank you so much everyone! 

Second to Last Day

Today was an especially long day because I didn't have a sports commitment until 5:30. I arrived at the office around 10:00 am and quickly started producing graphs to display the aircraft fatality data. I completed six or seven graphs, which you will be able to see if you come to the Senior Project presentation on Tuesday! Kim had to leave for a meeting, so I helped Rosie purge the stored specimens. "Purging" is getting rid of samples of tissue and blood to make room for the new cases. All evidence is kept in the fridge for one year. After that, all the evidence kept in the fridge is documented and thrown away, save for two vials of blood, preferably from the femoral artery. However, all evidence from homicide cases and some undetermined cases is kept. Further advances in medicine or a case can change the outcome of a case. If the samples have been thrown away, the evidence is not there to go back to. This could result in the case getting dropped. After going through about twenty bags of specimens, I took lunch. When I got back to the office, I went on a "little road trip" with Rosie to the Crime Lab and Toxicology Lab on Hazen Drive. I got to see the front desks of both! While there wasn't much to see at the labs, I witnessed the start of a strict chain of custody. I learned about this in Criminal Justice before the start of my Senior Project. Every piece of evidence needs to be accounted for. This means the date, time, signatures of who dropped the evidence off and who received it. Everything is marked and is documented. Again, if there is an inconsistency in the chain of custody, the evidence is no longer viable in court. Each stage of the chain of custody is taken very seriously! When we got back to the office, Kim had returned and we looked at numerous pictures from previous cases. Gruesome stuff! Around 4:00, Kim left for another meeting and I set to helping Rosie again. At a crime scene, investigators take anything and everything that they think might be pertinent to the case. So, the evidence room is chock full of evidence like prescription bottles and pills. She has five large boxes from autopsied cases and what are called sign-outs, or non-autopsied cases, where the cause of death is quite obvious and no foul play is suspected. I started sorting through the bags of prescriptions, organizing them by case number and bar code. It was 5:00 before I knew it and had to stop my sorting efforts. Tomorrow, my last day at the office, I will finish organizing them and will eventually take pictures to document the evidence. Check in tomorrow to hear about my last day. So sad! I'll miss everyone at the office terribly. I have learned so much in so little time. Hopefully, I will be able to come back soon. Until next time! 

Wednesday

I didn't go into the office today, but I will finish my project strong with a full day Thursday and Friday. I'll let you know how my last two days on the job go. Stay tuned! Later.

Unexpected Treat

I got to see the morgue today! So cool. Kim said that I might be able to come back in the summer to view an autopsy. So exciting! I completed going through the case files again to record all the missing data. I tried to make graphs depicting the data for future office use, but I get easily frustrated with Microsoft applications. Unfortunately, the graph feature was no working correctly and Kim had to call the technical help desk. They didn't have to a chance to get back to her before I left for sports, so that will be a project for Thursday. I'll let you know what happens then. See ya later!

On a lighter note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHELE!!!

Data Collection

I am now recording some data for the office's references based on the autopsy reports and investigation reports I have photocopied. I am hoping to be done this by tomorrow, so I can complete some other projects before my time is done at the ME's office. I don't want to leave! I enjoy working and in a way experimenting to see if I want to make a career of it. I was also told that if I wanted to, I could come back in the summer to see an autopsy. So cool! We'll just have to see if I can stomach it right yet. Check in tomorrow to see how I am doing. Later!

Weekly Reflection Two

My week did not really change from the one before. I am still finishing my main project. I had completed going through the case files and photocopying both the autopsy reports and the investigation reports. Right now, I am recording data for the Medical Examiner's office to use in the future. I am taking down information including age, gender, case number, cause of death, circumstances, state of residency and any toxicology panel results. There are some pieces of information that I need to review the case file for. Because I have redacted the personal information, it makes it difficult to fill in some of the fields. While this week does seem like a repeat of the one before, I love working at the ME's office. I am learning things just from being in the office. Earlier this week, I reviewed some old cases that involved facial reconstructions and missing persons with my sponsor, Kim, who is very interested in this piece of forensic investigation. She was telling me about a conference she attended that highlighted the benefits of this new technology to help solve unknown cases. 

I also met with a woman who represents the Health and Human Services. She is spearheading the alliance between the Health and Human Services and the Medical Examiner's office to create a program that is proactive in preventing suicides. She was telling me that if a person has committed suicide in a neighborhood, young people in that same neighborhood have an increased chance of doing the same. She has worked with others to create a publication that aids the family and community of someone who has taken their life, in order to prevent a ripple-effect or aftermath. Being such a small state, New Hampshire is fortunate to have the funds to create such a program. It was interesting to get the perspective of someone working outside of the Medical Examiner's office and her experiences doing so. She even insisted that if I had any questions that might help with my Senior Project presentation, that she would be more than happy to help. It is nice to know that if I ever want to learn more about the suicide prevention program that all I need do is ask. It just shows that this cause is very important to her and that it is working. All good steps in the right direction...

I am hoping that by the end of the day tomorrow I will be completely finished with my main project. That means that I can finish my Senior Project with a bang, no pun intended. Check back in the next few days to hear how my last week is going. Take care!

Nearly There...

So...Now that all the photocopying and redacting is done, I now have to go back through and collect data from each case. Luckily, most of the information needed is in the photocopied documents, but I do need to go back into the case files for some facts. So, the end is yet to come. Keep stopping in and hopefully there will be a more exciting post soon. Thanks!

Free at last...

I'm done! I have photocopied, redacted and handled more file folders than I would have wanted to do in a whole lifetime! I dropped the huge stack of paper on Kim's desk before I left this afternoon, marking the completion of my main project. I am excited about the other projects I will do during the next week and a half. While the aircraft fatality study was thoroughly interesting, I am psyched to broaden my horizons in forensic investigation with other projects. I am sure the next few posts will be more intriguing...stay tuned!

Hours: 10:05 - 1:30

Total: 3 hours 35 minutes

Such a long day...

I worked all of forty minutes today. My sponsor, Kim, had to leave for a meeting and Jennie had an autopsy. Lynn, the secretary, also departed and interns are not allowed in the office alone. So, I drove an hour round-trip to get less work done. I am still excited though because I am getting closer to finishing my project. I usually don't go in to Concord on Wednesdays because of my game and class schedule, so any time is good time. I'll let you know how my day goes tomorrow. Later.

Hours: 9:10 - 9:50

Total: 40 minutes

Better than I thought...

I started going through the investigation reports for each of the cases and I have found that it is not as much work as I had thought. There are fewer pages than the autopsy reports and I don't have to redact as much information. It looks as though I will be done sooner than I had imagined. Today, I also "worked" in the evidence room. While I am not licensed, I watched Rosie, the woman who works in the evidence room, prepare some blood and urine samples to send away to NMS, or the National Medical Service. The state crime lab can only do so much in terms of detecting narcotics in samples of tissue. People tend to abuse prescription drugs these days and so with a few cases these need to be detected by NMS. Samples are sent to NMS, which sends back a detailed report of what, if any, drugs are found. Cool stuff. Even cooler is the fact that they receive thousands of samples every day. That's a lot of blood to test...

Hopefully in the next few days, I will finish my main project and learn even more about the system of the Medical Examiner's office. Later.

Hours: 11:10 - 2:20

Total: 3 hours 10 minutes

First Day of Week Two

I finished photocopying the autopsy reports and thought I was finished with my main project, but it turns out I also need to redact the investigation reports! I have to go through all the files again and then copy those documents. I have my work cut out for me! When I am completely finished going through all the case files, I will use the reports to gather and record some data before the information is sent out to the university. Tomorrow I will spend the day in the evidence room, so I am looking forward to the activities that I will be doing. Stay tuned for my post about the evidence room! Later.

Hours: 9:00 - 10:55

Total: 1 hour 55 minutes

Weekly Reflection One

I have only been in the office for a few days, but I have already learned so much. Looking through the case files has not only brought me closer to completing my main project, but has also educated me on the terms and procedures of autopsies and investigations. While redacting autopsy reports and photocopying hundreds of sheets of paper may seem extremely mundane to the average person, I find it quite exciting. As I have mentioned in my previous posts, I am happy my project was able to happen. I have always been a fan of the crime television show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and I had wanted to try it out for myself. While I was slightly surprised the television show was nothing like real life forensic investigation, it gave me a stepping stone, while a very small one, to start my internship. I already understood a few of the basics of crime scene investigation, but I wanted to know more about what happens after a scene has been processed. Lucky for me, I am at the Medical Examiner's office four times a week! I have gotten lots of verbal and electronic feedback on my senior project and to my pleasant surprise, people are very interested in hearing about my experiences. Even other students who are doing a senior project of their own have wanted to know about mine. I am more than happy to share with everyone because it is all part of the learning process. 

A university in Michigan is completing a study about airplane deaths and they needed the autopsy reports for all the aircraft-related fatalities in New Hampshire. I adopted this as my main project and will be finished with it soon. I am excited about the other activities I will be doing in the office. I know that I will learn so much more in the last week and a half that I can imagine. While I may not decide to pursue a career in forensic investigation, I will have had an amazing and fruitful senior project. If anything else, I can now point out the technical flaws whenever I watch CSI! While my senior project is just beginning, it has already opened my eyes to the outside world, even if that world is full of murder and crime. If I could restart my project, I wouldn't change a thing. I am very fortunate that I can learn so much about a subject that I love. 

Getting Closer...

Hey guys...I started photocopying the case files for my project. Hopefully I will be done by the middle of next week. I learned some pretty cool things today at the office, one of which I found to be particularly interesting. Kim, my Project Sponsor, explained to me that there are cases where a body is hard to identify. Typically finger prints are taken, but if that doesn't pan out, they go to dental records. We didn't really have much time to talk about it because I was so busy with my project, but she told me that there are a few other ways to identify a body. Super exciting if you ask me. When I find out what they are, I'll fill you in!

I find this project to be so interesting because I view each case as a puzzle. Yes, I am not a qualified forensic investigator, but I can feel that each person in the office wants to be there and they enjoy their job. To me, to start with one piece, almost always a DB (dead body for those of you who didn't read my earlier posts), and then go from there to solve a whole case is amazing. What a sense of accomplishment to find out the last moments of a person's life...you are a victim's last voice. Be heard.

Thanks.

Day Three

I finally finished going through all the case files! I will begin photocopying tomorrow and I will soon by done with my main project! I am hoping the office will have lots of exciting things for me to do for the remaining time. Just being in the office makes me feel as though I am learning something, and I am. Aside from the system and procedures of forensic investigation, I am finding the cases themselves, while very gruesome at times, are interesting as well. I am really glad my Senior Project worked out and I could experience this. Even if I do not decide that I want to have a career in forensic investigation, I will have had fun doing it. Until next time...

Hours: 10:05 - 2:00

Total: 3 hours 55 minutes

My Apologies...

Hello...hang in there! I am waiting on my post to go through. Check back later! Thanks!

Corinne

My Wednesday Schedule

Hey guys...Because I am still taking two of my classes (A and F blocks), there are days when I do not have a chance of going into the office. Wednesdays are those times. While I could tell you all the cool things that happen during my day, it's just not as interesting as the office. Expect an exciting post for Thursday though. Thanks all! See ya!

Corinne

Day Two

My second day was a little more exciting than the first: I started on my project! I pulled out case files for airplane fatalities in New Hampshire and set to reviewing them. In some cases, I was only given a date and location for an airplane crash site. I learned how to go through the ledger of autopsied cases and use their handy card system to gather case numbers. While the actual project is interesting, I am looking forward to becoming acquainted with everyone in the office and hopefully deciding if this is the right career for me. Exciting stuff! Check back later for more news. 

P.S. To answer Marie's question, I have learned new vocabulary that includes: 

COD: cause of death

MBII: multiple blunt impact injuries

DB: dead body

Thanks!

Hours: 11:20 - 1:50

Total: 2 hours 30 minutes

Heads Up...

Hey all. I am really excited to tell you all about my second day at the Medical Examiner's Office, but due to confidentiality terms, I have to send each of my blog posts through my Project Sponsor. So, this means I can't tell you about my day until that has been cleared. Thanks for the comments! Keep posting and stay tuned!

First Day at the Office

I spent my first morning at the Medical Examiner's Office in Concord, NH. Aside from the normal "interny" tasks they had me do like photocopying and looking through documents, I learned of the basic procedure of investigating a crime scene. My main project is to report on airplane crash fatalities in New Hampshire and I have already started using the internal computer database of all autopsied cases. I will start looking through case files and gathering data tomorrow. Stay tuned for more interesting posts in the next few days as I delve deeper into the realm of forensic investigation! 

Hours: 8:30 - 11:10

Total: 2 hours 40 minutes