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.