Delaware County Office of the Medical Examiner Partners with PIT to Offer Exciting New Certification Program

Released: August 23, 2024

Delaware County Office of the Medical Examiner Partners with PIT to Offer Exciting New Certification Program

The Delaware County Office of the Medical Examiner, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Institute of Technology, is proud to announce the launch of a new Autopsy Technician Certification Course, set to begin in October 2024.

This certification program, the first of its kind in the tri-state region, is a two-term, 15-credit course. Primarily offered online, the program also requires a 60-hour externship at a morgue, medical examiner’s office, or funeral home. Students will gain essential knowledge and hands-on skills necessary for conducting autopsies and other post-mortem examinations. Students are responsible for securing their own externship site.

"Our office is thrilled to collaborate with PIT on this groundbreaking training initiative,” said Jeffrey Lange, Administrator for the Delaware County Office of the Medical Examiner. “This innovative program will soon be accessible to medical examiner offices and coroner offices nationwide, helping to standardize training and enhance the quality of autopsy examinations everywhere."

The Autopsy Technician Certification program prepares students for positions working alongside pathologists, medical examiners, and morticians. These professionals are critical in preparing bodies for burial or cremation and in performing tests and examinations that help determine the cause of death, often providing crucial evidence in criminal cases.

Those with a passion for human anatomy and a curiosity about the causes of death frequently pursue careers as autopsy technicians.

Upon completing this program, graduates will be able to:

• Perform all required duties of an autopsy technician, from receipt of the body to final release to a funeral home.
• Collect, catalog, and inventory evidence, including tissue samples, organs, and clothing.
• Take forensic photographs of the body at various stages during the autopsy.
• Maintain necessary written records.
• Enrollment is now open. The entire course will be delivered online, except for the required 60-hour externship at a morgue, medical examiner’s office, or funeral home.

Current autopsy technicians who have completed at least 60 hours of autopsies in a coroner’s or medical examiner’s office may have the externship requirement waived with a signature from their coroner, facility director, or pathologist as proof of experience.

Individuals interested in enrolling in the certification program can contact the Pennsylvania Institute of Technology at (610) 892-1500 or visit their website at https://www.pit.edu/programs/certificate/autopsy-technician-program-certificate/.