Suicide vs Murder

[OrdinaryLife]

Well, ordinary life...if a DO is as good as a PHD...why get a PHD?

A Phd is a choice that some make. Truth. I have friends who are Phd's. Would they make a good M.E.? No. A Phd is just another extra (not taking away from the *much* work it takes to get one!), but it does not mean that they are any more experienced in the field. A title does not make a person better at what they do. But, it looks way good beside the name.

Edit to add that any person that has put in the time, work, and energy to become what they chose is a good thing. Don't let the initials place any person in the lessor catagory of medicine. It is a specialty of choice. Doesn't mean they cannot do the job.

 

[jjenny]

Well, ordinary life...if a DO is as good as a PHD...why get a PHD?

Someone with a PhD (and no MD or DO) can not practice medicine.

 

[Paladine]

A Phd is a choice that some make. Truth. I have friends who are Phd's. Would they make a good M.E.? No. A Phd is just another extra (not taking away from the *much* work it takes to get one!), but it does not mean that they are any more experienced in the field. A title does not make a person better at what they do. But, it looks way good beside the name.

Edit to add that any person that has put in the time, work, and energy to become what they chose is a good thing. Don't let the initials place any person in the lessor category of medicine. It is a specialty of choice. Doesn't mean they cannot do the job.

Thanks for your viewpoint, presented in a reasoned way... I'd just like to see more about his credentials and experience...

See, with me...I like to discover a case. I like to take each piece of info and see where it leads next. When I post a post, sometimes it's to present an opinion....and when it is you'll know. I say so. But most times it's to explore information and ideas. THAT'S the dynamic I enjoy. It doesn't mean I am invested in, or give equal weight, or extra merit, to any one post. Many times I post to share info I'm learning...and to see if others can add to the info or lead me another way. Both have happened.

I'm not into debate. If I want a spirited debate I'll talk to my Hubby about some reno's I want to do or my teen aged Daughter about her curfew.

I want to share ideas. Not make points. Or 'win'. AND...I do love it when you present yours in such a classy, non-confrontational informative way, Thanks, bud...

 

[jjenny]

Googling for any info on Sexton...

Dr. Andrew W. Sexton discloses financial relationship with commercial entity...if you notice the listing, many other Dr.'s disclose they have no financial relationships...and notice he has a D.O. after his name..not a even a PHD like many of the other medical examiners listed...

http://www.aafs.org/pdf/2009ProceedingsDenver.pdf

Not even a PhD? Really? Do you think PhDs are given out like hotcakes?
Again, PhDs (unless they also have an MD or DO) can not practice medicine. PhDs do research (generally). It's a different degree alltogether.

 

[Paladine]

Someone with a PhD (and no MD or DO) can not practice medicine.

I posted a list a couple posts ago with names of the medical examiners, they had PHD's beside their names...now, wouldn't they need to also be a medical doctor to be a medical examiner? Boy..that's a mouthful! lol...I don't have a D.O. OR a PHD, btw...

 

[Paladine]

Okay...this link says there are coroners, medical examiners and forensic pathologists.

Forensic pathology is a branch of pathology concerned with determining the cause of death by examination of a corpse. The autopsy is performed by the pathologist at the request of a coroner or medical examiner usually during the investigation of criminal law cases and civil law cases in some jurisdictions. Forensic pathologists are also frequently asked to confirm the identity of a corpse.

In the United States, a coroner is typically an elected public official in a particular geographic jurisdiction who investigates and certifies deaths. The vast majority of coroners lack a Doctor of Medicine degree and the amount of medical training that they have received is highly variable, depending on their profession (e.g. law enforcement, judges, funeral directors, firefighters, nurses).

In contrast, a medical examiner is typically a physician who holds the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Ideally, a medical examiner has completed both a pathology residency and a fellowship in forensic pathology. In some jurisdictions, a medical examiner must be both a doctor and a lawyer, with additional training in forensic pathology.

A forensic pathologist is a different occupation with different requirements for training...

In the United States of America, forensic pathologists typically complete at least one year of additional training (a fellowship) after completing an anatomical pathology residency and having passed the "board" examination administered by The American Board of Pathology ("board-certified"). Becoming an anatomical pathologist in the United States requires completing a three to five year residency in anatomical pathology, which is something one does on completing medical school. Anatomic pathology (as it is called) by itself is a three-year residency. Most US pathologists complete a combined residency in both anatomic and clinical pathology, which requires a total of four years.

In the US, all told, the education after high school is typically 13 years in duration (4 years undergraduate training + 4 years medical school + 4 years residency (in anatomic and clinical pathology) + 1 year forensic pathology fellowship). Generally, the biggest hurdle is gaining admission to medical school, although the failure rate for anatomic and forensic pathology board examinations (in the U.S.) is approximately 30-40 and 40-50 percent, respectively

.
I've seen nothing yet saying Dr. Sexton is a forensic pathologist...just a medical examiner...still looking...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forensic_pathology#Coroners_and_medical_examiner_in_the_US

 

[Paladine]

Here's a job listing dated March/2010 for a medical examiner to perform autopsy's in Boston and at the Holyoke office, Dr. Sexton is in Holyoke. They only require a person be a physician specialist to be a medical examiner. Not a forensic pathologist...

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT
Medical Examiner
(Physician Specialist)
Agency Name:
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office Of The Chief Medical Examiner Albany StreetBoston, MA 02118
Official Title:
Physician Specialist
Functional Title:
Medical Examiner
Occupational Group:
Medical & Dental Practice
Position Type:
Non-Civil Service
Full-Time or Part-Time:
Full-Time
Salary Range:
$129,332.06 to $210,551.38 Annually
Bargaining Unit:
07
Shift:
Day
Confidential:
No
Number Of Vacancies:
1
Facility Location:
Boston Office at 720 Albany Street; Worcester Office at Mass Medical Center; Holyoke Office at Providence Hospital
Application Deadline:
April 1, 2010
Apply Online:
Yes
Posting ID:
J19950
This position is funded from the Commonwealth's annual operating budget.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DUTIES:
Performing scene investigations, examination of physical evidence, performance of external examination on bodies, performance of autopsies, performance of cremation views, preparation of reports, courtroom testimony, and working closely with a variety of diverse groups including law enforcement personnel, district attorneys, defense counsel, families of decedents and funeral directors. Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, are essential to job functions. Work must be performed within the norms of accepted medical practice in forensic pathology. Job duties are usually performed independently but are subject to review by the Chief Medical Examiner. At the discretion of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Medical Examiner may be assigned additional duties. The Medical Examiner will always adhere to the highest ethical standards and serve as a role model for all other OCME employees.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:
- Performs autopsies in order to determine the cause and manner of death.

 

[Paladine]

This is an older piece from 2004. But it is stunning. WAY worth the read, I encourage all to have a gander. It details the many problems with the Boston medical examiners office...I will look for something more recent but this does not make me feel any better.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/373548/taking_charge_as_medical_examiner/index.html

 

[Paladine]

2007: Still having problems...WAY more at link...

"Autopsies overwhelm medical examiner staff
Body bags, tags in short supply"

Lawmakers on Beacon Hill said that the more recent problems stem from years of underfunding and that they hoped to find more money this year.

Flomenbaum, formerly the second-ranked forensic pathologist in the New York City medical examiner's office, declined to comment.

Almost two years ago, he took over what was widely regarded as one of the worst state medical examiner's offices in the country. The office had failed in some of its duties because of underfunding, neglect, and shrinking staff. In 2003, the office was rocked by allegations that a pathologist had sent the wrong set of eyeballs for testing to determine whether an infant had died from shaken baby syndrome. The office also faced allegations that it misidentified a fire victim's body, which was then cremated.

When he took over, Flomenbaum vowed that the office would perform more autopsies and hire more staff.

The office, which has about 65 employees, has increased the number of autopsies from 2,694 in 2005 to 3,552 last year, according to Marcia S. Izzi , his chief administrative officer.

The volume of autopsies has risen because the medical examiner's office, under Flomenbaum's orders, has been more aggressive in requiring that state pathologists review suspicious or unattended deaths. The office now has 11 pathologists, up from five when Flomenbaum took office.

But a former technician, Brian Gonsalves , said yesterday that the increased workload has strained the operation. He said he worked at the office about a year before leaving last October because of low pay and limited career opportunities, but acknowledged that on the day he gave notice he had a confrontation with a human resources official.

Gonsalves, 24, told the Globe that on several occasions the office ran out of basic supplies, including body bags and toe tags. The technicians, who assist the pathologists, were told to cut toe tags from manila envelopes and punch holes in them, he said.

He said that when the autopsies increased, waste tissue inadvertently overwhelmed the plumbing system. "The drain system backed up and for two days we had to perform autopsies in 2 inches of bloody water on the floor," he said.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/03/15/autopsies_overwhelm_medical_examiner_staff/

 

[Paladine]

More...2009...

The Boston medical examiner's office sent the wrong bodies to funeral homes and had a body cremated before police could determine whether a murder had taken place.

A report by the National Academy of Sciences, presented to Congress this spring, found pervasive deficiencies nationwide. It recommends modernizing the medical examiner's office by establishing performance standards and quality-control measures and testing the scientific validity of forensic methods. It also calls for creating a national watchdog agency that could set education standards, require certification of facilities, and develop and implement new technologies.

A group of medical examiners themselves recommended minimum national standards, calling for such changes as requiring that autopsies be conducted by those who have been trained in anatomic and forensic pathology.

http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news...ews&cate_img=44.jpg&cate_rss=news_Perspective

 

[Paladine]

2008...

"Troubled Medical Examiner's Office Attempts Overhaul
Team 5 Investigates Reveals Lingering Problems, Incomplete Death Certificates

POSTED: 2:53 pm EDT May 21, 2008
UPDATED: 8:21 am EDT May 22, 2008"

Last April, the wrong body was buried. In June, a botched autopsy compromised a murder case. In August, the chief medical examiner, Mark Flomenbaum, was fired. In December, Team 5 Investigates broke the story that the wrong body was taken from a hospital.

After an independent report released last summer recommended a top to bottom overhaul, a team of public safety officials was assigned to the task. Team 5 Investigates went inside the medical examiner's office and revealed there are still flaws in the system.

Public safety officials acknowledged to Team 5 that a year ago, the medical examiner's office was dysfunctional. There were too many bodies, too few staff, bad morale and unsanitary conditions. They said most of the problems have been eliminated.

But an inside source told Team 5 Investigates that as recently as this winter, the office was still rife with problems. Exclusive pictures released to Team 5 illustrate a backlog of bodies. At times, there were over 100 corpses spilling out into the main hallway.

"They're tossed on a gurney. It's just not right," said an insider who did not want to be named. "I understand the person is dead. But you still have to have respect for them."

"Thirty-seven bodies were in the main cooler, a third less than the average backlogs that existed when the former chief medical examiner was in charge. According to public safety officials, his team was scheduling too many unnecessary autopsies. But the insider told Team 5 that just three months ago, technicians were sometimes doing the work of doctors.

"The technician cuts when they're not supposed to cut. Doctors have court cases and can't finish the work. A lot of the cuts are not done right," said the insider.
"The role of the technician did expand to more than what our medical leadership thought appropriate, and that has changed," said Grossman.

But Team 5 Investigates learned there are still major flaws at the medical examiner's office, including death certificates that take months, even years to be mailed to families

When Team 5 asked Nields if the poor reputation of the office was hindering the hiring of new talent, he told Team 5 "It certainly doesn't help."

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/16352799/detail.html

 

[Paladine]

"Mistakes pile up for MA medical examiner's office"

March 19, 2009 — 12:09pm ET | By Dan Bowman

The Massachusetts state medical examiner's office in Boston has had its fair share of problems over the past few years. Most recently, a box of human bones was discovered by a worker cleaning out a cooler last month, which led to the dismissal of the office's forensic anthropologist, Ann Marie Mires. The bones were left behind after the rest of the body was shipped to a funeral home for burial in July 2007. A similar incident occurred nearly two years ago, when bones from a body released for burial were found in Mires's office.

Mires claims that the mistakes were "a failure in the system" that's "still broken," and may have a case considering that nearly two years ago, Governor Deval Patrick fired chief medical examiner Dr. Mark Flomenbaum when his staff "temporarily misplaced a body." The medical examiner's office also admitted, last month, to allowing the body of a woman to be cremated before it was determined if her death was a homicide, and to releasing the wrong body to a funeral home when his remains were set to be cremated.

Read more: http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/sto...cal-examiners-office/2009-03-19#ixzz0loAapdBP

 

[Paladine]

Ex-employee speaks out...2009...

But when contacted by the Globe, Mires, who has helped identify the remains of missing children like Molly Bish and the alleged victims of fugitive gangster James "Whitey" Bulger, said she was not to blame for the mix-up with the bones and is being wrongly blamed for chronic problems at the beleaguered medical examiner's office. She has filed a grievance challenging her dismissal.

"It's not my fault, but a failure in the system," said Mires, who was hired by the medical examiner's office in 1996 and previously served as a consultant for 11 years. "They still haven't been able to fix the place. It's still broken, and this is just the tip of the iceberg."

http://www.boston.com/news/local/ma...t_at_office_of_state_medical_examiner/?page=1

 

[Paladine]

I know this is 2001 but I find it so disturbing, I thought I'd share...

"Autopsies done without license"
By Sean P. Murphy, Globe Staff, 9/11/2001

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, which sponsored his fellowship, never gave Blaise permission to perform autopsies there, but the medical examiner's office allowed him to do so, according to staff members who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution

Complaints about Blaise's lack of a license were made to Chief Medical Examiner Richard Evans, but Evans declined to comment on the matter.


''We all knew it was a problem,'' said one staff member. ''But we were told we'd have to give it some more time.''


Blaise, a medical school graduate, worked in a medical examiner's office in Florida before coming to Massachusetts, according to state officials. He was not licensed in Florida, the officials said.


Generally, a doctor seeking a license in Massachusetts need only have the medical board in the state where he or she previously practiced vouch for the doctor's competence and character.

http://the-puzzle-palace.com/Autopsies_done_without_license%2b.shtml

 

[Paladine]

Kris...your question started it, you got me on a roll...lol...it's all YOUR fault!

Tag...you're it... I'm outta here for tonight...

 

[Kris]

WOW, Thanks Paladine!!! I only had a few moments before work to read your posts, and will review them and the links further later. You really outdid yourself, kudos!! Oh, I don't mean to get you on another roll, but was wondering (since you appear to be so good at it) if you could find statistics on the number of homicides that were initially ruled suicide? If not, that's OK, I'll keep looking. And I was wondering if you looked at the link I posted with the 5 cases of suicide later ruled homicide? Gotta go, but will try to post again later.

 

[Paladine]

Kris...thanks, it took on a life of its own. But it tells me the State Medical Examiner is not above reproach and I'm not the first person to question their competency.

I will have a peek around for statistics on homicides initially ruled suicides a little later...If anyone reading this finds the statistics before I post, please post...

 

[Dr. Phail]

Pala quoted: "Molly Bish said she was not to blame for the mix-up with the bones."


Man, I've messed up at some jobs....stuck a pizza to a wall, accidentally locked myself in a freezer but I ain't never mixed up no bones.

Never even been accused of mixing up bones. Never had to tell anyone that I didn't mix up no bones.


Man.....I feel for this Molly girl.


Sucky day at work man.

 

[Paladine]

Pala quoted: "Molly Bish said she was not to blame for the mix-up with the bones."


Man, I've messed up at some jobs....stuck a pizza to a wall, accidentally locked myself in a freezer but I ain't never mixed up no bones.

Never even been accused of mixing up bones. Never had to tell anyone that I didn't mix up no bones.


Man.....I feel for this Molly girl.


Sucky day at work man.

THIS post is spectacular, imo! SO FUNNY...and TRUE!

 

[Paladine]

And it seems to me, that woman is being blamed, scapegoated...it seems to me, there are systemic problems with the medical examiners office as there are with the school...they've been trying to clean it up for almost 10 yrs, according to links. It's STILL having scandals in 2009.