The organization I interned for was the Clark County Coroner and
Medical Examiner’s Office. Initially, for my internship, I shadowed the administration side of things and mainly assisted with correspondence (that is the notification process in which people who knew the decedents requested documents and examination reports). Then I was moved over to investigations and trained to become a Coroner Investigative Assistant. I would pick up admit blood and x-rays from hospitals, process medications and property from scenes, and send fingerprints to the FBI for identification. This internship has benefited me so much, in the fact, that I was able to network and procure the job I currently have. Without having gone through the internship, I would have had to go in there blind and try and get an interview, but now I'm already knowledgeable about the process and they offered me a position. This internship has definitely tied into my major since I studied the osteology and forensics side of anthropology, and I've been able to use my knowledge of bones in the field during ride-along. I want to study decomposition and unidentified human skeletal remains for my master’s and PhD, and having personal connections with the coroner’s office will assist me in that venture. To intern in the administration office, I didn't need any additional education, but since I had completed my death investigation training through the Coroner's, I was able to slide into the investigation training and understand the process. Having that training completed allowed me to be the first in the new training, which the investigative supervisors now want to do with future interns. I've wanted to work in this industry since I was little. When I was 8, I even wanted to be a mortician. In 2019 I took a tour of the coroner’s office, and the atmosphere was so welcoming, and the staff were so pleasant that I knew I wanted to work there. I've been seeking the job I have now (and soon-to-be job) for a few years now. I have applied for the full-time position of Coroner Investigator. There is a long interview process and lots of training for this job. Coroner Investigators are the ones arriving at the scene, determining the cause and manner of death, and pronouncing death. Only a doctor and the coroner investigator can declare death. It's a very demanding job. What I recommend for incoming interns is network, network, network. I secured this internship by emailing the administration supervisor. I got that email from a visiting classmate last semester. She sat in on our osteology class and she was from Arizona. I talked to her about her internship, and she sent me the email. Without her, I wouldn't have the opportunity I did. Talk to people and don't be afraid to email! The worst they can say is no.
