In this blog post, we will take a closer look at the actual scope of work of forensic scientists, the detailed fields of forensic science, and the process of becoming a forensic scientist.
It has been some time since the drama “Sign” was popular in South Korea. There were many interesting elements in the drama, such as conflicts between characters and conspiracies, and one of them was the fact that the main character was a forensic scientist. Before the drama aired, the general public knew very little about forensic science. Even after the drama aired, it is likely that forensic scientists were perceived as people who, like the main character in the drama, reveal how a deceased person was killed through autopsies and other means. Of course, the above is part of the work of a forensic scientist, but that is not all they do. Let’s take a look at what forensic scientists do exactly and how to become one.
According to a broad definition, forensic medicine is “a discipline that studies medical and scientific issues that are legally relevant and contributes to the administration of justice and the protection of human rights by resolving such issues.” More specifically, forensic medicine can be divided into three fields: forensic pathology, forensic serology, and clinical forensic medicine.
First, forensic pathology is the study of determining the type and cause of death, the time of death, the method of death, the murder weapon, and the poison used by performing autopsies and postmortem examinations, as depicted in the TV drama “Signs” mentioned above.
Forensic serology is the study of identifying individuals through blood tests, fingerprints, hair, and saliva tests, contributing to the identification of criminals and biological parentage. This is similar to the work of the main characters in the famous overseas series “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” In fact, both forensic serologists and forensic pathologists are said to be among those working in the Korean National Forensic Service.
Finally, clinical forensic medicine is a field of study that analyzes the relationship between medical accidents and diseases or injuries, as well as the relationship between medical practices and causes of death, in order to determine whether there was negligence in medical practices.
Forensic pathology and forensic serology are relatively well known to the general public through TV dramas and movies, and there are many areas where the two fields are somewhat related, but clinical forensics is relatively unknown and tends to be separated from the other two fields. However, clinical forensics can play a major role in protecting the human rights of patients by helping patients who may suffer damage due to a lack of medical knowledge. For example, before clinical forensic medicine and medical lawyers appeared in earnest, even if a patient’s condition worsened or, in severe cases, died due to medical malpractice, the patient’s family often could not receive proper compensation from the hospital or doctor due to a lack of medical knowledge. Recently, such cases have been decreasing due to the development of clinical forensic medicine. Although we have classified forensic medicine into these three categories, in reality, the three fields often complement each other closely.
So, how does one become a forensic scientist? Forensic scientists must be knowledgeable in both law and medicine, which can make their position ambiguous. In any country, a medical license is a prerequisite for becoming a forensic scientist. However, the exact method differs slightly between the United States and Korea. In the United States, medical examiners (similar to forensic scientists in Korea) must become doctors and then undergo training as pathologists. The qualification exam for pathologists is only given after 1-2 years of training in forensic autopsies under a medical examiner. In the Commonwealth, coroners (equivalent to forensic scientists in South Korea) were originally not doctors but administrators. When a case arose, the administrator would act as coroner and consult with renowned medical experts, such as professors at local medical schools, to handle the case. However, most coroners are now doctors.
In South Korea, after obtaining a medical license, one must complete a residency program in anatomical pathology (also known as diagnostic pathology) and obtain a specialist license in anatomical pathology, and then undergo a certain period of training in forensic medicine before becoming qualified. As of June 2024, there is no licensing system, but the Korean Society of Forensic Medicine is promoting a licensing system for forensic medicine specialists. Currently, there are about 20 forensic scientists in South Korea, most of whom work at the National Forensic Service.
