1. The National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) is another professional organization for forensic pathologists. They have published two short videos that discuss the basics of how autopsies are conducted. These videos utilize plastic training bodies and organs and are not graphic. Please watch these videos to familiarize yourself with this process:
Part I: Introduction & External Examination:
Part II: Internal Examination:
BONUS/OPTIONAL material for viewing organ dissection referenced in Part II video (Warning: Graphic and not part of the required activity):
2. Please familiarize yourself with the NAME Website:
Amongst other resources, the NAME website includes links to Case of the Week case studies (caution: some include graphic material) you might like to explore.
There is also a webinar page that provides dozens of previously recorded webinars on various autopsy-related topics. You do not need to watch any of the webinars as part of the activity of familiarizing yourself with the website. Still, please keep these topics and this website in mind for materials as a potential source for support/reference for your future bi-weekly activity assignments.
3. Please watch the following videos on virtual autopsies:
Overview:
Marketing Video from Virtual Autopsy Consultant:
Finally, there is one more activity that you can accomplish at any time, and that you will use as the basis for your reflection paper:
4. Read the peer-reviewed article Blunt force homicides in Denmark 1996-2016 (Hougen et al., 2022) available at:
The article describes a study examining blunt force homicides over a course of 25 years. It includes many facts and figures, including where most fatal blunt force injuries are incurred, various circumstances surrounding blunt force assaults, and psychosocial statistics.
Using what you learned about the autopsy process (including both external and internal examinations), information provided in class, and basic information about blunt force trauma found on pp. 79-84 of our textbook (Dudley, 2016), you should prepare a reflection/discussion regarding what one should expect to find on internal and external examinations during the autopsy of a victim who was killed by homicidal blunt force trauma (or traumas) of your choice.
I do not want you to parrot back our lessons, nor do I want you to explain or recap every possible type of blunt force injury. Instead, I ask that you use the data from the Denmark study as a basis for reflecting on the autopsy process, blunt force injury characteristics, and any other related facts you choose to incorporate, to develop an informed discussion on the topic of blunt force injuries in the context of a homicide.
Note: information presented in class during Module 6 is also based on Gitto and Stoppachers (2021) article on blunt force injuries, which is accessible via the following link (discretion advised re: Graphic clinical images at bottom of page):
Please ensure your paper consists of 500-750 words. You do not need to reference our text or the above given references, unless directly quoting information. Please reference any new sources if you choose to use them in your discussion. Otherwise, the other APA elements of a student paper, such as title page, page numbers, abstract, and introduction and conclusion sections, are waived.
Requirements: 500-750 words