Credit: University of New Mexico
Death investigation in New Mexico is a statewide system. The Office of the Medical Investigator is located on the campus of the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in the city of Albuquerque. This arrangement ensures the state is provided with excellent facilities in death investigation as well as affording outstanding educational and research opportunities in forensic pathology.
It is in this fertile environment that the forensic pathology fellow conducts a substantial number of medicolegal autopsies on routine and unusual cases from around the state and is given substantial control of cases (natural, accidental, suicidal and homicidal) at all levels, commensurate with their increasing ability.
The Office of the Medical Investigator is currently accepting applications for fellowship year 2026 – 2027. The program participates in the MATCH for fellowship selection through NMRP. Applicants must register with NMRP during the application process for consideration. Notification of selection for interview, and interviews will take place in beginning in October 2024. The dates for the 2025 Forensic Pathology Fellowship Match for 2026 appointment are:
- Match Opens: February 5, 2025, 12:00 PM ET
- Ranking Opens: March 12, 2025, 12:00 PM ET
- Quota Change Deadline: April 2, 2025, 11:59 PM ET
- Rank Order List Certification Deadline: April 16, 2025, 09:00 PM ET
- Match Day: April 30, 2025, 12:00 PM ET
- We will only be accepting applications through the 2025 cycle of Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) for the 2026 MATCH cycle.
The forensic pathology specialty is joining the ERAS July fellowship program cycle beginning with the 2025 season for fellowship positions that will start in July 2026. More information about this specialty is available on the 2025 ERAS Participating Specialties and Programs webpage.
Training
Training during the year includes rotations in toxicology, forensic odontology, forensic anthropology, and the state and local crime labs. The trainee is afforded the opportunity to testify in court, under supervision and direction, and is also encouraged to witness testimony by others who are experienced in courtroom dialogue.
The Office of the Medical Investigator is a state of the art facility with in house computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Postmortem CT scans are performed on the majority of decedents and are interpreted by a board certified forensic radiologist. Trainees will have in depth exposure to radiology interpretation under the guidance of our forensic radiologist.
In this system, consultations are presented to all of the senior pathologists for review and advice. The trainee is allowed to actively participate in these interesting consultations. In addition to the case-by-case instruction, the trainee will be involved in didactic teaching and should be a participant in the annual Medicolegal Investigation of Death seminar conducted each year for investigators and law enforcement personnel.
The OMI program provides one year of in-depth training in forensic pathology, and applicants must have completed training in either straight anatomic or combined clinical and anatomic pathology in an ACGME-accredited residency program by the beginning of the fellowship year.
Program Acceptance
The Office of the Medical Investigator accepts four fellows per academic year and is currently participating in the NRMP MATCH. Applicants are selected for interviews following review of their completed application materials and letters of recommendation, completed through the electronic residency application service (ERAS). The interview process usually takes place in October-January and follows the MATCH timelines.
Republished courtesy of University of New Mexico