If a look at the television ratings tells us anything, it is that people are fascinated with the world of the forensic pathologist — even if it’s tarted up for TV. We tracked down Dr. Michael Pickup, the city’s finest, of the Provincial Forensic Pathology Unit to ask him a few questions.
What is a forensic pathologist?
A medical doctor trained in the effects of injury and disease on the body in the context of the law.
What does a typical day at work look like for you?
We start the morning doing rounds, where forensic pathologists, coroners and trainees look at cases that have arrived in the department.
What is an autopsy?
The word “autopsy” comes from the Greek, meaning “to see for oneself.” A forensic autopsy has five parts. The first part consists of examining and evaluating the scene and the circumstances surrounding the death. This usually involves looking at photographs of the scene, but — in certain circumstances — may require performing a scene visit. The second deals with the external examination.
And then what?
The third part is the internal examination. This is the part most people recognize as an autopsy. We make a Y-shaped incision on the body from the shoulders down the chest and over the abdomen, down to the pelvis. We then remove the breast plate to examine and then take out all of the internal organs. The organs are then examined individually and weighed. We report any evidence of disease or injury seen in the internal organs. In a case of a gunshot wound, for example, we describe the track of the bullet inside the body, paying particular attention to the presence of internal bleeding and injured organs. We then take out the brain and examine the brain for injury or disease.
So how long does this take?
It varies. A routine autopsy, one with an obvious cause of death, runs about an hour. A complicated one, one with various injuries and underlying disease, can take up to two days.
Have you ever had a case you couldn’t crack, or is that just TV lingo?
Contrary to television and some magazines, the autopsy doesn’t always show the answer. For a certain proportion of cases, we don’t see an anatomical or toxicological cause of death. A person doesn’t necessarily have visible signs of why they died. Some people may have electrical disturbances in their heart without a structural abnormality, or metabolic abnormalities that are impossible to prove after death.
How realistic are TV shows such as CSI and Bones?
They tend to sensationalize what we do. We’re medical doctors. We don’t have the paparazzi around us. We turn the lights on in the post-mortem room rather than using flashlights. We don’t wear high heels. Due to these shows, the public perception of us has changed. People and, on occasion, the courts can have unrealistic expectations of what we can and cannot do. On CSI, they can get results on DNA samples in a few hours. In real life, we need a few weeks at the very least, sometimes months. It takes us two to three weeks for a toxicology report that on TV was instantly conclusive with a colour change when two liquids are mixed together. You can’t rush science.
What makes a good forensic pathologist?
A good forensic pathologist is above all objective and balanced, someone who’s able to step back and is able to make an educated opinion on the case based on all the information available.
What can you tell me about the new project for the province — telepathology?
The telepathology death investigation initiative is a new project for Ontario, and one which, to my knowledge, is the first of its kind in the world. Based mainly on the vastness of Ontario, the investigation of deaths in northern Ontario is highly problematic. The project is a result of recommendations that were issued from an inquiry. It’s to increase accessibility of the north to forensic pathologists and coroners. We’re currently in the process of creating a system where we can remotely view a crime scene with the help of satellites and cameras, which allow us to “visit” the scene. Using this technology, we can ask the police what to look at, what to zoom in on. It’ll be like we’re right there.
