The broward county office of medical examiner trauma services (bcomets) will utilize this funding to train two full-time forensic pathology fellows to help offset the critical shortage of forensic…

The Broward County Office of Medical Examiner Trauma Services (BCOMETS) has been awarded a $295,054 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner System Program (CFDA 16.037). The funding will be used to train two full-time forensic pathology fellows to help address the critical shortage of forensic pathologists in the region. BCOMETS, one of 25 medical examiner districts in Florida, investigates all violent, suspicious, unnatural, and unattended deaths to determine cause and manner of death, which aids law enforcement investigations and public health and safety efforts. This grant award, effective from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2027, will provide the fellows with a comprehensive educational experience at an accredited medical examiner office, including access to an on-site toxicology laboratory. The goal is to increase BCOMETS' visibility nationwide and attract top candidates to produce highly trained forensic pathologists.

The broward county office of medical examiner trauma services (bcomets) will utilize this funding to train two full-time forensic pathology fellows to help offset the critical shortage of forensic pathologists. Bcomets is one of 25 medical examiner districts within florida. This office investigates all violent, suspicious, unnatural and unattended deaths to determine cause and manner of death, which aids law enforcement investigations and unmasks trends that aid in public health and safety. Bcomets continues to be overwhelmed with a significant increase in drug overdoses (up 33% from 2019), homicides (up 10% from 2019), and motor vehicle-related deaths (up 33% from 2019. The fellows will be provided a comprehensive educational experience at an accreditation council for graduate medical education and the national association of medical examiners accredited medical examiner office which includes an onsite toxicology laboratory. This funding will continue to help increase bcomets visibility nationwide, which will enable the office to attract top candidates and continue to produce qualified, highly trained forensic pathologists.