Ask a former Autopsy Tech Anything

reply to post by aquanel


Right on. You did a job very few of us could ever do. And thanks for that.

I know that you rarely were ever thanked for it.

I started transporting from 1998 to 2003.

I too, worked for donor services for a short time after "The Office".

I guess it's a circle a lot of us ran in. A club you can never escape.

But now this thread is as much yours as it is mine.

So if you want to just tell a story that weighs heavily on you, just write it here so people can maybe ask you questions. Just to clear your mind.

Thanks for the thanks. Do you ever have issues you think may be related to the past work and exposure? Maybe similar in nature to what I already mentioned? Mine are little episodes that are always triggered by a reminder of it - almost always some grisly scene on the tv. And it doesn't happen every time I see something. I try my best to avoid watching stuff I know will be messy anyhow. But every time it happens, it catches me off-guard and it's hard to believe it's even happening. I am not scarred by the work, nor do I dwell on any of this, for I really enjoyed and appreciated the job and exposure - but this stuff shows its face and I never see it coming. Just wondering if you also experience similar things...

Sure, I get reminded about it all the time.

Like when I watch the news. Just memories.

I can't really watch horror movies when they show gratuitous violence.

Like Drew Barrymores death scene in the first Scream movie.

It just makes me uncomfortable.

But I can watch zombie movies all day because it's the furthest thing from reality.

The dead don't come back. I find those movies kinda fun in fact.

My PTSD mostly shows its self when I dream.

I have never ever dreamed about the autopsies or any particular case.

Sometimes I dream that people that I care about are being killed in situations that I have seen.

Car accidents, stabbings, shootings.

I'm a pretty normal person that does normal everyday things.

I'm not on edge at all times or anything like that.

But yeah, just memories are triggered when I watch the news.

But they are just memories. Nothing that will "ruin" my day.

I too had the time of my life working there.

reply to post by Anon77


Interesting questions you have but,

it would be much appreciated if you wouldnt use Gods name in vain.

Maybe it is kinda odd that I dig this old topic but I also have a few questions.I want to pursue this career so, naturally, my first concern about it is its level of difficulty.Is it hard to perform an autopsy? Does it take a long time to learn how to do it?

In my country I only have to take some classes that last only a few months, no medical schools or degrees are required in order to be able to cut the bodies and do the "physical activity" as the person that write the report is the doctor with medical school and degrees and he will be assisting me.

Considering that after I finish the classes that last about 3 months, I only have to pass an exam to be employed, I want to know how difficult it is to do a good autopsy and if it is easy to ruin one.Please detail these subjects in this case. Thank you!