ABMDI User Application
Registry certification has two tracks: Diplomate and Associate. In order to apply for the Registry certification of the ABMDI you must meet the following requirements:
- Must be at least eighteen years of age at time of application.
- Must have a high school diploma or equivalent.
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Must currently be employed by a Medical Examiner/Coroner jurisdiction or equivalent federal authority and have the experience and responsibility to independently conduct medicolegal death investigations or supervise such investigations at time of application and examination.
Associate:
- For applicants to "independently conduct a medicolegal death investigation" refers to the death investigator completing an investigative report and facets of a medicolegal death investigation, other than scene investigation.
- For applicants to “supervise such investigations” means that the applicant must have prior experience independently conducting medicolegal death investigations, as referenced above.
Diplomate:
- For applicants to “independently conduct a medicolegal death scene investigation,” refers to the death investigator performing medicolegal death scene investigations in person on location at the death scene. This includes but is not limited to, completing a body examination (e.g., document injuries and personally assess postmortem changes), photographing the scene, completing an investigative report, etc.
- For applicants to “supervise such investigations” means that the applicant must have prior experience independently conducting medicolegal death scene investigations, as referenced in this document.
- Applicants in reserve positions would not qualify as being currently employed as defined above unless they are currently activated.
- Applicants shall have experience conducting medicolegal death investigations.
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640 points are required and the activity must have been completed within five years of the date of application submission.
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Employment Experience (Minimum 384 points required, may be used for all 640 points.)
The following conversions may be used to determine eligibility.
- Each on-call hour = 0.25 points (Maximum 100 points)
- Investigation of a natural death, no scene investigation = 1 point
- Investigation of non-natural death, no scene investigation = 2.5 points
- Investigation of a death with scene investigation = 5 points (For Diplomate a MINIMUM of 100 points are required.)
- Secondary investigator or intern at the scene = 2.5 points (Maximum points = 100 points)
- Case log with dates may be requested for verification.
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If unable to obtain the full 640 points in employment experience, the following categories may be used for points:
- Advanced Degree
- Education/Training
- Conferences/Courses
- Viewing Forensic Autopsies
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Employment Experience (Minimum 384 points required, may be used for all 640 points.)