Forensic Pathology Fellowship

About the Fellowship

The Forensic Pathology Fellowship was started in 2004 and is accredited fully by the American Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).  Currently, one fellowship position is available each year.

The fellowship is a one-year organized educational program with guidance and supervision to facilitate professional, ethical and personal development through graded and progressive responsibility.  Fellows will see a wide variety of cases during their training, for example multiple gunshot wounds, blunt force and sharp force injuries, toxicity deaths including novel drugs, hangings, recreational and other deaths.  

The Fellow will participate in lectures and research, attend death scenes, assist with recovery of remains, and rotate through the Crime, Toxicology and Anthropology Labs at the office.  The office staff will work with the Fellow to identify a research project that will be presented at a national meeting that they will attend.  They will watch testimony and gain personal experience testifying in court.

When the program is completed successfully, the Fellow will graduate and become eligible to sit for their board examination in forensic pathology, after which one may pursue a career as a forensic pathologist.  Fellows have come from such locations as Arkansas, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia, and recent graduates have found employment at the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office, as well as in Alabama, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Dakota and Texas.  

Duties and Responsibilities

The Fellow performs the primary functions of a Forensic Pathologist in accordance with the industry standards to determine cause and manner of death in medical examiner cases by inquest under Texas Law (see Texas Code Criminal Procedure art. 49.25) under the supervision of the Chief Medical Examiner. 

The Fellow directs and provides oversight for the support staff assisting in the inquest.  They perform external examinations and autopsies, collect specimens and evidentiary materials, and request supplemental analyses.  A written report is prepared including all relative findings related to the case. 

The Fellow will complete all requirements set by the ACGME, including completion of a minimum of 200 autopsies, off-site scene investigations, regularly scheduled didactic sessions, court testimony observations and forensic laboratory rotations.

Every effort will be made to ensure that the Fellow gains experience in court testimony.

There are ample opportunities to participate in research and to attend national meetings.

A competency test will be completed at the beginning and end of the program to demonstrate knowledge of Forensic Pathology.

 Requirements

At minimum, applicants must be a pathology resident, have an M.D. or D.O. degree, be eligible for Physician-in-Training (PIT) medical license in Texas and for certification by the American Board of Pathology in Anatomic Pathology.

NOTE:  Tarrant County does not sponsor visa candidates.

About Tarrant County Medical Examiner's District

The office serves a district including Tarrant, Denton, Parker and Johnson counties with a total district population around 3.5 million.  The office handles over 2200 autopsies and 1300 external examinations annually.

The office is National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) accredited and staffed by 11 full-time Board-Certified Pathologists with an average experience of 10 years.

The office has a full-time staff of Forensic Death Investigators, some of whom are certified by the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABDMI).  The office has a Human Identification Lab staffed by Board Certified Forensic Anthropologists, a Fingerprint Examiner and an Investigator.  There is a comprehensive Histology Lab.

On site are full-service laboratories: Toxicology and Drug Chemistry Labs, and a Crime Lab including Biology/DNA and Firearms are accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB).  TCME is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025.2017 requirements for forensic testing laboratories, ANAB accreditation requirements, and the FBI Quality Assurance Standards for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories.  TCME also maintains accreditation with the Texas Forensic Science Commission.

About Fort Worth, Texas

Fort Worth is the 12th largest city in the United States and part of the fourth largest metro area in the country.  Fort Worth is known for Texas hospitality and multiple districts full of culture and fun.

Attractions in Fort Worth include the Fort Worth Historic Stockyards, featuring western heritage with the world's only twice daily cattle drive, the world's largest honky-tonk, Billy Bob's Texas, and rodeos.  Sundance Square entertainment district includes the distinguished performing arts venue Bass Performance Hall, Dickies Arena for concerts and rodeos, and the Cultural District consisting of the Kimball Art Museum, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, National Cowgirl Museum and Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Botanic Gardens, and the nearby FW Zoo.  There are numerous acclaimed restaurants by famous chefs Dean Fearing, John Tesar, Kent Rathbun, Tiffany Derry and Tim Love, and nightlife abounds.

Dallas hosts the State Fair of Texas, home of Big Tex, and has multiple attractions including the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza memorializing the late President John F. Kennedy, Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas Museum of Art, and the Dallas Zoo, and Dallas Arboretum and Botanic Gardens.  Six Flags over Texas is in neighboring Arlington, which is also home to the Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys.  Other sports teams include the Dallas Stars, Dallas Mavericks, as well as women's teams such as the Mustangs, Wings, and Trinity FC.

There are multiple urban and rural nature trails in and around the Metroplex, the Trinity River with entertainment and biking trails, and numerous lakes for fishing, swimming and boating.

There is convenient access to two major airports, DFW International Airport with direct flights to many locations, and Love Field, and a robust public transportation system linking the Metroplex including Trinity Metro, TRE and DART, Amtrak, and Molly the Trolley in Fort Worth.

The Metroplex is home to highly ranked school districts.

Benefits

Tarrant County offers a full range of employee benefit programs for eligible employees, retirees and their families.  These programs include medical, dental and vision coverage; group term life insurance and long term disability insurance; and flexible spending accounts for health care and dependent care reimbursements.

Ten days of vacation are earned and accrued.  Full-time employees earn 12 days of sick-personal time a year.  This time is accrued at the rate of eight hours each month and may be used (subject to approval by the Appointing Authority) for sickness or personal business.  Accrual limits apply to both sick and vacation leave.  Refer to Civil Service Rules for further information.

The Commissioners Court designates 13 days each year to be observed as holidays.

The salary for 2026-2027 is $97,850.22 annually.

Information

This program participates in the Forensic Pathology Fellowship Match through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).  

For further information, go to American Council for Graduate Medical Education. 

If you are interested in this program, please submit your Curriculum Vitae and personal statement, including three references, to:

    Kendall Von Crowns, M.D.

    Chief Medical Examiner    

Mail:  Tarrant County Medical Examiner, 200 Feliks Gwozdz Place, Fort Worth, TX 76104-4919

Telephone:  817-920-5700 / Fax: 817-920-5713

Email:  kvcrowns@tarrantcountytx.gov