Rewards in Disguise

As my internship comes to a close, I have experienced a multitude of emotions. When I tell people that I work in a morgue, I receive many cringes and disgusted faces, which, unfortunately, I expected. There are many hardships that come with this job. I see dead bodies every day. If that isn’t enough, I observe autopsies, I discharge bodies to the funeral home, and I witness the lives of the decedent’s family crumble before my eyes. It’s challenging to get called on a case and have no idea what to expect when I open the front door to the decedent’s house. There is honestly no aspect of this job that has not been challenging. However, it is also extremely rewarding, which most people probably would not think. One of the forensic pathologists I have talked to put it perfectly: We are the people that are trusted by families to treat their deceased love one with respect, dignity, and honor. We are expected not to abuse a corpse and treat them with the upmost respect, no matter their past. We are the ones that determine the cause of death and inform the family; we can help give them closure.  It is more rewarding than most people would think. Not everyone could look at deceased bodies all day and treat them with dignity, but I am proud to say that the employees here are some of the people that can.

Brittany Ruch
Forensic Chemistry