Hot Career: Forensic Scientist
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Spent bullets. Maggots. Blood splatters. Crime scene evidence can be gruesome. But if you're passionate about science and can stomach the gory details, a career as a forensic scientist might be for you.
Using science to help identify criminals and analyze evidence against them, forensic scientists are detectives with microscopes. From matching shell casings to a gun to using hair samples to identify a suspect, forensic scientists help determine the facts of a legal case. Forensic evidence is often center stage during criminal trials with scientists as expert witnesses. The job may not be exactly as it appears on TV or in crime books, but scientific detective work plays a crucial role in the legal system.
What Forensic Scientists Really Do
Due to the popularity of shows like CSI and Law and Order, forensic science is hotter than ever. But so are misconceptions about the field. Forensic scientists love to point out how far from reality crime dramas can be at times. Thirty-year veteran forensic scientist Michael Howard notes, "On CSI, the criminalists interview and arrest people, but in real life that doesn't happen."
Most forensic scientists work in crime labs associated with law enforcement or in state and local agencies. However, each city and state structures its forensics departments differently, from job titles to protocol. In some states entire labs are certified rather than individuals. Education requirements and licensing standards vary widely for certain positions such as a crime scene analyst. You'll need to investigate what the local education and licensing requirements are for the position you're interested in.
Forensic Science Bureau Differences
Michael Howard explains some of the variances in forensics: "In some states we can only use the evidence that has been collected by police officers, in other states there are teams that process crime scenes. Also, the person who collects the evidence may not be the one who actually analyzes it. Each piece of evidence goes to its own specialty: DNA, firearms, entomology, toxicology, trace evidence."
As a forensic scientist you may spend long hours in the lab running tests and writing lengthy reports. A career in forensics will not mirror what you see on TV. Michael Howard summarizes the difference between entertainment forensics and real world forensics: "On CSI they get a DNA result back at the crime scene, but in reality you're lucky to get it back in a year."
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