The Original Medicolegal Death Investigator Training Course August 2023

Monday, August 21, 2023, 7:00 AM - Thursday, August 24, 2023, 5:15 PM, Marriott St. Louis Grand, St. Louis, MO

This four day basic course will be live face-to-face. The purpose of this live course is to provide training in medicolegal death investigation. In this course, medical examiners, toxicologists, and other forensic practitioners provide detailed information regarding the type of information that should be collected during death investigations.  Anyone who plays a role in the investigation of medicolegal deaths can benefit from this course.  

This 40-hour course prepares both novice and seasoned investigators to effectively and efficiently process a death scene and gather pertinent information. 
Participants must be currently employed in a position such as funeral director, coroner, death investigator, law enforcement, or other medicolegal field to register for this course. 

1. Prepare the investigator to conduct thorough and systematic death scene and telephone investigations which, by law, are under the jurisdiction of a medicolegal office; to then disseminate the investigative information to departmental forensic scientists to achieve a coordinated, efficient, and complete death inquiry.
2. Explain the capabilities of ancillary forensic sciences (anthropology, biology, criminalistics, entomology, psychiatry, radiology, and toxicology).
3. Place emphasis on the medical aspects of death investigation.

Registration

This course is designed to provide basic medicolegal death investigation information to medicolegal death investigators, coroners, law enforcement officers, physicians, nurses, emergency medical personnel, attorneys, forensic scientists, and others who are involved in the investigation of violent, suspicious, and unexpected deaths.

 

Each individual registering for the course must be registered with a unique email address and registration fees must be paid in full by August 11, 2023. The registration fee is $850.00. If the registration fee is to be paid by an organization, municipality, or county check, we must receive a purchase order or other documentation verifying that payment will be made, in order to hold your registration; please contact us at [email protected] with this information.

 

Monday night there will be a reception after the conclusion of the afternoon sessions. The reception is free to attend. Wednesday night there will be a dinner at the conclusion of the afternoon sessions. The dinner is free to attend. If you would like to bring a guest, there will be a $50 dinner guest ticket. You may purchase at the time of registration or you may purchase at the course.

 

All course syllabus material will be shared with paid-in-full participants a few days prior to the start of the activity to download or print.  

 Registration Fee includes:

 One Continuing Education Certificate. Accreditation information is listed below in the Accreditation section. Participants will be required to complete a credit request form indicating the type of continuing education desired. It is the responsibility of the participant to understand their board's requirements for continuing education credits.

 

Additional CE credit/certificate:

 If more than one type of Continuing Education credit is desired, an additional $50 fee will be collected. (It is rare that a participant needs more than one official certificate). Please contact the CME office to discuss.

 

 College Credits:

 Are available, please review the additional information tab if you are interested/eligible.

 

Cancellations 

Cancellations received before August 11, 2023, will be issued a refund minus a $100.00 administrative fee. After August 11^th, no refunds will be issued. If you notify us by August 11^th that you are unable to attend, your payment can be transferred to a future course one time only. If you choose to transfer more than one time, you will be charged an additional Administrative Fee of $100.00 per transfer.

 

If you fail to notify us that you cannot attend the course, your registration fee will be forfeited and will not be transferable to a future course.

 

Overview

The purpose of this four day course is to provide basic introductory training in medicolegal death investigation. Prior to the institution of this course 40 years ago, there was NO training available for medicolegal death investigators. Mary Fran Ernst and Dr. Gantner developed this training course to provide training for those who were tasked with investigating deaths. Fast forward 40 years, we are still the premier basic trainer for medicolegal death investigators. Anyone who plays a role in the investigation of medicolegal deaths, whether they be coroners, police officers, homicide detectives, or medicolegal death investigators can benefit from this course. It provides basic introductory information on the key players in a medicolegal death investigation by providing lectures from practitioners such as medical examiners, toxicologists, anthropologists, odonatologists, crime scene investigators, and homicide investigators on what type of information from the scene should be collected by the death investigator and how that information can help them with the determination of cause and manner of death. The participants are then given training on how to gather information at various types of death scenes. The week ends with a review of courtroom techniques and a discussion on social media's impact on next of kin notification. This course can prepare both novice and seasoned investigators to more effectively and efficiently process a death scene and gather all the information needed. For additional information and details regarding the Medicolegal Death Investigator Training Course, please view our website.

 

Eligibility

Participants need to be currently employed in a position such as funeral director, coroner, death investigator, law enforcement, or another medicolegal field to register for this course. 

Participants who complete this Basic Course are eligible to take the Masters Course held every other year. This is a case-based course which covers new techniques and high-profile cases. These lectures provide training on what to do in unique situations and how new techniques can assist with obtaining evidence and/or identification.

These courses are training courses, not certification courses or degree courses. We offer continuing education certificates to those wanting to turn in the credits to their professional board to maintain certification. Please refer to the accreditation information below for a list of approved types of CE. More will be added as they are approved. We will also provide a certificate of attendance at the completion of the course to all that attend that can be used for your employee portfolio. Please note POST and PA Coroner require full attendance at all sessions. If you miss a session you will need to make it up before we can provide you with a completion certificate for continuing education. All other continuing education types that we seek accreditation for allow you to claim the credits for the sessions you attend. Example: if you need to leave on Thursday evening and miss the two lectures on Friday you would not claim 2.25 credits.

 

ABMDI

Please note, we are not affiliated with the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators. Saint Louis University staff will not answer question on their behalf. Please contact the ABMDI regarding requirements, exam, and fees. We are not providing testing at the end of the course. Please refer to the ABMDI site for a practice test and for more information. ABMDI Registry Exam

 

The scope of knowledge for the Registry exam is defined in the National Institutes of Justice publication Death Investigation: A Guide for the Scene Investigator and further defined in the Performance Training Guidebook Checklist. For an online practice test, you can visit Occupational Research and Assessment.

The 240 multiple choice examination covers factual knowledge, technical information, understanding the principles and problem-solving abilities related to the profession. The examination is divided into 8 sections as outlined in the checklist and in the Medicolegal Death Investigator training text (Clark, Ernst, Jentzen, and Haglund, 1994). This text may be purchased from Occupational Research and Assessment. You have up to 4 hours to complete all 8 sections, which are:

1.      Interacting with Federal, State and Local Agencies

2.      Communicating

3.      Interacting with Families

4.      Investigating Deaths

5.      Identifying and Preserving Evidence

6.      Maintaining Ethical and Legal Responsibilities

7.      Demonstrating Scientific Knowledge

8.      Coping with Job-Related Stress

 

The American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants with documented disabilities. 

Continuing Education Information             

It is the responsibility of the participant to understand their board's requirements for continuing education credits. 

Daily sign-in is required each morning and afternoon of the activity.  Please look for additional documentation required by your accrediting body. If you do not fall into one of the approved categories below; you will only receive the Certificate of Attendance. No refunds will be issued for additional certificate fees paid. It is your responsibility to understand your CME/CE requirements for tracking and proof of credit/hours.

Approval of Continuing Education information will be added as approvals are granted.

Accreditation 

Saint Louis University School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

Credit Designation

Saint Louis University School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 32.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Saint Louis University School of Medicine will provide Other learner certificates (APPs, nurses, and other types of learners).  The certificate will state that the activity was designated for 32.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.  Follow your board's requirements for reciprocal CE credits.

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Missouri Bar Continuing Legal Education Approval

The Original Medicolegal Death Investigator Training Course" scheduled for 08/21/2023 to 08/24/2023 is approved for 35.7 total hours, including zero ethics hours and zero elimination of bias hours.

The course ID for this program is 728436

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Saint Louis University Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing

Saint Louis University Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the Midwest Multistate Division, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

Midwest MSD Provider Approval #MO224-3

Nursing Contact Hours: 32.25  Approval #N24001

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American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI)

The ABMDI has approved this continuing education activity for 32.25 ABMDI Credit Hours. Attendees should claim only those hours of continuing education that they spent in the educational activity. Course approval #23-004

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Pennsylvania State Coroners' Education Board

The approval number for this activity is CEB Number 2023-59. This activity has been approved for 8 credits.

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Continue checking here for more approvals

Marriott St. Louis Grand
800 Washington Ave
St. Louis, Missouri 63101

Click here to book your room

Special Room Rate: $169/night

Reservation link will close Friday August 11^th at 5:00 p.m. CST.

Course Director:

MariaTeresa A. Tersigni-Tarrant, PhD, D-ABFA, D-ABMDI

Forensic Anthropologist

Adjunct Associate Professor 

Co-Chair Forensic Education

Department of Pathology

SLUSOM

Attendance at this conference qualifies for 2 hours of college credit through Saint Louis University for those currently enrolled at SLU and pursuing a graduate or undergraduate degree and are interested in obtaining additional college credit toward your degree and to be eligible for the student conference rate. FEES for college credits- $700.00 per credit hour for undergraduate and $580.00 per credit hour for graduate student.
SLU STUDENTS ($250.00 course registration fee)
To help offset the additional cost of SLU tuition for the 2 hours of college credit, there is a limited number of reduced MLDI conference student spots available for those who qualify. Student registration will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis, and as registration capacity permits.
Non-SLU Students ($450.00 course registration fee)
Non-SLU students interested in obtaining SLU college credit for attending this course may also receive a reduced student conference rate. Inquiries regarding fees and eligibility requirements may be directed to the SLU CME Office at 314-977-7401 or [email protected]. You will be required to submit a letter of request, on appropriate school letterhead, from your advisor or department chair stating that this course would be beneficial to your studies and SLU credits would transfer and be accepted toward your degree. Scan and email to [email protected]. After your school letter has been received, reviewed, and approved, we will email you the link and information to register as a Non-SLU Student Registration Form. Conference fees must be paid in full before the conference in order to hold your spot.

Separate registration with Saint Louis University for college credit will be completed on the first day of the conference, and you will be billed for the college tuition fees.
For additional information on SLU College Credit; for any questions or to express your intent to ENROLL for college credit, please contact Barb Weekley at [email protected].