Strengthening the Forensic Pathology Fellowship Program at the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center

In 2016, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), in conjunction with the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center (WTRFC), began a forensic pathology fellowship program that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). They are currently in their sixth year of the program with open positions filled through the 2023-2024 academic year. The fellowship program was accredited by the ACGME for two positions, however there is currently only funding for one fellow per year.

The UTHSC and WTRFC applied for and received Office of Justice Programs funding under the Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner System Program to fill their accredited fellowship positions beginning July 2019. They were successful in recruiting a fellow on short notice and are finishing their 2019-20 fellowship year with two fellows. They received additional funding in 2019 that is being applied to their current 2021-22 fellowship year. A third round of funding was awarded and will be applied to the upcoming 2022-23 year. They are seeking additional funding to fund their 2023-24 fellowship year. The funding will be used for the salary and benefits for a single fellowship position, travel to supplementary training courses and a national meeting to present an original quality assurance project, and licensure and exam fees, with remaining funds applied to loan reimbursement.