As a child, I would play with forensic kits, setting up faux crime scenes in my yard to the confusion and possible concern of my neighbors. One of my favorite trips, when I was younger, was when I went to take a class at the National Museum of Crime & Punishment in Washington, D.C. and I even persuaded, more like begged, my mother to buy me a scarf that resembled crime scene tape. Often you can catch me watching reruns of Law and Order, Criminal Minds, or Dr. G. My excitement for forensics has not faded since then. Even now, I am endlessly fascinated by the processes that are involved in a criminal investigation, from evidence collecting or witness questioning to analysis in the lab. My curiosity for forensics as a child bloomed into a serious career consideration as I entered high school. However, instead of being an investigator, I wanted to be in the lab, behind the scenes analyzing evidence or doing testing on DNA samples. Through two internships, one in an emergency department and another in a palliative care unit, and as a current member on a local …show more content…
There, I was able to learn the basics of conducting an autopsy and helped participate with the medical students. Furthermore, I found out that, yes, I could stomach being a medical examiner. Another enlightening experience I had was taking part in a mock crime scene investigation at another university. After receiving a crash course on the basics of scene investigations, such as scene safety, evidence collecting methods, etc., my team and I were let loose on a scene. There was fake blood on the splattered on the floor, shell casings strewn about, and drug paraphernalia hidden in a drawer, as well as a partial foot print hidden behind a door. Fondly, I remember the thrill I had in dissecting the specifics of the crime and competing with other teams to see who got closest to the truth of what actually