Do you have good eye for detail? Are you person who wants to serve justice by putting the wrong doers behind bars? Do you like working in a lab? Then maybe you should consider taking a career path in forensic science. On the contrary of the common thought that forensic scientists only deal with blood samples and body tissues to solve crime, there are other kinds of forensic scientists who specialize in various other ways to solve a crime. Read this article to know more about the types of forensic scientists and how you could become a Forensic Scientist yourself
What kind of roles do Forensic Scientists work in?
Crime Laboratory Analysts – are in charge of inspecting samples from crime scenes and the human body. They spend the most of their working hours in a laboratory doing tests and studies.
Crime Scene Examiners – go to a crime site to help with the first investigation. They identify evidence, gathers suspicious samples, and takes photos of questionable places and things. They are also in charge of compiling reports at the crime site.
Forensic Anthropologists – assist in the identification of persons in situations such as murders or natural catastrophes such as aircraft accidents, explosions, and fires. A forensic anthropologist can also assist in determining the deceased person’s age, gender, ancestry, height, and other distinguishing characteristics.
Forensic Chemists – detect and identify illicit drug traces and evidence in situations such as explosions and gunshot residues.
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Forensic Linguists – examine the material of all written or spoken statements gathered by the police and investigators, including those of all victims, perpetrators, and others.
Forensic Pathologists – Are specialists who are in charge of determining the cause of a death. To obtain a conclusion, they undertake autopsy and laboratory studies. They examine bodily damage and analyses body samples to determine the cause of death examining tissues, body parts, and injuries microscopically.
Forensic IT specialists – conduct investigations to uncover any suspicious behavior in a computer system. They extract a device’s deleted, changed, and history data. A forensic psychologist is a specialist who studies criminals’ psychological conduct in order to prevent future crimes. They interview criminals in order to assess their characteristics. The forensic psychologist comes to a conclusion on the cause of a crime and a person’s psychological behaviors after using their expertise and study. They also attempt to identify the individual responsible for any unusual behavior on a device.
Forensic Psychologists – understand the psychological behavior of criminals to prevent such crimes in the future. They conduct interviews with criminals in order to assess their characteristics. After applying their knowledge and research, the forensic psychologist reaches a conclusion like the reason for the occurrence of crime and the psychological
behaviors of a person.
Forensic Serology Experts – are involved in the analysis of blood types, blood samples, and other bodily fluids, as well as DNA testing, in order to identify the crime victim.
Toxicologist – detect and identify narcotics, poisons, toxin levels, and other substances in the body.
What are the career paths that can be taken to become a Forensic scientist?
Start your career path by taking science stream in 10+2 level. Although not necessary if you are planning to specialize in Forensic sciences in Master’s degree, you could choose B. Sc. in Forensic Sciences in under graduation. Or else you could choose any other science subjects such as Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology, Physics etc. You can then take courses in M. Sc. like Forensic Sciences, Forensic Science and Criminology or Information Security and Cyber Forensics, depending on your interest. There are also PG diploma courses in Forensic Sciences available that can be done after your UG. Throughout your study period, it is important to do internships to get practical knowledge about the field
Where are Forensic Scientists employed?
The following sectors hire positions for forensic scientists –
- Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
- Central Govt. Forensic Sciences Labs
- Intelligence Bureau (IB)
- Defence /Army
- Quality Control Bureau
- Police Department
- Private Detective Agencies
- Law Firms
- Hospitals
- Educational institute
Where there’s a crime, there’s a need for justice. And to get justice, proper investigation and evidences are needed. Forensic scientists are indispensable for this process to happen and will always be needed to help serve justice.
