LIsa Black
Cape Coral, FL
Female, 49
I spent the five happiest years of my life in a morgue. As a forensic scientist in the Cleveland coroner’s office I analyzed gunshot residue on hands and clothing, hairs, fibers, paint, glass, DNA, blood and many other forms of trace evidence, as well as crime scenes. Now I'm a certified latent print examiner and CSI for a police department in Florida. I also write a series of forensic suspense novels, turning the day job into fiction. My books have been translated into six languages.
They could try not to leave it in the first place--wear gloves and a hat, and don't cut yourself on the window you broke to gain entry. And wear a mask since you never know who has cameras where in this day and age!
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I would never want to discourage someone from this field because I love it. But it's a very popular field right now so I would also advise anyone to have a career plan B.
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Take all the science courses you can, and visit and talk to forensic science personnel. You'll find them very approachable.
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All the interesting, different, bizarre stories that make up the crimes that have happened that we have to investigate.
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DNA and digital forensics will continue to grow in terms of technology and attention.
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How much chemistry you need depends on what type of work you do. As long as you're not actually working in toxicology or DNA, you shouldn't need to be a great chemist as long as you can reliably work with chemicals and combine them properly (like following a recipe). And as long as you are a reliable and honest employee then the job is secure, once you get it, but I will be honest--there's a lot of competition in this field right now so getting into a position might be difficult. You should definitely have a back-up plan.
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I loved mystery shows and books when I was a kid. I always wanted to be a detective, but didn't want to be a cop. And I always liked science.
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