A Concise Summary of Approved/Accredited Forensic Pathology Fellowship Training Programs in the United States: 1961-2011

After the American Board of Pathology first offered board certification in forensic pathology in 1959, approved/accredited forensic pathology fellowship training programs began to emerge in the United States in 1961. Initially, such programs were “approved” by the AMA Council on Medical Education in conjunction with the American Board of Pathology, and in the years after 1981, programs were “accredited” by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). This article is a concise summary of forensic pathology fellowship programs which have been approved/accredited in the United States in the years 1961 to 2011, and data includes the location of the program, sponsoring institutions, years the program was in operation, and the names of successive training program directors. During the 50 year period there have been 66 approved/accredited forensic pathology training programs in various cities in the United States. The number of programs existing at the start of each decade grew continually until the year 2000, at which time there were more than 40 programs, then declined slightly to the 37 programs which exist today. More than 200 different persons have served as program directors during the 50 year period.