• Question: what do you think about forensics (criminalistics?) I want to work alongside the police. Do you think its a good idea?

    Asked by amina to Betul, Bridget, Ceri-Wyn, Laurel, Maria on 17 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Ceri-Wyn Thomas

      Ceri-Wyn Thomas answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      I think it’s a BRILLIANT idea. If you want to become a forensic scientist then GO FOR IT! I’m not sure what stage of school you’re at but I guess some good A-levels to take would be chemistry, maths and biology. Sound tempting? I’m not sure if you can study pure forensics at undergraduate level but maybe you can- you should definitely check!

      There are loads of elements to forensic science- you could be a forensic entymologyst and study the insects and larvae that are feeding on decaying body tissue to estimate the time of death (yes- there are people who do this, please don’t be freaked out though, that’s kind of gruesome…!) or you could study forensic geology and spend all your time looking at soil samples! (hmmmmm) or of course you could be analysing DNA from a crime scene in a lab like they do on CSI! You might need a strong stomach and really good analytical skills but I bet it would be a seriously interesting career! (I hope I haven’t put you off!!!!)

    • Photo: Betul Arslan

      Betul Arslan answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      I think it is very interesting. If I were you I’d try to arrange a short time internship in forensics bureau and see if it’s right for me. If you are happy with it you should go for it! You don’t need to have big responsibilities either but you should your keep your eyes open, talk to people, ask them questions and observe everything to see if it’s really for you or not.

    • Photo: Laurel Fogarty

      Laurel Fogarty answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      Yes it is a great idea! The work these guys do is amazing. I have gone to a couple of talks given by people who work in forensics and the cases they work on are really interesting. I found some of their cases quite upsetting too but I think, as with anything, you get used to this and can draw comfort from the fact that you are helping to solve some terrible crimes.

      I say go for it! Is there a dedicated forensics course in university you are planning on going in to?

    • Photo: Bridget Waller

      Bridget Waller answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      Yes, I think there is a lot of good scientific research on police investigation, so it is a good idea for the findings to inform police work.

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