If you have ever seen NCIS or another crime show on television, you have probably been amazed to discover how much information can be determined about an incident by examining the victim’s body. Though much of the action is dramatized, the impact that a medical examiner can have on an investigation is hardly exaggerated.

Medical examiners are responsible for inspecting the body of someone who has died an unexpected or suspicious death, often to determine details about the cause of death and injuries.

Daniel Cole has taken on this crucial role for the last 40 years, working as the Webster County Medical Examiner and the medical director at the Trinity Regional Medical Center emergency department here in Fort Dodge.

Though Hollywood’s portrayal of a medical examiner is bound to be somewhat distorted and dramatized, Cole said that television shows are partially correct when displaying what medical examiners do.

"Lab tests take months instead of minutes and some of the tests are unrealistic but general subject matter is pretty accurate," he said.

Cole’s days are often packed with activity, only about thirty percent being spent on paperwork.

"ER is 12-hour shifts, 14 days a month, some days and some nights. I work as a medical examiner any time I’m called. An average case takes two hours and we do 80 to 100 cases per year," continued Cole.

Although cases do not come up as regularly as in crime shows, which are based in metropolitan areas, Cole prefers small town activity and does not sacrifice much in the way of excitement.

"I like the variety and never-ending surprises that come with death investigation and ER patients," he elaborated.

The training and specific skills required for medical examining and pathology are not as well-known as the job description. After high school, Dr. Cole attended Creighton University for four years, followed by another four years at Creighton Medical School and a year at Internal Medicine residency. He also worked additional hours in Detroit and at the FBI Academy for death investigation and medical examiner training.

On top of the scientific education required for the job, good social skills are also a necessity for anyone interested in medical examination. "I’ve been interested in medicine most of my life but to be in this field, you must be willing to discuss death with families and empathize with them over loss," said Cole.

Death investigation, then, is not just an interesting role on television; Cole’s career is the reality behind the fiction.