FILES
Jennifer Hammers, DO During the Thanksgiving break, in her sophomore year of high school, Jennifer Hammers, DO - the now Deputy Chief Medical Examiner for the New York City, Brooklyn office - perused the library, selecting a book to read during the brief respite from her studies. The main character of the book that she chose happened to be a medical examiner. The subject and storyline wholly lassoed the interest of Dr. Hammers.
Dr. Hammers knew that she wished to work in the medical field, and serving as a forensic pathologist seemed a good way to fulfill her aspiration. “I was a sickly teen and I was in the hospital a good deal,” noted Dr. Hammers. “I didn’t want to spend any more time in a hospital as a doctor. I started looking into forensics,” she continued.
“The book appealed to me because the main character was a medical examiner,” said Hammers. “She was a woman, and I’m not sure if that fact played any part in it, but she was a very intriguing character. In an age before the CSI television show craze really hit, I read this book and I thought that the character was interesting - and I was fascinated by her equally interesting job,” recalled Dr. Hammers.
Dr. Hammers knew that she wanted to be involved in every aspect of the forensic world, not simply in one specific role. This objective led her to become a forensic pathologist. The position of Medical Examiner allows her to be involved in all of the many critical and important tests and analyses that are instrumental in solving a case. Dr. Hammers sought not to be confined to just one of those critical aspects, she wanted to have a hand in every one of them.
The book, which also delved into the world of forensic investigators and DNA testing, sparked Dr. Hammers’ interest in pursuing a career as a forensic pathologist, a goal that she since has achieved.
“I review all of the results of all of those tests and I put it all together to determine the way in which a person passed away,” expounded Dr. Hammers. “I am the one person that knows every aspect of the process and I have the
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responsibility and the privilege to give the family an answer. That’s what I really live for,” she added. Dr. Hammers knew exactly the steps needed to achieve her goal of becoming a medical examiner. “The only way to be that person was to attend medical school,” she pronounced. Dr. Hammers was interested in becoming an osteopathic physician from the very start of her studies. Preferring to study in Pennsylvania, Dr. Hammers placed the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) at the top of her list. Dr. Hammers’ goal and her sole reason for attending medical school was to become a medical examiner. “Many osteopathic schools want to train primary care physicians and they are interested in retaining them in their area,” said Dr. Hammers. “My situation was different and I attended medical school knowing that I wanted to be a forensic pathologist. LECOM provided the latitude and the wealth of options