October 2023 Meeting Summary
Jobs in the medical and forensic field have always held a certain level of fascination, especially with the rising interest in crime and fictional, procedural law enforcement shows like the CSI franchise and Criminal Minds, or true crime documentary series like The Keepers or Exhibit A.
Our speaker, Dr. Anita Lal, works for the Province of Ontario’s Forensic Pathology Service that provides forensic pathology services under the Coroners Act. At that meeting, she discussed her history and how she ended up working as a Forensic Pathologist, her role in the Coroners’ office and showed photos of where she works, as well as some of the high profile cases that she has worked on.
Anita Lal, MD, D-ABP, FCAP – Forensic Pathologist, Ontario Government
In terms of her history, Dr. Lal obtained her medical degree (2005) at Ross University in the West Indies. She then completed her residency training in Anatomical and Clinical Pathology at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan and fellowship in Forensic Pathology at the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office, also located in Detroit.
Her Canadian experience includes working at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Calgary, Alberta as an Assistant Chief Medical Examiner starting in July 2011, with a cross-appointment as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary.
Dr. Lal joined as a staff Forensic Pathologist in the Ontario Provincial Forensic Pathology Unit (PFPU) in January 2013.
Probus Club of Kingsway-Islington 