Titles that are common in the funeral industry, such as funeral director and mortician, are often used interchangeably, and a person holding one specific job task can be referred to with different titles. This can quickly become confusing as a client does not understand who to contact to address specific needs. Additionally, other titles and terms are also thrown into the mix, such as coroner and medical officer, the situation quickly becomes overwhelming. However, each of the aforementioned titles (and others) have their own meaning which can serve to be an important distinction, even if it is just the slightest difference. While in some situations it may be appropriate to use the titles interchangeably, in other situations it is not. For these purposes, the meaning of these titles will be defined, along with their different job-specific tasks.
Medical Examiner
A medical examiner is someone who certifies and investigates the cause of a death. They are a board-certified physician who is licensed in forensic pathology. Medical examiners have had extensive education and training in investigating deaths and performing autopsies. They routinely examine medical history, body tissues, and other information that will lead to the cause of death. Medical examiners are appointed to their position by a county or state government, and can remain in that position whatever amount of time they prefer.
Coroner
A coroner is also someone who certifies and investigates the cause of a death. Coroners identify the body, notify the next of kin, and determine if the body needs additional tests to determine the cause of death. However, they do not conduct most of those tests themselves. A coroner’s level of education varies—some coroners are certified physicians, and some have no education in the field whatsoever. In some states or counties, they do not even need a certificate to perform their job task. A coroner is elected to their position in the county or state, and the position is similar to other political positions. The reason that some states and counties allow someone to become a coroner even if they have no medical background is because the county does not have the resources to have a medical examiner.
Funeral Director
A funeral director is a person who works for, or owns, a funeral home. The funeral director is mainly in charge of providing legal documentation to the family, arranging funeral and burial plans with the family, arranging cremation plans, conducting funeral services, and overseeing the care of the body. In most instances, the funeral director will also be the person handling the body, such as picking it up from the home, washing and dressing it, embalming, and preparing it for the viewing. In most funeral homes, the funeral director will assume both of the roles of a funeral director and mortician. For that reason, the terms funeral director, mortician, and undertaker mean the same thing. However, the task of handling the body does not always fall on the funeral director if the funeral home is large and has many employees.
Mortician
A mortician is the person who specifically cares for the deceased body. The mortician is the person who typically picks up the body from the home, washes and dresses it, embalms it, and prepares it for the viewing. Morticians can also obtain special training to prepare bodies for a viewing that have been altered or damaged in any way, such as from a car accident. A mortician’s and funeral director’s role is often the same thing, as most funeral homes no longer have such specific jobs. However, in larger funeral homes, the mortician and funeral director sometimes assume different roles, and the mortician cares for the body, while the funeral director oversees burial plans with the family.
Undertaker
An undertaker is an older European term that has mostly gone out of use. The undertaker is the person who prepares the body for burial, and makes the burial plans with the family. When embalming came in to practice after the Civil War, the name undertaker was replaced with the name mortician. The term undertaker and mortician can always be used interchangeably as they invariably fulfill the same tasks.
In today’s world, mortician, funeral director, and undertaker almost always mean the same thing. However, while coroners and medical examiners may perform similar tasks in certain situations, the terms do not mean the same thing. This distinction is important to note because a medical examiner has a very difficult level of education and certification than a coroner. A coroner can have little to no education at all, or they could be pathologists. Coroners can even be physicians in another field, but if they are not board certified in forensic pathology, they are not considered a medical examiner. The use of a medical examiner versus a coroner varies depending upon state laws and needs.
With all of the job titles and responsibilities discussed, it is important to note the distinctions between the different jobs. A medical examiner and funeral director are not the same thing, because a medical examiner is a forensic pathologist. However, a person who is a funeral director can also be a coroner if he or she is elected to be the county or state coroner. This is a situation where the two job titles could intersect, but it is essentially the only situation where the two could be referred to as the same thing, and only because the person has assumed both roles. In all other instances, a coroner, medical examiner, and funeral director are different job titles with different levels of education and job tasks.
Blog Resources
https://www.sprc.org/sites/default/files/migrate/library/Medical%20Examiners%20and%20Coroners.pdf
https://www.npr.org/2011/02/02/133403760/coroners-dont-need-degrees-to-determine-death
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-a-coroner-and-a-mortician
https://science.howstuffworks.com/question732.htm
https://www.mopec.com/the-difference-between-a-coroner-and-a-medical-examiner/