Interview with forensic doctors: from Whitney Houston to Criminal Literature

Interview with forensic doctors: from Whitney Houston to Criminal Literature

The renowned forensic doctor Michael Tsokos was head of the Institute for Forensic Medicine at the Berlin Charité for years before giving up this position at the end of 2023. In an interview with the Berliner Zeitung, Tsokos spoke about his career, the differences between forensic medicine and pathology, as well as the challenges in teaching and research at the Charité. He emphasized the importance of independent university medicine and criticized that the university followed in increasingly political currents.

tsokos also discussed the effects of corona policy on the lecturer-student relationships and the education system in general. He complained about the restriction of apprenticeship in forensic medicine and the neglect of student training. These circumstances were one of the reasons why he decided to leave the Charité. Tsokos is now considering working in Hungary, where he experienced a more intensive relationship between lecturers and students.

Furthermore, Tsokos emphasized the importance of forensic medicine in society, in particular when investigating homicides and the examination of child abuse. He also emphasized the challenges that forensic doctors face, such as the inadequate corpse show in Germany, which means that many homicide is overlooked. Tsokos advocated better training for doctors for the corpse show to prevent such cases.