A Forensic Pathologist Works As An Expert Witness

The one word that perfectly describes Dr. Priya Banerjee and her approach to work and life is ethics. Dr. Banerjee, a forensic pathologist, who works on complex cases within the inherently grey area of the criminal justice system, works for the state of Rhode Island while also running her own international consulting forensic pathology business.
Her job as a medical examiner for the state keeps her busy, but she also noticed a huge demand as well as a major shortage of forensic pathologists across the country. And when she decided to start her own private business, the combination itself was not easy, requiring an arduous 1-½ year to 2-year process during which she ensured that she had dotted her i’s and crossed her t’s from the Department of Health and The Rhode Island Ethics Commission regarding every issue from conflict of interest to properly allotting time and resources.

---

Dr. Banerjee started her path to medicine at The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where she was headed towards a career in gastroenterology. Yet, when during her pathology rotation she felt, ‘This is me.’ In fact, as an undergraduate molecular biology major, she minored in criminal justice, which in many ways set the stage for her current work. Right before her pathology residency she spent what she describes as a rigorous year in preliminary medicine at The University of Pennsylvania, which she says was a good foundation for a career in pathology, a career that she noticed does indeed require a strong understanding of hands-on medical issues.
Dr. Banerjee set up her own LLC in Rhode Island less than a year ago, and due to high demand for forensic pathology expertise, has already become quiet busy. She marketed her business by building a fairly low cost website and advertising on the SEAK website, and found that she was getting clients through Internet searches almost right away. She has done work for plaintiff clients and for defense clients and she has traveled for her private work- across the United States and even outside the country. An interesting difference between Dr. Banerjee and many other private consultants is that she posts her fee structure on her website. She says that this has saved time, as potential clients already know her rates up front  - and the rates haven’t seemed to keep them away.

\n\n\n

As a businesswoman, Priya Banerjee MD says that she is just getting started. But she doesn’t see leaving her job with the Department of Health in her future. She believes that it is this combination that allows her to fully enjoy her work and to be more selective when it comes to accepting cases.  While the cases that she is asked to do are medically complex and ethically charged, she is adamant about only taking on cases that she can approach honestly, regardless of any financial reward. Dr. Banerjee says that her most important criteria is being able to sleep at night, and she does not hesitate to turn away work if she doesn’t feel that it fits her area of expertise or that integrity could be compromised in any way.
A mom and a wife, Dr. Priya Banerjee wear many hats, and meticulously manages the details of the many goals she strives to accomplish.
 
Dr. Banerjee’s website is anchorforensicpathology.com