Though the terms are often used interchangeably, there are some differences between forensic pathologists and medical examiners. A forensic pathologist is a specialized medical doctor who investigates unexpected, unnatural, suspicious, or violent deaths either publicly or in private practice. The role of any forensic pathologist is to be a neutral arbiter of the facts, to not have a dog in the fight. The forensic pathologist is not coming in to stake a claim. Why are so many of us fascinated by the field of forensic pathology?