ACFEI

Certified Medical Investigator®, CMI

CMI

About the Certified Medical Investigator®; program

The spectrum of professions involved in forensic investigation has broadened dramatically over the past 20 years. Although the individual specialties of CMI program attendees vary widely, the core of the forensic process—and in particular the legal process—remain the same for them all. Evidence that cannot be properly entered into and presented in court may seriously and adversely alter the course of justice..

The Certified Medical Investigator, CMI, program was developed to provide everyone in the forensic specialties with a base of knowledge that prepares them for the intricacies of the legal process that follow identifying and securing a piece of evidence. The Certified Medical Investigator, CMI, program helps prepare professionals to be competent and confident medical investigators through classroom instruction and practical, hands-on training that often includes a mock crime scene exercise.

What the CMI program does for you

The CMI course will prepare and educate you on the following tasks:

  • » Conduct superior independent medical investigations.
  • » Identify and gather evidence while protecting the forensic scene.
  • » Interpret relevant case law, reports, analyses, and evidence to write comprehensive, accurate, unbiased reports.
  • » Provide credible, defensible testimony in a court of law
  • » Develop critical thinking skills crucial to forensic investigation.
  • » Understand foundational anatomy and physiology and apply this knowledge, a skill-base crucial to medical investigation.

The Five Levels of Certification and their requirements

Certified Medical Investigator-I

  • » Must possess a bachelor’s degree or 5 years experience in the medical or forensic fields and pass the exam for the CMI-I.

Certified Medical Investigator-II

  • » Must be a CMI-I or a coroner, investigator, RN, LPN, or other professional in a forensic field and pass the CMI-II exam. In addition to the CMI-I competency requirements, additional areas of proficiency include patterns of trauma, bite mark identification, fingerprints, authentication of evidence, alcohol and drug testing principles, and basic death evaluation.

Certified Medical Investigator-III

  • » Must be a CMI-II or a coroner, investigator, RN, LPN, or other professional with 5 years experience in a forensic field and pass the CMI-III exam. In addition to the CMI-II competency requirements, additional areas of proficiency include basic trial court procedure, basic anatomy and physiology, STDs, sudden infant death syndrome, sexual assault, bodily harm, principles and patterns of substance abuse, rules of confidentiality, victim’s rights, perpetrator’s rights, signs and symptoms of child/elder abuse, basic death investigation and post-mortem pathology, and basic principles of crime scene investigation and evidence collection.

Certified Medical Investigator-IV

  • » Must possess an MD, DO, DDS, PhD, or other doctorate-level degree in a field relevant to forensic investigation and pass the CMI-IV exam. In addition to the CMI-III competency requirements, additional areas of proficiency include biomechanics, basic court procedure and case law, types and admissibility of evidence, identifying and qualifying expert witnesses, intermediate toxicology and pharmacology or prescription and non-prescription drugs, advanced anatomy and physiology, communicable diseases, advanced pathology, and evaluation of post-mortem changes.

Certified Medical Investigator-V

  • » Must possess an MD, DO, DDS, PhD, or other doctorate-level degree in a field relevant to forensic investigation; possess 5 years of appropriate experience in forensics, investigation, criminology, or a related field; and pass the CMI-V exam. In addition to the CMI-IV competency requirements, additional areas of proficiency include legal medicine, current case law and statutes relating to forensic science, forensic pathology, forensic anatomy, forensic autopsy, death analysis, mass casualties, and weapons of mass destruction.

CMI-V is ONLY offered live at our conferences.

How to Apply

ACFEI members have two options on taking the CFC course and exam:

Live Instruction Course and Exam. The most valuable way to earn the CMI designation is by attending the CMI course at an ACFEI National Conference. The course features two full days of classroom instruction, followed by the comprehensive exam. Applicants may select their desired CMI level when registering for the course and exam.

Online Course and Exam. The most convenient way to earn the CMI designation is to enroll for the exam online. Applicants are required to purchase the textbook separately which covers material from all five levels and may study at their own pace. Applicants may take the comprehensive exam online when ready.

How to maintain the CMI designation

Individuals are expected to complete 15 hours of forensic-related continuing education credits per year to maintain their CMI status. The initial CMI course provides 15 CE credits, fulfilling this requirement.

Future CEs may be earned through ACFEI’s National Conferences and journal learning articles from The Forensic Examiner provided on our online course catalog.

Other sources may be submitted to ACFEI by using the CE Reporting Form for CMI [PDF].

For more information call toll free (800) 423-9737.

Approved for G.I. Bill Benefits

The CMI program is approved for G.I. Bill benefits.  General information on the G.I. Bill and the links to the reimbursement forms can be found at www.gibill.va.gov.

Testimonials about the CMI program

"When I talk to collaborating professionals, I state that I am a Certified Medical Investigator, CMI. The CMI designation shows that I have advanced training from the largest forensic organization in the world, which has a credible and prestigious reputation."

—Charla M. Jamerson, BSN, RN.C, SANE-A, CMI-III

"I would suggest that anyone prosecuting or investigating crimes should consider this course. It makes for a better investigation and expands your knowledge base to understand what can or cannot be determined from the information found. Any forensic scientist, clinician with any connection to law enforcement or provider of expert testimony should consider this course. Overall, the knowledge is indispensable."

—E. Robert Bertolli, OD, CMI-V, CHS-V

"Not everybody will be involved in disasters. Not everybody will be involved in criminal cases. But everybody will be involved in a forensic case at some point in their career, and ACFEI is the body that will best prepare them for that day."

—Michael Karagiozis, DO, MBA, CMI-V, CMI Course Instructor