Forensic Science has enjoyed a long stretch of growth and popularity in the last 30 years. High School and University-level programs are common now – and that wasn’t the case just a few decades ago. These days, when we post open positions online, there are always dozens of applicants...it’s a great “problem” to have as an employer.
One benefit of that situation is that we truly get well educated and qualified employees. They all have a demonstrated work ethic that helped them earn an advanced degree, and generally are the high-drive types of people it takes to be successful in this career.
It’s common, though, that applicants have no idea the kinds of pressure they will face every day. On television, a single case is pursued by the team, is solved by the end of the episode, and everyone enjoys the closure brought on by that success. In the real world, forensic scientists rarely even see the impact of their work. Only a small fraction of cases go to trial, where a scientist might testify to support their analyses...many cases are resolved via plea deal or otherwise outside the scientist’s view.
There is no concept of working on ‘a case’...there are always many cases in need of attention. Batch processing of samples is often necessary to have any chance of keeping up with the volume. Before a case is completed, work must be started on others, and that cycle continues at a never-ending pace.
Even so, these results are heavily sought after and can have tremendous impact on the Criminal Justice system and the community’s sense of safety. Forensic Scientists are subject to some unique kinds of pressure in their work, and stress comes from multiple directions with no real breaks. This series of posts will attempt to define some of those stressors, along with their causes and impacts.