Navigating A Deathful Internship

By Kristen Watts

Asia White never imagined that while studying to get her degree in criminal justice, she would end up surrounded by dead bodies.

"For three weeks, I was afraid to go to the bathroom," White said. "I could feel the bodies around me."

Asia, 21, graduated from the University of Georgia in 2022 . One of the requirements Asia had to fulfill before receiving her diploma was to complete an internship related to her major.

"I could have chosen something like a law office or a police station. Because I wanted to attend medical school to become a doctor, I chose the coroner's office," Asia said.

That decision marked the start of one of the most intense periods of Asia's life.

Asia began her internship on June 5th, 2022, at the coroner's office in her hometown of Jackson, Georgia. She wanted to complete her internship close to home, but she knew it would also have its downsides.

"I was scared that one day we would get a call and it would be one of my family members. Luckily that never happened," Asia said.

It was Asia's third day when she had her first encounter with a dead body. They received a call that a man had died in his sleep and was found after three days. When they arrived, everything was the same as he had left it.

"I instantly noticed the family pictures and the calendar he had on his wall," Asia said. "All I could think was how those plans he and his family made won't happen anymore."

After the first two weeks of the internship, Asia's mental health started to suffer. It was when Asia's mom revealed to her that the rest of the family would be going on vacation that she realized she had to find someone to talk to.

"When my mom told me bye, I instantly started crying," she said. "I was scared that someone wouldn't come back or everyone would die."

Asia's professor at the time, Dr.Rogers, ended up becoming a safe space where Asia could express her concerns. This connection benefited Asia because Dr. Rogers also participated in a coroner's internship program while in school.

"The bond I created with Dr. Rogers was unexpected," Asia explained. "What professor do you know that will listen to you cry while on a zoom call? I didn't realize how much I needed her during this process."

Throughout the two months Asia interned at the coroner's office, she had to handle many tasks. This included taking photos of the bodies, documenting them and carrying them out in body bags.

One of the worst experiences Asia recalled was when they examined a lady who died in a nursing home. While reviewing her body, they found extreme bed sores in her back and legs due to negligence from the nursing home staff.

"When it was time to pull her diaper off, there were gnats and flies everywhere. One even flew in the coroner's mouth!" Asia exclaimed. "I had to just walk out and cry. Like you see that in movies, but not in real life. How could someone do this to an innocent person?"

After this call, Asia realized her perspective on life started to change. Not only did she start to appreciate the people around her, but she began to value her own life more.

"There are so many ways to die," Asia said. "It is important to implement healthy habits in our daily lives and push our families to do the same. We never know when our last day may be."

Spirituality also became a part of Asia's daily routine.

"We knew when someone was going to die. We would see crows in a certain area and boom. There would be death within the next two days," she said. "I had to start praying. I prayed for the family of the deceased, and I also prayed for the dead person's soul."

Asia started to notice that her days at the office were not as dark as before when she was praying. Her mental health began to flourish again, and the thoughts of giving up vanished. She even started to recognize the positives of the entire experience.

"I've always disliked small talk," Asia explained. "But over time, I noticed how it's sometimes needed to comfort those families who just lost someone they loved."

When asked if she would choose a different internship program if given a chance to go back, she said she would do it over "a million times."

"As crazy as it may sound, death shaped me to become a better doctor."