Intern Program

The Coroner’s Section of the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office enjoys a proven and highly successful Coroner Student Internship program. The program provides an outstanding opportunity for college students to gain practical, hands-on experience in the field of Death Investigations. The Yolo County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Student Intern program, which began in 1993, selects five interns each year from a wealth of applicants.

The following Policy and Procedure outlined for the Coroner Student Internship include Requirements and Duties.

Minimum Qualifications:

One-year commitment. The internship requires 2 full days in the office per week (8 am-5 pm, M-F) and 2-3 nights of on-call per week, including weekends. On-call shifts may include responding to death scenes at all hours of the day and night. Our office takes 5 Coroner Student Interns at one time who rotate shifts and are on-call.
Current California State driver’s license with own personal transportation to our office in Woodland, CA at all hours of the day and night with a maximum 30-minute commute to the office
Active third or fourth year student at a local university or junior college OR active graduate student at a local university
Knowledge of basic human anatomy/physiology
Computer proficiency in word processing and data entry
Superior communication skills (oral and written)
Clean criminal and drug history (marijuana included)
Ability to maintain sensitive, privileged, and confidential information

Coroner Student Intern Duties

Assist Deputy Coroners with scene investigations
Assist Deputy Coroners with morgue/lab processing
Follow-up investigation
Attend forensic autopsies/external examinations

Interviews are currently held via Zoom. Selected applicants will then view an autopsy. A decision will be made based on the applicant’s overall performance. Tentatively approved applicants will then undergo a background check (typically takes 2-3 months) which includes a drug screen and medical exam.

If you are interested in becoming a Coroner Student Intern and are an active student at UC Davis, please apply through Handshake. If you are an active student at another local college or university, please email Deputy Coroner Sheik Ali with a current resume and cover letter.