Forensic Pathology, Social Media, and Knowing Your Objective: A Q&A with David Afework, MD

David Afework, MD, is a second-year pathology resident at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and recently completed a forensic pathology rotation at the Clackamas County Medical Examiner Office in north central Oregon through an ASCP/NIJ grant.  

In addition to his intense clinical training, Dr. Afework’s “Forensic Pathology 101” video series has attracted tens of thousands of social media followers. He is dedicated to educating the public and aspiring pathologists about forensic pathology via TikTok, as well as Instagram and YouTube. 

Here Dr. Afework discusses the impact his forensic pathology rotation has had on his career trajectory and how knowing his objective has helped him create engaging and popular medical education for social media.* 

 
Critical Values (CV): You described the ASCP forensic pathology rotation as “defining” for your career. What made it stand out from other rotations during your residency? 

David Afework (DA): The ASCP forensic pathology rotation reaffirmed my passion for the field and enhanced my forensic pathology fellowship application. 

During this rotation I independently eviscerated 11 forensic autopsies under supervision and authored each of the correlating preliminary autopsy reports. Additionally, I observed 20 to 30 forensic autopsies performed by the staff forensic pathologists. I networked with forensic pathologists and received a letter of recommendation from the Chief Forensic Pathologist of Clackamas County Medical Examiner’s Office. 

I highly recommend this rotation to anyone interested in forensics — especially those who did not have a dedicated forensic rotation earlier in their training.  

CV: How did the rotation influence or shape your successful application to a forensic pathology fellowship? 

DA: Participating in the ASCP rotation made a practical difference in my application. A nationally recognized rotation on my CV demonstrated my commitment to forensic pathology. It wasn’t just an elective. The experience also helped me mentally set my trajectory toward forensics. It was evident to interviewers that I sought out every opportunity to prepare myself for this path. 

CV: What was the most challenging case or experience you encountered during your training, and how did it impact your learning? 

DA: The first case I handled at UCLA was especially challenging. It was a pediatric autopsy on a 3-month-old patient. At the time, my daughter was the same age and ethnicity — East African. It was jarring and emotionally difficult. I realized I needed to plan how to separate my feelings in the future, because there will be more pediatric cases. 

CV: You gave a grand rounds lecture on cognitive bias in forensic pathology. Can you share why you chose that topic and what key takeaways you hope others gained from it? 

DA: I learned about a split in the forensic pathology community over the existence of cognitive bias in the field at the 2024 NAME Conference in Denver. My grand rounds lecture was scheduled for two months after my forensic pathology rotation. I had been immersed in forensic pathology and focused my lecture on the research behind this split. I presented commentary from those who agreed that there is cognitive bias in forensic pathology, those who disagreed, and discussed the consequences of cognitive bias in our field.  

CV: Your “Forensic Pathology 101” TikTok series has gained impressive traction. What inspired you to start creating forensic content for social media? 

DA: During my second year of medical school, I found a general pathology series on YouTube that distilled the information in a digestible manner by a pathologist who was passionate about teaching. I began making educational videos early in my training, but the videos started to catch on when I focused on forensic pathology. 

Many of my TikTok followers found me after my “You are now also enrolled in Forensics 101 on HillmanTok” video. I wanted to connect my education videos to a new and growing community of Black educators posting courses on TikTok that referred to themselves as “HillmanTok.”  

Editor’s note: The name “HillmanTok” was inspired by “Hillman College,” the fictional Historically Black College at the center of the 1990s television show, “A Different World.” 

CV: How do you strike a balance between making your content relatable while still being scientifically rigorous and educational? 

DA: Storytelling is important, but scientific rigor is my first priority. When I select a concept to teach, first I think about the scenario or story I want to tell. I confirm my scenario is fictional and does not reference any real events. Then I pull my medical references and information from forensic pathology textbooks. I use AI to create engaging visuals, but storytelling is everything.  

CV: Have you received any feedback from followers who’ve been inspired to pursue pathology or forensic pathology after engaging with your content? 

DA: Several times. A high school student interviewing a forensic pathologist for a school project. A med student who might be interested in forensic pathology. The people who have reached out have all been at different stages [in their educational journeys].  

CV: What’s been the biggest surprise or unexpected lesson in your journey as a medical educator and social media creator? 

DA: I thought my death education on social media would educate people on the risks of death from the challenges or trends that go viral. People, especially children and teens, take part in activities promoted on social media that have a risk of death. The surprise was that people reached out while they were waiting for autopsy reports to come back.  

They were looking for answers after the death of their infant, their wife. They were grieving and seeking answers. While I can’t answer directly, I try to address questions through my videos, which can be meaningful to people who contact me. It is a unique thing to connect with people during the most vulnerable moments of their lives. 

CV: As someone working to bridge the gap between forensic pathology and public understanding, what advice would you give to other pathologists interested in educational outreach? 

DA: Define your goal, identify your target audience, and know your objective. For me it is being a death educator and online forensic pathologist. Knowing this will shape the content you make and help you focus on the people you want to reach. 

You can follow Dr. David Afework on Instagram: @davidafework.md, TikTok: @davidafework.md. YouTube: David Afework, MD. 

*This interview has been edited for clarity and length.