Forensic pathologist John Oladapo Obafunwa was thrust into the limelight last week, with his professionalism highlighted by the Island's top prosecutor, Khamisi Tokunbo before the Serious Crimes Inquiry.

In between the extraordinary and the routine, an autopsy of a road traffic accident victim and checking tissue samples sent by surgeons and physicians for cancer, Dr. Obafunwa spoke to The Royal Gazette last week.

Dr. Obafunwa accepted the invitation for an interview on condition that he got the opportunity to encourage young Bermudians to consider training in medicine, especially in pathology and the sub-specialty of forensic pathology as a career.

He met Bermudian forensic scientist Desiree Allen a few years ago when both presented scientific papers at a conference and would like to see others follow in her footsteps.

Dr. Obafunwa also credits his staff, most of whom are Bermudian, for their hard work. He works with four technologists, one lab aide, one morgue technician, and one secretary.

And he is also proud of the his six years as Cayman Islands Government Pathologist and Director of Laboratory Services where he led the modernisation of the facilities including the establishment of a Forensic Science lab.

Forensic pathologists are medical doctors trained in evaluating how people die and presenting their findings in court.

Forensic scientists and technologists are trained in gathering that evidence or are specialists in evaluating certain types of evidence.

Dr. Obafunwa originally trained as a clinical pathologist, specialising in Morbid Anatomy, Histopathology and Cytopathology which are the study of tissue and cells for diseases.

A Yoruba originally from Epe, Lagos State, he was sent by his country to Scotland to specialise and gain experience in forensic pathology a decade ago.

"Bermuda certainly requires another histopathologist which would reduce the current workload,'' Dr. Obafunwa explained, adding that the yearly hospital workload is more than 5,000 surgical samples, approximately 200 autopsies and has to supervise approximately 10,000 cytopathology tests.

Another histopathologist would also be able to readily offer a second opinion on diseased tissue, with the second position the other demands of clinical work can be accomplished.

After graduating from St. Patrick's Grammar School in Ibadan, Oyo State, he completed a medical degree in 1980 from the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, then one of 18 medical schools in the country.

His final year of medical school he conducted a study on hearing ability.

From there he studied pathology at the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.

Along the way he married Titilola, a nurse, and the couple have two children, Ayodeji and Olumayowa, also known as Sylvester and Valentina.

Later while working as the consultant pathologist to the Federal Ministry of Health he was sent on orders of the Health Minister to the University of Edinburgh, to subspecialise in forensic pathology in 1991.

While in Scotland Dr. Obafunwa qualified for his Diploma in Medical Jurisprudence in just six months -- two and a half years ahead of time.

In 1992 he was awarded membership of the Royal College of Pathologists, UK.

Dr. Obafunwa has been admitted into the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, he is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine of the UK and the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.

He is also on the Specialist Register of the UK General Medical Council and its principal list, and a member of the Nigerian, Caymanian and Jamaican medical councils.