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Mortician

Burial traditions and procedures vary tremendously among the different civilizations and religions of the world. They all share common elements however. This includes transporting the departed to a funeral home or mortuary, planning a ceremony that meets the needs of the deceased and the family, preparing remains, and overseeing the care and burial of the deceased. A mortician arranges and directs these tasks for grieving families. These professionals work diligently to provide comfort and compassion to loved ones of the deceased while providing appropriate funeral services. If you would like to start a new career as a mortician, now is a great time to go back to college and get your career training.

Duties and Responsibilities of a Mortician

There are many duties involved in the work of a mortician, also called a mortician or undertaker. They must arrange the details and organize funerals according to the last wishes of the deceased as well as his or her family members. The funeral director must work closely with the family to establish the dates, times, and locations of services and interments. This includes arranging for a transportation to move the body from the location of passing to the funeral home.

Other responsibilities of a mortician include preparing obituary notices and placing them in newspapers, arranging for clergy and pallbearers, scheduling burial with a cemetery representative, decorating and preparing the sites of services, and providing transportation for the deceased, the family, and the floral arrangements from the service to the grave site. They also occasionally arrange out-of-state burials.

Today, most funeral directors are also trained and licensed in embalming. Embalming is a cosmetic and sanitary preservation process during which the body is prepared for burial. If it is over 24 hours between the death and burial, state laws require that the body of the deceased be embalmed or refrigerated. As such, most funeral directors must also serve as embalmers. In addition, those who work in very small funeral homes may be solely responsible for all of the operations of the business.

During an embalming, morticians must cleanse the deceased with germicidal soap and substitute the blood with embalming fluid to preserve the tissues. They may also reconstruct and reshape the body using clay, cotton, wax, and plaster of Paris. Finally, they are required to apply cosmetics in a way that gives a natural appearance, put clothing on the body, and arrange it in a casket. Funeral directors also keep records of embalming reports, detailed lists of items that arrived with the deceased, and more.

Becoming a Mortician

The first step in becoming a mortician is to get a degree in mortuary science. These programs typically last between 2 and 4 years. There are currently 60 mortuary science programs in the United States that are accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education, most of which are mostly 2-year programs. There are also around 6 colleges and universities that offer mortuary science bachelor’s degree programs.

There are also many specialized funeral service institutions that offer 2-year programs for those wishing to become a mortician. Typically, mortuary science courses include pathology, restorative art, human anatomy, physiology, embalming techniques, business management, client services, written and oral communication, grief counseling, psychology, the use of computers in funeral home management, among others.

Once you complete your education to become a funeral director, you will need to complete a 1 to 3 year internship that may be completed before, during, or after mortuary school. These internships will provide practical, hands-on training in every aspect of a mortician’s job. You must then become licensed. The laws for licensure differ from state to state but generally require that candidates at least 21 years of age, complete at least 1 year of internship, and pass an examination. In addition, many states require that morticians also be licensed as embalmers.

State board licensing exams can vary greatly from state to state, but they typically include oral and written portions along with a practical skills demonstration. Although you may have to take a new examination if you wish to practice in a new state, many states allow for reciprocity agreements that will grant funeral director licenses in a new state without taking a further examination. It is important to contact the state licensing board for your state to check on the specific requirements.

When you get your education and training to become a mortician, you are preparing to take your place in one of the most vital careers of our time. Every society, as long as there are people, will need the services of morticians. This career provides you with the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping others. It also provides you with an excellent salary that can reach upwards of $90,000 a year, depending on your education, experience, location, and the number of services performed. Get started on your training now and you will soon be living your new life.