Michael Welner, MD ’88
Profession: Forensic Psychiatrist
Hobbies: Rediscovering Judaism and Israel, University of Miami Football, Jazz, and weightlifting.
Accomplishments: Lead forensic psychiatrist in forensic examiner in a number of the most significant cases in America today;
Developer, The Depravity Standard, an evidence based standard for distinguishing the worst of crimes, to assist sentencing;
Pioneered and implemented Peer-Review for forensic consultation;
Publisher, Editor-in-Chief of The Forensic Echo;
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine,
Adjunct Professor of Law, Duquesne University School of Law;
Task force on serial killers, FBI;
Invited Distinguished Lecturer, American College of Legal Medicine
Board of Directors, American Board of Disaster Medicine;
Frequent contributor, Larry King Live and ABC News.
Medical School Experience/Recollection: My medical school education provided me an advantage when I entered my internship alongside people who had been educated elsewhere; the diversity of populations served, the excellence of Jackson Memorial Hospital, the variety of training settings we were able to learn in, from Jackson, to the VA, to Mount Sinai, to the community. How my teachers were patient with me as I matured from a younger and more unfocused medical student, into a far more successful physician.
Philosophy: Let passion drive goals, compete to improve, and choose to explore and to do things that would not otherwise be explored and done. Hold steadfast to the inclination to do the right thing.
Why I do what I do: Because every day is different and the intellectual challenge is unmatched. To have to engage a complex problem on a medical, psychological, legal, investigative, and tactical level is an incredible privilege. To defend my work within the adversarial system is a fascinating competitive challenge.
