MAME 2026 Annual Conference (November 13, 2026)

Fri, 13 Nov 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Registration is now open!

The 2026 MAME Annual Conference will be held Friday, November 13th, and Saturday, November 14th, at Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. This year's Program Chair is Dr. Randy Tashjian from the University of Michigan.

This year's featured speaker is Dr. Carl Schmidt! Dr. Schmidt is a forensic pathologist with over 30 years experience. He came from Mexico, and trained in anatomic and clinical pathology at the Medical College of Ohio (now University of Toledo Medical Center). Dr. Schmidt trained in forensic pathology at the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office, and stayed for the next 28 years. He became Chief Medical Examiner in 2003, a position he held for 19 years. In 2011, he helped assemble an agreement with the University of Michigan’s Department of Pathology, which remained in effect for 11 years. He retired from the Department of Pathology as a Professor Emeritus in 2024. Dr. Schmidt has published extensively in areas such as forensic toxicology, child abuse, biological markers for drug abuse and the post-mortem microbiome. Another area of interest is the presentation of the often complex information derived from an autopsy so that a lay public can understand it unambiguously.

This conference is designed for medical examiners, deputy medical examiners, and additional medical examiner personnel including medicolegal death investigators, forensic scientists, administrators, and other professionals working within or affiliated with a county.

Our conference planning team, including this year's Program Chair, Dr. Randy Tashjian, are hard at work creating an exciting program for our attendees. If you're interested in presenting at this year's conference, please complete and submit this Google Form no later than Monday, August 17th.

Book your room now at our conference rate with code: MAME111226. To book online, choose Book Now and change Promo code to Group code and enter the code above. You can also call Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort at (877) 232-4532 (option #1 for Reservations). Please be sure to refer to our organization when booking to ensure you receive the discounted group rate. This discounted room rate is only available until Thursday, October 22, 2026 so please book soon!

If you're unable to secure a room at Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort, there are several other local options, including the Holiday Inn & Suites, the Hampton Inn, Soaring Eagle Waterpark & Hotel, and The Retreat at Soaring Eagle.

Registration Rates & Deadlines

	EarlyBird Register by August 31st (at 11:59 PM EST)	Standard Register by October 23rd (at 11:59 PM EST)	Late October 24th to November 14th (at 11:59 PM EST)
Exhibitor	$450	$495	$520
Exhibitor Guest	$110	$120	$130
Professional	$300	$330	$345
Professional (Friday Only)	$175	$195	$200
Professional (Saturday Only)	$150	$165	$175
Associate	$125	$140	$145
Affiliate	$250	$275	$290
Affiliate (Friday Only)	$150	$165	$175
Affiliate (Saturday Only)	$125	$140	$145
Student	$100	$110	$115
Non-member	$450	$495	$520
Non-member (Friday Only)	$250	$275	$290
Non-member (Saturday Only)	$225	$250	$260
Banquet Guest	$65	$70	$75

*Please note: You must be 18 years or older to register for the conference.

Cancelation Policy

Cancelations received by 11:59 PM EST on October 23rd will receive a 50% refund or the choice to defer registration to the following year.

Cancelations received on or after October 24th will not be eligible for refund but the offer to defer registration to the following year still stands.

Robert C. Hendrix Travel Award

MAME has established an award in honor of the first President of MAME: the Robert C. Hendrix Travel Award. Dr. Hendrix was an internationally recognized forensic pathologist and Professor of Pathology at the University of Michigan who worked tirelessly to increase the professional stature of medical examiners and forensic pathologists. This award provides funding for up to two students or trainees in the state of Michigan to attend the MAME Annual Conference. This award will appropriately honor Dr. Hendrix by enhancing two of the major goals in his career: MAME and medical education.

Eligibility Guidelines for the Robert C. Hendrix Travel Award are below:

All students or trainees enrolled in an accredited training program are eligible to apply for the award. Examples include, but are not limited to: undergraduate educational institution, medical school, pathology residency, or graduate anthropology program.

To apply, the following items must be received by Friday, August 21st:

A letter to the Program Chair indicating the individual's career goals with emphasis on the goals in medical examiner work. The letter should also detail the individual's involvement in medical examiner work.
A letter from the director of the training program or a faculty member certifying that the applicant is in good standing.

The award covers the cost of registration (including conference meals) and a standard hotel room for two nights (Thursday and Friday). Applications are due to Dr. Tashjian (rstash@med.umich.edu) by Friday, August 21st. Please note that preference will be given to applicants who propose a short (15 minute) presentation at this year's conference!

Not yet a member?

Take advantage of the membership rate for the annual conference: Join MAME!

Please direct any questions to us at: mame@michiganme.org!

Michigan Association of Medical Examiners upcoming events

MAME 2026 Annual Conference (November 13, 2026)