Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College & Hospital (NRSMC&H)

WELCOME TO Forensic Medicine & Toxicology

The Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology is involved in Udergraduate and Post graduate teaching along with providing Medicolegal Services. Since 1955 it has been actively functioning to provide Medicolegal Services to the State. Stalwarts like Professor JB Mukherjee and Professor CC Mallick have guided the department through all odds. The present Department is housed in a building inaugarated in 2015. The ground floor of the Department has a well equipped mortuary with provision for preservation of 48 dead bodies and a dissestion hall. The academic section of the department lies on the second and third floor with 4 demonstration rooms, departmental library cum seminar room and a museum. Research activities are conducted in the departmental Research laboratory on the first floor.

Apart from regular undergraduate and postgraduate teaching the department conducts examination of survivors and accused of sexual offence cases, medical examination for estimation of age and assessment of injury cases. The annual load of postmortem examination is approximately 3800. The dedicated faculty members, residents and the non teaching staff work tirelessly to uphold the esteem of the department.

UG Programs

The National Medical Commission has revised the undergraduate medical education curriculum so that the Indian Medical Graduate (IMG) is able to recognize “Health for all” as a national goal. He/she should also be able to fulfill his/her societal obligations. The revised curriculum has specified the competencies that a student must attain and clearly defined teaching learning strategies for the same. With this goal in mind, early clinical exposure, foundation course, integrated teaching, skill development, AETCOM and self-directed learning have been introduced. There would be emphasis on communication skills, basic clinical skills and professionalism. There is a paradigm shift from the traditional didactic classroom-based teaching to learning environments where there is emphasis on learning by exploring, questioning, applying, discussing, analyzing, reflecting, collaborating and doing. The recognition of this need is enshrined by a greatly enhanced allocation of time to these methods and also the assessment techniques. With this view in mind the log book has been designed as per the guidelines of competency Based curriculum.

Professional teaching hours- Forensic Medicine & Toxicology

Certifiable skills

PG Programs

The purpose of PG education is to create specialists who would provide high quality health care and advance the cause of science through research & training. This programme is meant to standardize and strengthen Forensic Medicine teaching at the post graduate level throughout the country so that it will benefit the judiciary and the legal system of the country in providing justice which will ultimately benefit the community at large. It will also help in achieving uniformity in undergraduate teaching. The purpose of this document is to provide teachers and learners illustrative guidelines to achieve defined outcomes through learning and assessment. This document was prepared by various subject-content specialists. The Reconciliation Board of Academic Committee has attempted to render uniformity without compromise to purpose and content of the document. Compromise in purity of syntax has been made in order to preserve the purpose and content. This has necessitated retention of “domains of learning” under the heading “competencies”.

SUBJECT SPECIFIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The Goal of MD Forensic Medicine is to train a doctor to become a competent medico-legal expert, teacher and researcher in the subject who:

1. is aware of medico legal aspects in various settings

2. is aware of contemporary advances and developments in the field of Forensic Medicine.

3. has acquired the competencies pertaining to the subject of Forensic Medicine that are required to be practiced at all levels of health system.

4. is oriented to the principles of research methodology.

5. has acquired skills in educating and imparting training to medical, paramedical and allied professionals.

A post graduate student, upon successfully qualifying in the M.D (Forensic Medicine) examination, should be able to:

1. Become an expert in Forensic Medicine.

 2. Identify and define medico-legal problems as they emerge in the community and work to resolve such problems by planning, implementing, evaluating and modulating Medico- legal services.

3. Undertake medico-legal responsibilities and discharge medico-legal duties in required settings.

 4. Keep abreast with all recent developments and emerging trends in Forensic Medicine, Medical Ethics and the law.

5. Deal with general principles and practical problems related to forensic, clinical, emergency, environmental, medico-legal and occupational aspects of toxicology.

6. Deal with medico-legal aspects of Psychiatry, mental health and drug addiction.

7. Impart education in Forensic Medicine and Toxicology to under-graduate and post- graduate students with the help of modern teaching aids.

8. Assess the students’ knowledge and skills in the subject of Forensic Medicine.

9. Oriented to research methodology and conduct of research in the subject.

SUBJECT SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES

By the end of the course, the student should have acquired knowledge (cognitive domain), professionalism (affective domain) and skills (psychomotor domain) as given below:

A. Cognitive domain

 1. Describe the legal and medico-legal system in India.

2. Acquire knowledge on the philosophy and guiding principles of Forensic Medicine course.

 3. Describe the programme goals and objectives of the Forensic Medicine course.

 4. Acquire knowledge on conduct of medico-legal autopsy independently with required physical assistance, prepare report and derive inferences.

5. Outline the principles and objectives of postmortem examination.

 6. Describe the formalities and procedures of medico-legal autopsies in accordance with existing conventions and the law.

7. Identify the role of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, blood bank, psychiatry, radiology, forensic science laboratory as well as other disciplines of medical science to logically arrive at a conclusion in medico-legal autopsies and examination of medico-legal cases.

 8. Describe the principles of the techniques used in toxicological laboratory namely TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography), GLC (Gas Liquid Chromatography), AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry), HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) and Breath Alcohol Analyzer.

9. Describe relevant legal/court procedures applicable to medico-legal/medical practice.

10. Describe the general forensic principles of ballistics, serology, analytical toxicology and photography. 11. Interpret, analyze and review medico-legal reports prepared by other medical officers at the time of need.

 12. Describe role of DNA profile and its application in medico-legal practice.

13. Describe the law/s relating to poisons, drugs, cosmetics, narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. 14. Describe the legal and ethical aspects of Forensic Procedures including Narco-analysis, Brain mapping and Polygraph etc.

15. Describe the medico-legal aspects of Psychiatry, addiction and mental health.

B. Affective domain

 1. Should be able to function as a part of a team, develop an attitude of cooperation with colleagues, and interact with the clinician or other colleagues to provide the best possible opinion.

2. Should be able to follow ethical principles in dealings with patients, police personnel, relatives and other health personnel and to respect their rights.

3. Follow medical etiquettes in dealing with each other.

4. Develop communication skills to word reports and professional opinion as well as to interact with patients, relatives, peers and paramedical staff, and for effective teaching.

C. Psychomotor domain

At the end of the course, the student should acquire following skills and be able to:

 1. Perform medico-legal autopsy independently with required physical assistance, prepare report and derive inferences.

2. Perform medico-legal examination of users of alcohol, drugs and poisons and prepare report.

 3. Perform medico-legal examination in cases of sexual offences and prepare report.

4. Interpret histo-pathological, microbiological, radiological, chemical analysis, DNA profile and other investigative reports for medico-legal purposes.

 5. Perform medico-legal examination of bones, clothing, wet specimens and weapons.

 6. Depose as an expert witness in a court of Law on medico-legal matters.

7. Examine, identify, prepare reports and initiate management on medico-legal cases in emergency set up.

 8. Identify and discharge all legal responsibilities in medico-legal matters.

9. Plan, organize and supervise medico-legal work in general/teaching/district hospitals and in any health care set up.

10. Collect, preserve and dispatch various samples and trace evidences to the concerned authorities in appropriate manner.

11. Help and Advise authorities on matters related to medical ethics and medico-legal issues.

 12. Discharge duties in respect of forensic, clinical, emergency, environmental, medico-legal and occupational aspects of toxicology.

13. Plan, organize and manage toxicological laboratory services in any health care set up.

14. Provide information and consultation on all aspects of toxicology to professionals, industry, Government and the public at large.

15. Manage medico-legal responsibilities in mass disasters involving multiple deaths like fire, traffic accident, aircraft accident, rail accident and natural calamities.

16. Do interaction with allied departments by rendering services in advanced laboratory investigations and relevant expert opinion.

17. Participate in various workshops/seminars/journal clubs/demonstration in the allied departments, to acquire various skills for collaborative research.