Monash University Handbook 2010 Postgraduate - Course

This course is designed to further develop medical practitioners knowledge and skills so that they are able to provide a high quality clinical forensic medical service. This will include ethical and legal issues arising in forensic medical practice, the skills required to interpret injury patterns and communication with the justice system.

This course is designed to:

• establish academic standards in clinical forensic medical practice
• produce graduates who have a sound knowledge of medico-legal principles
• develop practitioners skills in providing clinical forensic services in the community
• strengthen the teaching- research nexus in forensic medical education
• foster the development of career pathways in forensic medicine.

Assessment

Assessment methods will vary but will include coursework participation, formal assignments, casebooks and minor thesis.

This course is offered via coursework and minor thesis, or by coursework only. The coursework component comprises core and elective units.

Core units

• FOR4001 Medical evidence
• FOR4002 Injury interpretation
• FOR4003 Ethics, medicine and the law

Minor thesis (24 points)

Students undertaking the minor thesis are required to prepare a research proposal at an early stage of their minor thesis enrolment and have this approved by their thesis supervisor. The area of research must cover a topic directly related to forensic medicine.

Elective units

Students undertaking the degree by :

• coursework and minor thesis select 30 points of electives
• by coursework only select 54 points of electives.

Students select units from the list below of may also (with departmental approval) choose other graduate units offered by the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, other faculties at Monash University or other tertiary institutions. At least one unit must include instruction on research methodologies and basic statistics.

• FOR2006 Paediatric forensic medicine
• FOR2010 Research project
• FOR4004 Elements of the forensic sciences
• FOR5005 Adult sexual assault
• FOR5006 Traffic medicine
• FOR5007 Elements of forensic toxicology
• FOR5008 Custodial medicine

Minimum grade for course completion

Students must achieve a minimum credit standard assessment in all three core units and at least one elective unit from the list of units offered by the Department of Forensic Medicine.

Students may exit this course with a Graduate Certificate in Forensic Medicine or Graduate Diploma in Forensic Medicine providing all requirements of that award have been met.

Master of Forensic Medicine