Forensic Medicine

Code:

MI539

Acronym:

MEDLEG

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Medicine

Instance: 2021/2022 - 1S (of 13-09-2021 to 13-02-2022)

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Public Health and Forensic Sciences, and Medical Education Department
Course/CS Responsible:	Integrated Master in Medicine

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIMED	129	Plano Oficial 2021	5	-	3	28	81

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

General aim: to promote the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes in terms of the medical procedures in forensic medicine, to assure that future physicians will act in a correct and adequate way, in the best interest of their patients and under the terms of the law, when confronted with forensic issues, regardless of the medical specialty they may have, in an interdisciplinary and articulated group mind-set.

Specific aims: the students will acquire skills and competences in dealing with victims and their relatives, in the preparation of electronic death certificates, in the correct management of a corpse - namely its report to forensic autopsy -, in the description of injuries/sequelae and its photographic documentation, in the physical examination of victims (namely in sexual crimes), in the selection, collection, preservation and storage of the different types of evidence and other samples, as well as in signaling and/or reporting alleged crimes.

Learning outcomes and competences

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Not applicable

Program

1. Forensic medicine. Introduction, scope, role, objectives and specific expert methodologies.


2. Violence and abuse. The physician’s role in detecting and in diferential diagnosis


3. Violence and abuse. The physician’s role in reporting and guiding the victim


4. Selection, collection, preservation and storage of evidence and other samples in genetics and criminalistics. Samples’ transportation and chain of custody.


5. Selection, collection, preservation and storage of evidence and other samples for toxicologic analysis. Samples’ transportation and chain of custody.


6. Physical examination in case of sexual crime.


7. Post-traumatic bodily harm evaluation.


8. Reasons for forensic autopsy. 


9. Medical procedures in cases of driving under substance influence


10. Contribution of Forensic Genetics to Medicine


11. Biomechanics/mechanisms of injury production.


12. Death verification and certification.


13. The medical procedures in the scene of death


14. Diferential diagnosis in cases of death by natural causes and in cases of violent death


15. Forensic imaging

Mandatory literature

Butler J.; Forensic DNA typing. Advanced Topics in Forensic DNA Typing: Methodology., Elsevier Academic Press, 2001
Dinis-Oliveira R, e col; Collection of biological samples in forensic toxicology, Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods, Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods, 20(7):363-414, 2010
Dinis-Oliveira R, e col; Procedimentos técnicos, éticos e legais da competência do médico no cumprimento da lei da fiscalização da condução rodoviária sob influência do álcool e substâncias psicotrópicas, Ata Med Port, 23(6):1059-1082, 2010
Madea B; Handbook of Forensic Medicine, Bonn, Wiley, 2014
Magalhães T; Abuso de Crianças e Jovens. Da suspeita ao diagnóstico, Lidel, Edições Técnicas, Lda, 2010
Magalhães T e col; Recomendações gerais para a realização de relatórios periciais de clínica forense relativos ao dano pós-traumático, Revista Portuguesa do Dano Corporal XIX(20): 53-61, 2010
Magalhães T e col; Recomendações gerais para a realização de relatórios periciais de clínica forense no âmbito do Direito Penal, Revista Portuguesa do Dano Corporal XIX(20): 63-68, 2010
Magalhães T e col; Recomendações gerais para a realização de relatórios periciais de clínica forense no âmbito do Direito Trabalho, Revista Portuguesa do Dano Corporal XIX(20): 69-78, 2010
Magalhães T e col; Recomendações gerais para a realização de relatórios periciais de clínica forense no âmbito do Direito Civil, Revista Portuguesa do Dano Corporal XIX(20): 79-90, 2010
Magalhães T, Vieira DN; Personal Injury Assessment, In Handbook of Forensic Medicine, Burkhard Madea (Ed.). Bonn, Wiley, pp.1241-1252, 2014
Magalhães T; Estudo tridimensional do dano corporal: lesão, função e situação. Sua aplicação médico-legal, Almedina, 1998
Magalhães T; Violência e abuso. Respostas simples para questões complexas, Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra, 2010
Dinis R, Carvalho FD & Bastos ML; Toxicologia Forense, Pactor, 2014
Saukko P, Knight B.; Knight’s forensic pathology (4th ed.). Boca Raton: CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC, 2016.
Dinis-Oliveira RJ, Mgalhães T, Vieira DN; Guidelines for collection of biological samples for clinical and forensic toxicological analysis. Forensic Science Research, 1:42-51, 2016

Complementary Bibliography

Magalhães T, Vieira DN; Agressões sexuais. Intervenção pericial integrada, Abuso & Negligência Serie n.2 – SPECAN, Maia, 2013
Vieira DN, Quintero A; Aspetos práticos da avaliação do dano corporal em Direito Civil, Caixa Seguros: Coimbra, 2008
Klaassen C et al; Cassarett & Doull’s; Toxicology. The basic science of poisons, McGraw-Hill 8th ed, 2013

Teaching methods and learning activities

The program includes topics of clinical nature with forensic implications, with which the future physicians, most probably, shall be confronted in the exercise of their professional activity. With training in these areas, students will be prepared to properly address forensic situations in the best interest of patients and their families, promoting not only their treatment but, also, their protection and safety, as well as that of justice – fundamental aspects of the clinical, social and legal role of the physician. Teaching of the unit will take place on one semester per year, each semester including 14 weeks – total 81 hours, being 28 hours of contact (33%), divided in 14 hours of theoretical classes and 14 hours of practical classes. Theoretical classes addresses the various areas of forensic science and forensic medicine in all its plenitude and key issues of medico-legal relevance applied to medicine, and that will support the application to practical cases and the training of medico-legal acts. In practical classes students will face real or simulated situations and discuss cases, and train medico-legal acts by students. Evaluation will be via a written final exam that lasts 60 minutes. It includes 60 multiple-choices questions, with 5 options and only 1 correct. These questions include the resolution of 4 cases.

Evaluation Type

Evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Teste	100,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	53,00
Frequência das aulas	28,00
Total:	81,00

Eligibility for exams

The minimum requirements to pass the curricular unit are a minimum presence of 75% of the total contact hours of the unit and of 9.5 marks in the final test. Study material: themes present in the program, approached in class directly or indirectly. Final exam: with 1-hour duration, consisting of a test with 60 multiple choice questions (12 values in total) and 4 cases about practical situations of Clinical Forensics and Forensic Pathology (two each) to interpret and to answer by multiple choice (2 marks each - 8 values in total). Test evaluation criteria: multiple choice questions, only one option correct. In case the student considers that there may be more than one correct option, the most appropriate is to signal the most correct. The correct answers to the exam will be available on SIGARRA immediately after its conclusion. Divulgation of the final grade: The grade will be available on SIGARRA at the beginning of the following week. Exam consultation: The request to the reevaluation of the test is done by means of a written explanation by the student on the points in disagreement to the chair professor, within 8 days following the disclosure of the student's grades, at a date agreed between students and professor.

Calculation formula of final grade

The final grade will correspond to the final exam grade (100%)

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Also in special cases, the student's assessment will be done solely through the final exam, since no continuous assessment is done.