Forensic Medicine

Code:

MI509

Acronym:

MLEG

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Medicine

Instance: 2014/2015 - SP

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences 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	308	Mestrado Integrado em Medicina 2007	5	-	3,5	37	94,5
		Mestrado Integrado em Medicina- Plano oficial 2013 (Reforma Curricular)	5	-	3,5	37	94,5

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

General Aims: To provide the acquisition of knowledge and skills to prepare future medical doctors with the ability to perform in a correct and appropriate way the techniques to matters of a forensic nature, independent of their specialty, in order to contribute to the good application of justice, in the victims' best interest. Specific Aims: To provide basic knowledge on forensic semiology and on several aspects of performance of forensic medicine and of other forensic sciences, referring to its scope, objectives and skills; to supply guidelines in general on the medical performance, relative to specific forensic cases considering the fundamental transdisciplinary enunciation for the resolution of those cases, not only at a level of different medical specialties but, also, with other areas of knowledge, namely law, social service and psychology; to sensitise future doctors, through contact with real cases, of the need of their involvement in actions of violence prevention (voluntary and involuntary).

Learning outcomes and competences

At the end of this course students should have:

a) Basic knowledge on the multiple aspects of forensic medicine and other forensic sciences;

b) Basic knowledge on basic forensic semiology about different types of injuries, particularly the biomechanics of injury production, as well as skills to document injuries and sequelae (description and photographic record);

c) Basic knowledge on the nature and production of forensic evidence, as well as competences to make its proper identification, documentation, collection (if necessary), preservation, packaging and transportation, ensuring the chain of custody;

d) The necessary skills to interpret certain types of trauma and formulate appropriate differential diagnoses (clinical and forensic);

e) Basic knowledge on appropriate medical performance for specific medico-legal situations, considering a multidisciplinary coordination, as well as protecting the victims and preventing violence (voluntary and involuntary).

Working method

Presencial

Program

Lectures: Forensic Pathology; Clinical Forensics; Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology; Genetics and Forensic Biology; Forensic Toxicology. Seminars: 1. Suicide. Most frequent forms and mechanisms. Crime scene investigation. Specific autopsy techniques. Diagnostic complementary exams. 2. Homicide. Most frequent forms and mechanisms. Crime scene investigation and specific autopsy techniques. Diagnostic complementary exams. 3. Accidents. Lesions’ biomechanics. Differential Diagnosis. 4. Sudden death of natural cause in newborn, adolecents and young adults. 5. Bodily damage assessment and compensation in civil, criminal and labour. 6. Sexual crimes. Clinical examination and reports. Conceptualization, suspicion, signalization, and the finding and preservation of vestiges. Medico-legal diagnosis and victims orientation. 7. Violence in familial context. Concept, suspition, signalization, medico-legal diagnosis and orientation and protection of the victims.

Mandatory literature

Gisbert Calabuig; Medicina Legal y Toxicologia, 6ª edição, Masson, 2004. ISBN: 9788445814154
Vincent DiMaio; Manual de Patología Forense, Madrid, 2003. ISBN: 9788479785512
Pekka Sauko, Bernard Knight; Forensic Pathology, Oxford University Press, 2004. ISBN: 0-340-76044-3
Teresa Magalhães; Violência e abuso. Respostas simples para questões complexas, Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra, 2010. ISBN: ISBN 978-989-26-0025-3
Teresa Magalhães (coord.); Abuso de Crianças e Jovens. Da suspeita ao diagnóstico, Lidel, Edições Técnicas, Lda, 2010. ISBN: 9789727576555
Magalhães, T e Vieira, DN (Eds.); Abuso e Negligência – Série. 2 – Agressões Sexuais. Intervenção Pericial Integrada, SPECAN, 2013. ISBN: 9789899727519
Teresa Magalhães (Coord.); To improve the management of child abuse and neglect, SPECAN, 2011. ISBN: 978-989-97275-0-2
Manuel Garcia-Blazquez Perez; Nuevo Manual De Valoracion Y Baremacion Del Daño Corporal , COMARES, 2009. ISBN: 9788498365160
Klaassen C, Amdur M, Doull J; Cassarett & Doull’s Toxicology. The basic science of poisons - 7 edition, McGraw-Hill, 2008
John M. Butler; Fundamentals Of Forensic Dna Typing , Elsevier Science, 2009. ISBN: 9780080961767
JOHN WILEY AND SONS (Ed); Handbook Of Forensic Medicine, Wiley Blackwell, 2014. ISBN: 9780470979990

Complementary Bibliography

Charles Catanese (Ed); Color Atlas of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, CRC Press, 2009. ISBN: 9781420043204
Gall JAM, Boos SC, Payne-James JJ, Culliford EJ; Forensic Medicine. Colour Guide, Churchill Livingstone, 2003
Bessières-Roques I, Hugues-Béjui H; Précis d’évaluation du dommage corporel, L'ARGUS DE L'ASSURANCE, 2009. ISBN: 9782354740757
Magalhães T; Maus tratos em crianças e jovens, Quarteto Editora, Coimbra, 2002
Teresa Magalhães; Estudo tridimensional do dano corporal: lesão, função e situação. Sua aplicação médico-legal, Almedina, 1998. ISBN: 9789724011301
Oliveira Sá F; Clínica Médico-Legal da reparação do dano corporal em direito civil, APADAC, 1992

Teaching methods and learning activities

Seminars: 9, of 80 minutes each (total of 12h00), in which previously scheduled and prepared subjects will be discussed. The active participation of the students will be determinant. The schedule will be from 12:10 to 1:30 pm. Practice Sessions:  clinical forensics exams, autopsies, criminalistics and toxicology, followed by problem solving exercises (leaded by the students), with the intention to prepare the relating expertise report and solving concrete cases. The students will be divided into 4 groups (A to D), having each practical class a duration of 240 minutes a day (total of 11h00). The schedule will be from 8:30 am to 1:30 and from 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm. The last friday of each block will be dedicated to support students and clariby eventual remaining doubts. The practical sessions will include as weel 4 specific procedure training with 3h20 duration each (total of 13h20). 

Evaluation Type

Evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

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

Eligibility for exams

The minimum requirements to pass the curricular unit are: a minimum presence of 2/3 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 takes place on the Saturday following the last day of the block, with 2 hours of duration, consisting of a test with 40 multiple choice questions (0.3 marks each - 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). In case a student doesn't pass the exam at the end of the block, he/she may repeat the exam in June/July. Test evaluation criteria: in multiple choice questions, only one option is correct. In case the student considers there may be more than one correct option, the more appropriate action is to signal the most correct one. The request to the reevaluation of the test is done by writing and by the student to the chair professor, within 8 days following the disclosure of the student's grades, in a date agreed between students and professor.

Calculation formula of final grade

Final exam grade.