Department of Forensic Medicine

Total Teaching Hours

(A) Didactic Lectures (150 HOURS)
(B) Postmortem Lectures, Demonstrations and Discussion (60 HOURS)

Video clip for autopsy and trial court

(Students are divided into one or two groups for didactic lectures and one or two or five groups for postmortem lectures, demonstrations and discussions.)

Teaching Program Structure

No.	Topics/ Content	Methods	Media	Hours
1	Role of Forensic Medicine: Definition of Forensic Medicine Branches of Forensic Medicine Definition of Forensic Medicine Role of Forensic Medicine in criminal investigation	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, Visual presenter	3
2	Law Courts and Criminal Procedures: Principles of administration of justice Origin of Court cases Types of witness, Examination of witness, Conduct of medical witness, Professional secrecy and privileged communication Summons, Subpoena, Warrant Examination in Court Evidence, including dying declaration and dying deposition Punishments Medico-legal reports: guidelines, features, contents Police- case register Death certificate, burial certificate	Didactic Lectures & role play for trial court examination	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter Video clip, Court attendance during PSM Field trip under supervision by respective TMO	15
3	Personal Identification: Medico-legal importance Basic characteristics Sex differentiation; Pelvic, Sacrum,Skull, Medico-legal†importance of age Assessment of age Absolute characteristics (including DNA profiling) Investigation of Fragmentary remains Exhumation	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter	10
4	Thanatology: Definition of death, Classification of death Immediate signs of death Late changes after death ñ cooling, hypostatic staining, rigor mortis, cadaveric spasm, decomposition and modified forms Estimation of time of death	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter	9
5	Medico-legal Autopsy Objectives of a Medico-legal Autopsy Preliminaries for a medico-legal autopsy Types of death for Forensic autopsy Postmortem techniques Postmortem reports	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter Video clips for PME	4
6	Asphyxia: Definition , Types of anoxia General non-specific signs of asphyxia Drowning, Hanging, Strangulation, Suffocation	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter	10
7	Medico-legal aspects of wounds: Definition of wound and hurt Grievous hurt, Dangerous weapons Laws regarding wounds Mens rea,† Actus reus Wound description Classification of Wounds Different types of wounds ñ abrasion, lacerated wound, bruise, incised wound, stab wound, defense wound, feigned wound Opinions regarding wounds causing death Ante-mortem and postmortem injuries Trauma and disease relationship Accident, Suicide and Homicide Firearm Wounds: Types of Firearm and basic ballistics Rifled firearm† ñ characters of entrance and exit wounds, Range of fire, Shot gun ñ basic ballistics, appearance of wounds, range of fire Accident, suicide, homicide in gunshot wounds Investigation of a case of gunshot wound Explosive injuries	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter small group discussion Assignment	18
8	Injury caused by physical agents Burns: Purpose of investigation of death from burns Agents causing burns Ante-mortem / post-mortem burns Classification, surface area involved Causes of death Burns Conflagration Spurious wounds in burns	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter	1
9	Hyper and Hypothermia: Medico-legal importance Classification Postmortem features			1
10	Electrocution: Medico-legal† importance Factors influencing the effects of electricity on the human body Postmortem features of electrocution Cause of death	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter	1
11	Lightning: Effects of lightning on the human body Postmortem features cause of death Medico-legal importance	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter	1
12	Road Traffic Accident (RTA): Purpose of medico-legal investigation Types of RTA Auto-pedestrian accident Auto-auto accident Auto-cycle accident Motor-cycle accident Auto-train accident Hit and run accident, over-turning of cars	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter	4
13	Regional injuries: Head Injuries scalp and skull injuries meningeal haemorrhages cerebral injuries Injury to the neck , thorax, abdomen, spine, genitalia, extremities Fall from Height Non-accidental injury in children	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter	5
14	Scene of Crime: Purpose, attitude, equipment, procedures, importance of trace evidence	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter	3
15	Sudden and unexpected Natural deaths (SUD): Definition Aims and objectives of doing medico-legal autopsy Classification Common SUDs in Myanmar Medico-legal management	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter	5
16	Forensic Psychiatry: Meaning of insanity MPC Section 84 Criminal and civil responsibility of insane person True insanity, Feigned insanity, Insane murderer Restraint of the insane	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter	4
17	Sexual Offences: Rape, MPC Section 375, 376 Medico-legal examination of victim and accused of rape Medico-legal opinions Unnatural sexual offences and behaviors: MPC Section 377 (Un-Natural sexual offences) Unnatural sexual behaviors	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter	10
18	Infanticide: Definition of Infanticide, Viable child, live birth, still birth, dead-born child Features of Infanticide, Viable child, live birth, still birth, dead-born child Common methods of infanticide Medico-legal investigation of infanticide Autopsy procedure	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter	3
19	Criminal Abortion: MPC Sections 312, 313 and 314 Medico-legal duty and ethical aspects of medical officer in criminal abortion Classification of abortion Methods and dangers of criminal abortion Sterilization: Laws and procedure	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter	4
20	Medico-legal aspects of Sexual Functions: Medico-legal aspects of impotency, sterility and marriage.	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter	2
21	Medico-legal aspects of pregnancy: Diagnosis of pregnancy in living dead Signs of recent delivery in living dead			2
22	Medical Ethics: Declaration of Geneva Myanmar Medical Council (MMC) Registered / Licensed medical practitioner Serious professional misconduct International Code of Medical ethics Good Medical Practice Professionalism; Rights of patient	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter	8
23	Medical Negligence: Civil Negligence Common causes for negligence actions Res Ipsa Loquitor, Respondeat Superior, Contributory negligence Defenses available for the defendant doctor Criminal Negligence	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter	6
24	Guidelines in management of ML cases: Common medico-legal problems in Myanmar Guidelines for management	Didactic Lectures	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter	3
25	Family Medicine Patient dignity – Rights of patient Confidentiality, Professional secrecy Basic ethical principles Case scenario	Didactic Lectures Discussion	OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter	1
26	Toxicology: Diagnosis of poisoning Similarities of symptoms and signs produced by poisons and diseases Duty of medical practitioner in a case of suspected poisoning Collection, labeling and dispatch of forensic specimens Classification of poisons Corrosive poisoning Alcohol, Methanol Narcotics and Psychotropic substances 1993 Narcotics &Psychotropic Substances Law Narcotics Cocaine Amphetamines Common suicidal poisons Insecticides Sedatives and tranquilizers Paracetamol Common accidental poisons Insecticides Food poisoning Common homicidal poison Cyanide Gaseous poison Carbon-monoxide Solvent Abuse Paraquat Snake bite poisoning		OHP, White-board, Slide projector, Multimedia projector, visual presenter	18
	TOTAL			150 hrs

Department of Forensic Medicine

Practicals and Demonstrations

No.	Topics/ Content	Methods	Media	Hours
1	Principles and guidelines in performing medico-legal autopsies	Postmortem demonstration Case discussion on medico-legal death cases	Dead bodies Postmortem dissecting set Video clip	40
2	Postmortem technique
3	Cases for forensic autopsy
4	Preliminaries for a forensic autopsy
5	Postmortem examination External examination Changes after death Internal examination Special investigation Time since death
6	Collection, labeling and dispatch of forensic specimens
7	Demonstration and discussion on postmortem dissection of various medico-legal autopsies (including asphyxial deaths, death due to violence, sudden deaths, death due to narcotics and poisonings , and decomposed body)
8	Demonstration and discussion of forensic morbid specimens	demonstration and discussion	Medico-legal morbid	6
9	Demonstration and discussion of medico-legal photographs	demonstration and discussion	Medico-legal Photographs	6
10	Demonstration and discussion of medico-legal X-rays	demonstration and discussion	Medico-legal X-rays	2
11	Demonstration and discussion of medico-legal aspects of human bones	demonstration and discussion	Medico-legal bones	4
12	Assignments -medico-legal reports regarding wounds/ age assessment/ rape/ alcoholic intoxication	Reports discussion	Medico-legal report	1
13	Assignments -autopsy reports of medico-legal deaths that the students have personally observed	Reports discussion	Postmortem examination report	1
	TOTAL			60 hrs