Undergraduate Course

The entire course of Forensic Medicine is extended for 6 terms.  It commences in the 6th term (3rd year) and concludes in the 11th term (4th year).  It comprised of lectures, small group discussions, short clinical appointment in Forensic Medicine, demonstration classes on specimens, autopsy demonstrations and revision tutorial classes. The teaching and learning activities are designed around 5 major subject areas.

Syllabus

 Clinical forensic medicine

mechanisms of causation of injuries in the living (surface and internal injuries), documentation of injuries, medico-legal classification of injuries, immediate and remote complications of injuries, mechanisms and identification of injuries caused by blunt weapons, sharp weapons, firearms, burns/fires, acids/alkali, lightning, electricity and explosives, regional injuries, road traffic trauma, other transportation injuries, injuries due to falls and mob violence, barotrauma, ageing of injuries and scars, basic concepts of compensation, child abuse and its various forms, domestic violence, elder abuse, age assessment of persons for legal & administrative purposes, examination and documentation of sexual assault, examination for virginity, recent and remote delivery, clinical examination for drunkenness, certification for mental illness, forensic DNA profiling, documentation of medico-legal reports.

Forensic pathology & Forensic science

concept of brain death, certification of death, post-mortem changes, determination of time since death, cause and manner of death, autopsy procedures, medico-legal (judicial) and pathological(hospital) autopsy, negative and obscure autopsy, high risk autopsy, post-mortem injuries, intraoperative deaths, deaths due to starvation & neglect, environmental deaths, deaths due to asphyxia, deaths due to anaphylaxis, abortion related deaths, maternal deaths, pathology of sudden natural deaths, deaths due to ARDS, management of dead in mass disasters, collection of body fluids at autopsy, documentation of an autopsy report, principles and practice of crime scene examination, different crime scenes, blood stain analysis.

Forensic toxicology

medico-legal duties of a medical officer in poisoning in hospital context, analytical methods & sample collection in forensic toxicology, common poisons in Sri Lanka, manner of poisonings, agrochemical poisoning, plant poisoning, CO & CN poisoning, therapeutic poisoning, heavy metal poisoning, solvent abuse, prescription, storage and accounting of dangerous drugs, pathology and management of drug abuse, deaths due to snakes and non-vertebrates.

Medical law and Ethics

legislative enactments in Sri Lanka related to medical practice, legal definitions of injury, hurt, grievous hurt, death, culpable homicide, murder, rash and negligent acts, abortion, infanticide, concealment of birth, rape and incest, unnatural offences and grave sexual abuse, offences related to children, domestic violence, death investigation systems and inquest procedure, dying declaration, consent for medical care, medical ethics, medical negligence, transplantation of tissues, end of life decisions, structure and functions of the Sri Lanka Medical Council, disciplinary procedures of the Sri Lanka Medical Council, certification of fitness to drive a motor vehicle and issue of statutory certificates, historical evolution and application of human rights with special reference to forensic investigation of human rights violations including torture, deaths in custody and enforced disappearances.

General

medico-legal service in Sri Lanka, different medico-legal duties, Sri Lankan court system, introduction to forensic dentistry, introduction to forensic psychiatry, introduction to forensic radiology, introduction to forensic anthropology.

Recommended textbooks

•    Clinical Forensic Medicine by WDS McLay
•    Clinical Forensic Medicine: A Physician’s Guide by Margaret M Stark
•    Forensic Pathology by Bernard Knight
•    Forensic Pathology: Principles and Practice by David Dolinak, Evan Matshes & Emma O Lew
•    Forensic Pathology by VJM Di Maio & D J Di Maio
•    Handbook of Forensic Pathology by V.J.M Di Maio & S.E Dana
•    The Pathology of Trauma by J.K. Mason & B.N. Purdue
•    The Pathology of Drug Abuse by Steven B Karch
•    Management of Poisoning by Ravindra Fernando
•    Disposition of Toxic Drugs & Chemicals in Man by RC Baselt
•    Oxford Handbook of Forensic Medicine by Jonathan Wyatt, Tim Squires, Guy Norfolk & Jason Payne-James
•    Medical Ethics Today The BMA’s Handbook of Ethics and Law

*Latest edition is always recommended for books given above.