Full Time
3 Year
English
Medical
MD
in Forensic Medicine is a 3-year full-time postgraduate course, the minimum
eligibility for which is an MBBS degree attained with a compulsory 1-year
internship completed. The program is conducted over 6 terms/semesters. Eligible
candidates aspiring to pursue the course need to be registered with the Medical
Council of India or any State Medical Council for applying to the course.
Overview
The program is designed
for doctors who wish to specialize in the field of Forensic Medicine.
Successful postgraduates of the course with interest in research may choose to
contribute to the body of medical knowledge by delving deeper into research in
the field.
Qualified
postgraduates of the program are qualified to examine dead bodies and extract
physical information about the deceased. Such information plays an important
role in determining the cause of death and contributing to criminal
investigations by providing details about the deceased. The course’s curriculum
involves all aspects of basic medical sciences (Anatomy, Physiology,
Pharmacology, Pathology and Microbiology) as applied to Forensic Medicine.
Modules in Forensic Psychology, Forensic Toxicology, Medical Jurisprudence,
advanced Forensic Pathology, and Forensic Immunology are also taught as part of
the course.
Eligibility
As minimum criteria of eligibility,
candidates wishing to apply for the course need to have:
·
Completed
MBBS with a 1-year rotating internship.
·
A
permanent registration with the Medical Council of India or any State Medical
Council.
Admission Process
Most institutes
offering the course admit students based on their performance in a relevant
entrance test. Some institutes conduct their own entrance tests for offering
admission. Admission process generally varies across colleges.
Generally,
the following admission tests are preferred by top colleges across India
offering the course:
·
National
Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET)
·
Uttar
Pradesh State Entrance Examination (UPSEE)
·
Karnataka
Common Entrance Test (KCET)
·
All
India Combined Entrance Test (AICET)
·
Other
state level entrance examinations
Career Prospects
Postgraduates of the
course are broadly labeled as Forensic Pathologists. They are generally
responsible for conducting medico-legal autopsies as requested by government
bodies such as the Police Department. At research institutes, they may conduct
autopsies to study a case in detail. In rare cases, professionals may also
examine victims of abuse, rape, or others in relation to suit of nullity of
marriage, divorce, and legitimacy affiliation cases, etc.
They
are generally also recruited as professors who train undergraduate students and
postgraduate students in the same field. In general, they are trained mainly in
conducting autopsies to determine a myriad of information about the cadaver
starting from the sex, age, race, drug use history, medical history, all the
way to the cause of death.
Major Job positions
Forensic Medicine Assistant Professor
They
teach and conduct research in the field of forensic medicine, produce journal
articles, seminar reports, and research papers.
Medical Officer
They conduct autopsies
as directed by government bodies, and produce medico-legal reports.
Manager- Forensic Advisory
They manage the
forensic department, oversee autopsies, and ensure smooth running of the
department. They often also oversee legal issues.
Lab Technician- Forensic Pathology
They conduct autopsies
and relevant tests as directed by supervisors
Forensic Scientist
They conduct autopsies
on cadavers donated to medical research so as to contribute to the existing
body of medical knowledge.
Job profile | Job description | Average salary | |
Forensic Medicine Assistant Professor | They teach and conduct research in the field of forensic medicine, produce journal articles, seminar reports, and research papers. | They teach and conduct research in the field of forensic medicine, produce journal articles, seminar reports, and research papers. | 6,40,000 in 0-2 Years |
Medical Officer | They conduct autopsies as directed by government bodies, and produce medico-legal reports. | They conduct autopsies as directed by government bodies, and produce medico-legal reports. | 2,64,000 in 0-2 Years |
Manager- Forensic Advisory | They manage the forensic department, oversee autopsies, and ensure smooth running of the department. They often also oversee legal issues. | They manage the forensic department, oversee autopsies, and ensure smooth running of the department. They often also oversee legal issues. | 2,64,000 in 0-2 Years |
Lab Technician- Forensic Pathology | They conduct autopsies and relevant tests as directed by supervisors | They conduct autopsies and relevant tests as directed by supervisors | 96,000 in 0-2 Years |
Forensic Scientist | They conduct autopsies on cadavers donated to medical research so as to contribute to the existing body of medical knowledge. | They conduct autopsies on cadavers donated to medical research so as to contribute to the existing body of medical knowledge. | 1,80,000 in 0-2 Years |
* Average salary are subjective to change based on various factors