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As the Monash University Department of Forensic Medicine, the Institute has significant teaching commitments. An affiliation with Melbourne University underscores the strong academic links.
The Institute has a significant record in the teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as supporting overseas students, especially in forensic pathology.
Undergraduate teaching: Faculty of Medicine, Monash University
Fourth Year Students
As part of their Pathology teaching, fourth year medical students visit the VIFM. The visits are held on Wednesday mornings in the Padua Theatre and are co-ordinated by A/Prof. Maynard and Trish O'Brien. The students are required to produce a short report and this forms part of their final assessment in Pathology.
Final Year Students
The final year students are divided into six groups. At the end of the Psychological Medicine rotation the students are required to spend two days at the VIFM. The students are introduced to all aspects of forensic medicine and the law. The course covers topics such as forensic pathology, clinical forensic medicine, traffic medicine, forensic odontology, and forensic anthropology. The students are provided with a 90 page comprehensive handbook, which was comprehensively revised this year. This two-day course is co-ordinated by Dr. Malcolm Dodd.
Final Year Monash Students Selective Programme
At the beginning of 2002 the Medical Faculty introduced a new programme for students. In addition to the compulsory core medicine and surgery components students were given the choice to spend six weeks undertaking a specialty of their choice. The programme has proved popular with the students and we have a full quota of applicants to undertake forensic pathology at the VIFM this year. The students are expected to participate in all forensic pathology activities. At the end of their stay they are invited to present to the Thursday Morning meetings, either a QAP, a topic of their choice or both as part of their assessment. Dr Malcolm Dodd supervises the programme. Students are encouraged to familiarise themselves with all departments, Clinical Forensic Medicine, toxicology, Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria , forensic entomology and odontology.
Elective Students
Each year the Institute receives a number of applications from students wishing to spend an elective period with us. Students completing their elective with us in the last year include three from Melbourne University, two from Monash, one from St. Georges Medical School in London and one from Auckland. We are expecting a student from Flinders University in July and another two from the United Kingdom later in the year. This programme is co-ordinated by Trish O'Brien. Senior Constable Sue Nolan from the Coroner's Assistants Office has provided accommodation for both overseas students.
Elements of Forensic Medicine
This is a course offered by the Law faculty at Monash and it is also available to medical students. Emeritus Professor Louis Waller and Professor Stephen Cordner teach the course jointly. Visiting lecturers from all areas of Forensic Medicine attend and cover a broad spectrum of issues such as DNA profiling, Crime Scene Investigation and Forensic Psychology. This year there were 75 undergraduate students and 10 postgraduate students undertaking the Master of Laws degree. This year due to numbers the lectures were held in Courtroom One. We are grateful for the generosity of State Coroner Johnstone and the support of the Coronial staff.
In addition to acknowledging the support of all involved in the teaching programmes throughout the year special thanks go to our librarian Kerry Johannes for her enthusiastic and untiring support, and photographer Caroline Rosenberg for her assistance with student presentations.
Undergraduate teaching: Faculty of Medicine, Melbourne University
The faculty of Medicine, University of Melbourne is in the process of changing from a six year to a five-year course. As a result there was no fifth year intake during 2003. It was during their fifth year that students undertook the forensic medicine component of the course. It is anticipated that teaching will resume in 2004.
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