Teaching
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Further Education
Further Education - Postgraduate
Master of Forensic Medicine
Monash University’s Department of Forensic Medicine, in partnership with VIFM, offers the Master of Forensic Medicine, a world leading postgraduate program delivered by professional forensic practitioners. This unique course, the only degree of its type offered in the southern hemisphere, is at the forefront of forensic medical, scientific and technical knowledge.
Divided into 3 streams; Clinical Forensic Medicine, Forensic Odontology & Forensic Medical Science, the program is designed for doctors, dentists and medical scientists, seeking entry into the world of forensics or looking to enhance their own knowledge base. The fundamental philosophy of the degree is to produce fully developed graduates with a robust understanding of forensic practice, academic standards and a comprehensive knowledge of medico-legal principals. Students graduate with a complete set of skills and tools that will allow them to provide the highest level of forensic services to the community.
The Master of Forensic Medicine program is an AQF Level 9 Expert degree that is recognised and held in high regard both internationally and domestically. In Australia, all Heads of Clinical Forensic Medical services in each respective state and territory hold this qualification.
Course Streams
Testimonials
Dr Diana Jaravaza
Forensic Medical Practitioner
Pretoria South Africa
I began the Masters of Forensic Medicine course in 2013, and completed it in 2014. It was my first experience of distance education, but a most rewarding one. The course really facilitated my appreciation of evidence- based medicine, critical thinking, and research. Coming from a setting in which I practice forensic pathology, the course provided rich coursework material, relevant to me, especially with regards to the injury interpretation, autopsy practice and investigation, traffic medicine, elements of forensic sciences and non- accidental injury modules.......
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I was able to increase my knowledge base through the provided coursework material and assignments. The face- to- face sessions enabled me to present some of the cases I had encountered back home, as well as the opportunity to experience what my colleagues down under encountered. Prior to the course, my experience with the legal system was limited to the few cases in which I had been summoned to present autopsy findings at Regional or High Courts. The Medical Evidence module exposed me to the history and workings of law, which I would never have otherwise been exposed to. I got good hands- on experience of the Australian legal system and was able to better understand the legal system in my home country. Through the face- to- face session I was able to form friendships with other colleagues. Overall I highly recommend the course for practitioners involved in clinical forensic practice. It is well facilitated and the support is excellent.
Dr Alastair Soon
Dental Practitioner Brisbane
The Master of Forensic Medicine (Monash University) is the only course of its kind in this region. I started the program in 2012 when the program was offered to dentists.
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The compulsory workshop sessions required me to visit the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (Australia's most comprehensive forensic medical centre), and I had the opportunity to learn from many of Australia's best forensic practitioners in-person. During the program, I also met students from different states/countries, and educational background, many of them are experts in their own right, and many of them I now call friends. The whole university learning experience was amazing. The knowledge and skills I obtained from this program, allows me to be involved in many local and international forensic caseworks. I strongly recommend the Master of Forensic Medicine (Monash University) to anyone who wants a postgraduate university qualification specialising in forensic medicine, and to be an expert in this field.
Further Education - Undergraduate
Monash Medical Law Tutorial Program
This innovative program is driven by a collaborative approach to understanding the complex relationship between medicine and the law. Convened by Associate Professor David Ranson and co-convened by Ms Jo-Anne Mazzeo, this program utilises a mix of medical lawyers and clinicians to deliver expert knowledge to undergraduate and graduate medical students. The tutorials are held at various regional and metropolitan hospitals and cover topics including; consent, capacity, information disclosure, negligence, battery, end of life issues, organ and tissue donation and issues related to children.
FOR3001 - Principles of Forensic Medicine and Science
In 2019, the Department of Forensic Medicine will launch a unique and exciting new undergraduate unit covering the complex and diverse specialities of Forensic Medicine and Science. The unit will be a core unit for newly introduced Bachelor of Public Health and Bachelor of Health Sciences courses.
This unit is designed to provide students with an insight into all forensic disciplines, both medical and scientific, that are encountered in the medico-legal investigation of death and injury (deliberate and accidental). Topics covered in the unit include; the scope of forensic medical science, clinical forensic medicine, forensic field sciences, forensic odontology, forensic anthropology, forensic molecular biology, forensic toxicology, death investigation, decomposition and forensic entomology, forensic pathology, the role of the coroner and public health, and the anatomy of a murder.
This unit will appeal to students who have an interest in developing a forensic career, or those who are interested in understanding how science and medicine can be applied in the medico-legal context.