Continuing education programme - Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine

Area of Science:

• Forensic Medicine
• Medical Education

Background:

• Courts increasingly require ongoing education for forensic experts.
• The Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine established a Continuing Education Programme (CEP) in 1996.
• The CEP was initially designed for remote forensic medical officers in Victoria.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and structure of a distance education CEP.
• To adapt the program for both clinical forensic medicine practitioners and forensic pathologists.
• To provide a comprehensive educational resource covering a wide range of forensic case types.

Main Methods:

• A distance education model was employed, circulating 4-5 cases with questions several times annually.
• Cases included a mix of challenging and routine procedural scenarios.
• Content covered injury interpretation, assault cases, toxicology, medico-legal issues, and death investigation.

Main Results:

• The program successfully caters to both clinicians and pathologists.
• Case material includes diverse topics such as sexual assault, sudden death, and fitness to plead.
• Answers are reviewed by experts, with feedback and references distributed to participants.

Conclusions:

• The CEP effectively provides ongoing education for forensic practitioners in remote settings.
• The program's adaptability has broadened its scope to include pathology.
• It serves as a valuable tool for maintaining and enhancing expertise in clinical forensic medicine and pathology.