The current approaches for the education of
forensic experts in Japan |
Toshikazu Kondo, MD, PhD
Department of Forensic Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan |
Medical science is composed of clinical medicine, basic medicine and social medicine. In Japan, forensic medicine is categorized as a part of social medicine like public health and hygiene. Among them, forensic medicine requires the advanced knowledge of not only basic science but also clinical medicine. Because forensic medicine has to cover various cases such as murder, suicide, drug intoxication, sudden unexpected natural death, medical malpractice, traffic accident, and mass disaster. Recently, the number of cases, where the expert opinion of forensic pathologists/scientists is required, progressively increases in Japan. In the Japanese medical education system, forensic medicine is one of the essential subjects, and all of medical universities have department of forensic medicine. However, the number of forensic experts is chronically insufficient. Thus, we are always required how to increase the number of forensic experts among medical students. Moreover, we have to educate medical clinicians and police staffs about forensic medicine in order to support our expert practices such as autopsy and medical examination. In this lecture, I would like to introduce some of our approaches in order to educate medical students, medical clinicians and police staffs in Japan. |
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