501497 - FORENSIC MEDICINE

courses

ID:

501497

Duration (hours):

32

CFU:

SSD:

MEDICINA LEGALE

Year:

2025

Date/time interval

Secondo Semestre (02/03/2026 - 05/06/2026)

Course Objectives

The course aims to provide sixth-year students with a solid understanding of the basic concepts of Legal Medicine, particularly the essential knowledge required by any physician who is not a specialist in Legal Medicine. In the first part of the course, the lessons will focus on the duties of the physician and professional responsibility, voluntary termination of pregnancy, as well as the diagnosis and certification of death, civil disability, INPS (National Institute of Social Security) and INAIL (National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work). The second part will cover forensic pathology. Students will learn the principles of thanatology necessary for the practice of any medical specialty, especially how to recognize and describe all types of injuries and how to approach victims of violence. The fundamentals of forensic genetics will also be covered (judicial crime scene investigation and forensic genetic analysis on living individuals).

Course Prerequisites

Having passed all 5th year exams

Teaching Methods

The course is organized through lectures which may, on a volutary basis, be supplemented by practical exercises.

Assessment Methods

Oral exam (general questions chosen by the teacher, supplemented by more in-depth questions). In particular the evaluation is divided into two part. During the first one a general question on an argument related to forensic pathology is submitted to the student; the following questions might be narrower and deal with specific part of the course. A complete and exhaustive answer to the general question guarantees a final grade of 25/30. Adequate answers to the more specific questions can increase the final grade to 30 cum laude.

Texts

materials provided by the teachers, web

1) Introduction to Forensic Medicine, material causality link. 2) CRIMINAL LAW: the structure of the crime, punishability. imputability. Crimes against the person: homicide (various types of homicide), battery, personal injury, mistreatment within the family, stalking, sexual violence. 3) DUTIES OF THE DOCTOR: informed consent, medical records, relations with the judicial authority. Voluntary termination of pregnancy. 4) MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY 5) FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY:Living persons and cadavers 6) DEATH: definition, assessment. thanatochronology 7) FORENSIC TRAUMATOLOGY 1: Method of ascerteinment, blunt force wounds, gunshot wounds 8) FORENSIC TRAUMATOLOGY 2: sharp force wounds, asphyxia 9) FORENSIC GENETICS: - crime scene investigation for the collection of biological samples - biological sample characterisation - genetic profile and interpretation criteria

Course Language

Italian

More information

The medical legal discipline will be taught with the aim of practical applications in all fields of medicine, from certifications to professional responsibility, to traumatic injury and to the principles of thanatology, with perspectives and examples for each specialist branch and for the common acts of the medical profession.