5 Tips to Score Maximum in Forensic Medicine & Toxicology

Forensic Medicine is among the subjects that are considered comparatively easy by medical aspirants. Forensic medicine and toxicology cover a significant portion of the MBBS curriculum and a minimum of 8 to 10 questions are asked in the PG entrance examination from the subject. An expert in FMT can have doors of opportunities in various fields. The course curriculum of FMT in MBBS includes identification of age, race, sex, parts of human body, medical law, legal procedures, autopsy, thanatology, wound determination and examination, burn injuries, starvation, determination of impotency, sterility, legitimacy, pregnancy, examination of body fluids, abortion and infanticide, sexual offense, mechanical asphyxia, etc. Medical students have an option to pursue a subspecialty in Clinical Forensic Medicine Unit, Forensic Toxicology, Forensic Histopathology, Forensic Radiology, or Forensic Humanities. From this list, a student can easily pick up a subspecialty and pursue a lucrative career.

It is always advised to avoid reading heavy books where concepts are given in a complicated way. Such books also contain multiple references in a haphazard form, making it extremely difficult for students to comprehend the underlying information. On the other hand, a medical student must refer to the standard forensic medicine books. One such good book is Gautam Biswas Forensic Medicine which contains advanced clinical applications practiced by eminent forensic experts and is align with the CBME pattern.

Since forensics is a vast subject, managing the chapters can be quite challenging. Starting with the understanding of the fundamentals is a good idea. In- depth understanding will help a student in mastering the examination of all types of evidence (biological, digital, and tracing of evidence). In NEET PG forensic medicine, you can expect quite a number of questions related to evidence.

Given below are 5 tips to score high in Forensic Medicine and Toxicology:

Tip 1: There are specific techniques for forensic examination. An aspirant should master them in order to become a top forensic expert. A few commonly used forensic techniques are – DNA analysis, fingerprint analysis, investigation of crime scene, etc. Studying real- world scenarios can help aspirants to stay updated about the latest techniques adopted in India and other parts of the world. A few of the techniques are mentioned in good forensic medicine books, others can be grasped through online learning courses and digital resources.

Tip 2: Alongside studying, a student can pursue internship, lab stimulations and other opportunities as well for gaining experience. With strong fundamentals and concept –based learning, one can do well in forensics and toxicology – one of the most rapidly evolving fields all over the world.

Tip 3: Since technology is evolving at a fast pace, a student of forensics, therefore should stay informed about latest technological development, especially the contribution of Artificial Intelligence in the field of forensics. They should read books, magazines, journals, online publications, and other sources to stay updated. Attending workshops, conferences and webinars will also serve the purpose.

Tip 4: Expertise in forensic medicine and toxicology requires extensive knowledge of physics, chemistry, and biology. Finding traces of drugs, pesticides, industrial chemicals, metals even in molecular form, fluids and chemicals found in natural state is also included in the subject. If you are preparing for NEET PG Forensic Medicine, you should have strong conceptual clarity over the subject.

Tip 5: A student of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology who endeavors to become a well- established forensics professional in future, must be emotionally prepared to adhere to high ethical standards. At times, things and working hours can be grueling and demanding, but the stressful situations can be rewarding and also, the forensic expert is amongst the highest paid medical job.