Doctorate of Medicine in Forensic Medicine Top Colleges, Syllabus, Scope and Salary

MD in Forensic Medicine is a 3-year full-time postgraduate course, the minimum eligibility for which is an MBBS degree attained with a compulsory 1-year internship completed. The program is conducted over 6 terms/semesters. Eligible candidates aspiring to pursue the course need to be registered with the Medical Council of India or any State Medical Council for applying to the course.

Admission to the course is based on merit obtained by the candidate in a relevant entrance examination, followed by university-level counseling.

Doctorate of Medicine in Karnataka

Doctorate of Medicine in Uttar Pradesh

Doctorate of Medicine in Maharashtra

Doctorate of Medicine in Gujarat

Successful postgraduates of the course are hired in government institutes in the autopsy departments. Currently, many States in India do not allow private institutes to conduct autopsies, however, such postgraduates can also pursue further research within the field and also teach the course professionally.

The average tuition fee charged for the course in India ranges between INR 1 and 10 lacs. The average annual salary offered to such postgraduates ranges between INR 1.5 and 2.7 lacs, with senior technicians receiving higher salaries.

MD in Forensic Medicine: Course Highlights

Listed below are some of the major highlights of the course.

MD in Forensic Medicine: What is it about?

The program is designed for doctors who wish to specialize in the field of Forensic Medicine. Successful postgraduates of the course with interest in research may choose to contribute to the body of medical knowledge by delving deeper into research in the field.

Qualified postgraduates of the program are qualified to examine dead bodies and extract physical information about the deceased. Such information plays an important role in determining the cause of death and contributing to criminal investigations by providing details about the deceased. The course’s curriculum involves all aspects of basic medical sciences (Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Pathology and Microbiology) as applied to Forensic Medicine. Modules in Forensic Psychology, Forensic Toxicology, Medical Jurisprudence, advanced Forensic Pathology, and Forensic Immunology are also taught as part of the course.

Enrolled candidates are imparted hands-on experience alongside theoretical knowledge as they attend practical and theory sessions. Many universities also require such graduate students to partake in teaching undergraduate students.

Top Institutes offering MD in Forensic Medicine

Listed below are some of the top institutes in India that offer the course.

Eligibility for MD in Forensic Medicine

As minimum criteria of eligibility, candidates wishing to apply for the course need to have:

• completed MBBS with a 1-year rotating internship.
• A permanent registration with the Medical Council of India or any State Medical Council.

MD in Forensic Medicine: Admission Process

Most institutes offering the course admit students based on their performance in a relevant entrance test. Some institutes conduct their own entrance tests for offering admission. Admission process generally varies across colleges.

Generally, the following admission tests are preferred by top colleges across India offering the course:

• National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET)
• Uttar Pradesh State Entrance Examination (UPSEE)
• Karnataka Common Entrance Test (KCET)
• All India Combined Entrance Test (AICET)
• Other state level entrance examinations

MD in Forensic Medicine: Syllabus and Course Description

A semester-wise breakup of the course’s syllabus is tabulated below.

Additionally, students are typically posted to different departments for rotational postings, and are also required to attend fortnightly seminars and journal clubs.

MD in Forensic Medicine: Career Prospects

Postgraduates of the course are broadly labeled as Forensic Pathologists. They are generally responsible for conducting medico-legal autopsies as requested by government bodies such as the Police Department. At research institutes, they may conduct autopsies to study a case in detail. In rare cases, professionals may also examine victims of abuse, rape, or others in relation to suit of nullity of marriage, divorce, and legitimacy affiliation cases, etc.

They are generally also recruited as professors who train undergraduate students and postgraduate students in the same field. In general, they are trained mainly in conducting autopsies to determine a myriad of information about the cadaver starting from the sex, age, race, drug use history, medical history, all the way to the cause of death.

Some of the popular professional avenues open to successful postgraduates of the course are listed below with the corresponding salaries offered for the respective positions.

Aspirants seeking admission to 3 year Full-time MD Program should meet the following criteria as specified by the institute.

Academic Requirement: 

Candidate should pass in MBBS degree recognized by Medical Council of India (MCI). 

Candidates holding foreign degree must be registered practitioners in the Country from where they have obtained their degree and MUST obtain a temporary registration certificate from Medical Council of India (MCI)

Entrance Exam:

Admissions will be done on the basis of the valid rank obtained in the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET)

Note: Internship completion date should be on or before 31.03.2020