Forensic medicine

GENERAL INFORMATION

Chinese Name: 法医学

Master's Program: 3 years

Undergraduate Program: 5 years

Major Code: 100901K

English Name: Medical Jurisprudence/ Forensic Medicine

FORENSIC MEDICINE MAJOR

With the development of modern life and information technology, the Forensic Medicine major is becoming increasingly familiar and attractive to young people. So, what do you think about becoming an international student studying Forensic Medicine in China – one of the countries with the most developed education systems in the world? What will Vietnamese students learn when studying Forensic Medicine, and what are the job opportunities? Let's explore with Riba!

Major Introduction

1. General Introduction

The Forensic Medicine major is trained to meet the needs of China's public security, cultural technology, and economic development to create high-quality talents; capable of applying the theories and skills of clinical medicine, bioinformatics, pharmacy, and other natural science disciplines to solve legal problems and provide scientific evidence for crime investigation and the adjudication of civil or criminal cases.

2. Training Objectives

The Forensic Medicine major aims to cultivate in students, including international students, a good character, solid political qualities, broad knowledge, a solid theoretical foundation, independent research ability, strong practical problem-solving skills, an innovative spirit, and the ability to meet the needs of public security, prosecution and judicial sectors, judicial authentication institutions, and schools. It aims to produce applied, composite, innovative, and international high-level forensic talents.

3. Training Requirements

The training program in China requires that during the training process and upon completion of the study program, the following requirements and criteria must be met:

3.1. Have a correct worldview and outlook on life, comply with laws and regulations, possess good moral qualities, a sound body and mind, and actively serve the cause of socialist economic construction and legal system development.

3.2. Master the basic theories and fundamental knowledge of basic medicine, clinical medicine, law and forensic medicine, and the laws and regulations related to evidence (especially forensic evidence); understand the main issues and advanced theories of contemporary domestic forensic research; be proficient in the theories and practices of forensic medicine in major developed countries under the rule of law and be able to conduct a certain level of comparative research.

3.3. Possess professional scientific research methods. Master the research methods of evidence law and forensic medicine, and be familiar with the research methods of forensic sociology and legal anthropology such as literature search, literature review, case participation, in-depth interviews, questionnaires, etc.; and be proficient in writing academic papers with clear logic and rigorous argumentation to pose, analyze, and solve problems.

3.4. Have the ability to deeply understand practical issues in forensic practice, linking theory with practice; actively participate in forensic practice, cultivating awareness of frontier issues through practice.

3.5. Be proficient in a professional foreign language. According to the foreign language curriculum requirements for postgraduate students, one must master at least one foreign language, be proficient in using professional foreign language, and have the ability to read and translate foreign language professional materials.

4. Main Research Directions

At the undergraduate level, Vietnamese students can study comprehensively and foundationally without specializing. For Vietnamese students who wish to continue with postgraduate programs, they can choose one of the following directions for postgraduate study.

– Forensic Pathology: Uses morphological technical means to study medical issues related to law or case investigation. Research content relates to the cause and mechanism of death, postmortem changes, time of death and injury, inference of injury causes, clarifying the relationship between injury, disease, poisoning... and death.

– Forensic Clinical Science: The research subject is the living body, including examination of injury, disability and disease, assessment of minor and severe injury, degree of dependence on care, assessment of related diseases and disabilities requiring medical treatment, and the relationship between injury and disease.

– Forensic Evidence: Involves searching, analyzing, and working with case evidence, typically including: blood, semen, vaginal secretions, breast milk, saliva, nasal mucus, urine, amniotic fluid, and traces: hair, nails, bones, teeth, other tissues.

– Forensic Toxicology

– Forensic Toxicological Analysis

– Forensic Psychiatry

– Additionally, there are disciplines such as: forensic anthropology, forensic entomology.

5. Main Courses

The undergraduate Forensic Medicine program at various universities will have different training programs, but they will basically include the following core content:

• Basic Courses: General basic courses, and basic professional courses: University Chemistry, College Physics, Medical Mathematics, Organic Chemistry

• Medical Courses: Medical Biology, Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Biochemistry, ..

• Professional Courses: Criminal Procedure Law, Criminal Science and Technology, Forensic Pathology, Forensic Clinical Science, Forensic Toxicology, Forensic Evidence, Forensic Psychiatry, Forensic Practice

• Experimental and Practical Courses

6. Training System

• Undergraduate/Bachelor's: 5 years

• Master's: 3 years

• Doctoral: 3 years

What are the job prospects for Vietnamese students after graduating with a Forensic Medicine major?

1. Career Directions

Most people who know about the "Forensic" profession through TV shows and movies think that: Forensic experts are present at and examine crime scenes. That is not wrong, but the understanding is quite limited.

In reality, Vietnamese students after graduating with a Forensic Medicine major have quite a few job choices in: Public Security, Procuratorate, Courts, and social authentication agencies in Vietnam, or they can continue to settle in China.

• Public Security: This is the job with the highest number of graduates participating and is the most widely known. Depending on the level of the unit, they establish forensic pathology, forensic clinical science, forensic DNA evidence identification, forensic toxicological analysis, etc.

• Procuratorate

• Courts

• Social Identification Agencies

• Insurance Companies

Another suggested direction is to continue higher education: Master's and Doctoral degrees. After further study, they can participate in teaching, scientific research, and other work at major universities or other organizations in China.

2. Job Prospects

With the progress of China's national legal system construction and nationwide forensic medicine, the government is increasingly focusing on technical work requiring high-quality professional expertise, and the country has a strong demand for graduates in forensic science.

Moreover, it can be seen that not only China and Vietnam, but the human resources for the Forensic Medicine sector are severely lacking. This is an opportunity for Vietnamese students as competition rates decrease, and the employment rate upon graduation is higher.

Which individuals are suitable for the Forensic Medicine major?

• First, students must fully meet the quality and knowledge requirements of the Medical field.

• Have a correct worldview and outlook on life, comply with laws and regulations, possess good moral qualities, a sound body and mind, and actively serve the cause of socialist economic construction and legal system development.

• Have an interest and certain knowledge and understanding of the medical field, the forensic field.

• Have a scientific attitude and a serious, practical learning spirit, understand new developments, new technologies, and new trends in the research field, and possess certain investigative and scientific research capabilities.

Specific Subjects

Undergraduate Level