Forensic Medicine Crafted
by-
Mayank Kumar Dubey
Assistant professor, Department of Forensic
science
Mody University, Sikar,Rajasthan.
Ex Senior Forensic/DNA Expert and General
Manager
(Ivory Coast DNA/Forensic Laboratory).
Ex-Assistant Director (DNA) and Scientific
Officer
(Forensic Laboratory and CID Police FSL)
Ex-Assistant
Professor-Forensic Science/Forensic Medicine and Toxicology.(Govt.Medical
College Bilaspur,Chhattisgarh and Kurukshetra University)
Introduction to Forensic Medicine
Introducing
the subject of Forensic Medicine, the natural and obvious query that appears in
one’s mind is about the meaning and scope of the words ‘forensic’ and
‘medicine’. The word ‘forensic’ has been derived from the Latin word
‘forensis’, which implies something pertaining to ‘forum’. In Rome, ‘forum’ was
the meeting place where civic and legal matters used to be discussed by those
with public responsibility. Thus, the word ‘forensic’ essentially conveys any
issue related to the debate in the courts of law. The word ‘medicine’ carries
wide import. Broadly, it may be considered as a science for preserving health
and effecting cure. From the interaction of these two professions, medicine and
law, has emerged the discipline/subject of Forensic Medicine, i.e. application
of medical and allied knowledge and expertise towards the administration of justice.
Forensic Medicine was earlier known as ‘Medical Jurisprudence’. It was
also termed as ‘State Medicine’; this term was recommended by Dr. Stanford
Emersion Chaille (1949) and was developed to regulate the code of conduct for
registered medical practitioners, to guide and regulate the professional
activities of the doctors and to standardise and supervise the medical practice
in the country. In Europe and United States, the term ‘Legal Medicine’
(application of medical knowledge for solution of legal problems) is often
preferred. However, in most parts of the world, the description ‘Forensic
Medicine’ is widely accepted. In short, it denotes ‘medical aspects of law’,
whereas the term ‘Medical Jurisprudence’ (Juris means law, and Prudentia means
knowledge) denotes application of knowledge of law in relation to practice of
medicine.
Short Bio-data of Quiz
Maker
He is experienced, skilled, multitalented man
of Forensic science in real sense with his diverse personality and vast
knowledge in the field of Forensic as well as medicine. After completing his
basic education, he had skilled himself in Bachelor of Science with Medical
Microbiology, Immunology and Virology from K C COLLEGE, MUMBAI in the
year 2003 – 2005.And completed his post graduation with Forensic science from
Punjabi University in 2005 – 2007.
From here his story begins to chase his
dream to reach to the highest and with his constant dedication and hard work,
he made himself to qualify UGC-NET, Forensic Science and Technology twice in
the year 2006 and 2007.
After completing his graduation, he had
joined CID Police FSL Patna, Bihar, as a Scientific Officer in January
2008 where he had perform his main role in Analysis of evidences recovered from
crime scene for about 7 months(January 2008 - July 2008), during which he also
got training in DNA profiling at Thermofisher/Applied Bio system.
In July 2008 he was called from the
Government Medical college, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, to bear the position of
Assistant Professor in Forensic Medicine where he shared his knowledge and
experience in Teaching and training MBBS students for about 3 years 1
month(July 2008 - July 2011) .
In March 2012 he went to Nepal medical
college, Kathmandu, Where he had served his expertise in accessing and
assisting MBBS students as Assistant Professor for about 2 years (March 2012 -
February 2014 ).
In year 2016 he was offered from Kurukshetra
University for the post of Assistant Professor and here he had shared his time
and energy for about 10 months (October 2016 - July 2017) with his immense and
diverse knowledge for Teaching and Training Forensic Science Students at Post
Graduate level.
After that he joined Truth Labs as Assistant
Director, DNA ( from June 2018 to March 2019) . Meanwhile due to his diverse
personality above all achievement has not satisfied his greed for learning and
so he had given his 6 months in learning Analysis of Forensic evidences for DNA
Profiling from Thermo Fisher Scientific company Gurugram India as a Trainee in
DNA Profiling section (June 2018 - November 2018).
From march 2019 , he was serving his all
knowledge, experience and expertise as Senior Forensic/DNA Expert and General
Manager at Ivory Coast DNA/ DNA Diagnostics and Forensic Laboratory , Abidjan,
Cote'd Ivore., West Africa. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic he left ivory
coast and came back to his motherland India where he joined Mody University,
Sikar, Rajasthan as Asst. Professor in Forensic Science. The story of his
diverse personality has not end here, he has many more pending offers from
different universities from in India and Abroad
His Top Skills are mainly in the area
Forensic biology and serology Forensic DNA Profiling, Forensic medicine as well
as Toxicological analysis. He has a numerous research papers published in well
known national and international journals. His main publication include
“Variation in Blood Spattering Patterns”, “Blood Spatter analysis Impact
angle”, “Blood Spatter analysis on different surfaces”, “Patterns of Deaths in
Chhattisgarh India” and so on.
On behalf of Sherlock institute of forensic
science we had a short interview with Mayank Kumar Dubey and here is what he
says to all the student community and life time learners of forensic science.
1.
First of all please share your experiences with us while crafting this amazing
quiz? What you wanted to impart on people?
Certainly, it is like what I had been doing
in those 3 years as a assistant professor in government medical college,
forensic medicine department. So when I reach that place. I had only experience
in working in FSLs in biology and serology division. Once I reach that place, I
realize that how vast or how broad is the field of forensic medicine. I started
learning like a student and it took me around one and half years, every day was
like learning something new. On top of that I was the in charge of mortuary and
every day we used to get around 6 to 8 cases like hanging, poisoning, gunshot
wound, snake bites, electrocution, lightening injuries. So I got so much
involved in that and I had completed 3 years there and within these years I had
assisted almost around 12000 or more postmortems. Secondly, teaching MBBS
student in government medical college was always fun. There, at time, you
have to teach almost 100 to 200 students and for that you have to be prepared.
So to impart knowledge first of all you need to have some knowledge. During
those three years, first year was almost learning and teaching and apart from
that it was teaching and teaching.
After those 3 years there are another 3 years
in Nepal medical college Kathmandu, again I got one more responsibility there
to assist few MD students who were doing their MD in forensic medicine
specifically in the branch of radiology. So in these 6 years of teaching and
learning, every topic I may have taught around 6 to 7 time. And so, all Questions
I had prepared, I didn’t take it from internet. Whatever I teach, it is there
on the book. If you go through the Questions which I have shared for this quiz
are basic Questions from all the chapters. If you go through this complete set
you will certainly find something from everywhere from the field of forensic
medicine.
Once you approached me for this quiz ,it was
really nice experience and great fun to create this quiz . It took me around
2-3 hours and then I had set and shared with you. And It’s always fun to share
what you know, with others and specially with the students who are in the
learning phase.
I believe that this is good initiative
taken by SIFS India and it will surely strengthen the knowledge of every
students who are attempting these quizzes.
2. As
you have been exploring the world for teaching and training students from India
as well as abroad so please let us know what is the scope of forensic medicine
in Indian and global scenario?
As per the concern of India, there is a lot
of thing needs to be done because if you go outside India as I have gone to so
many places for teaching and training officers, students, the approach is
different. And as for as scope is concerned, I must say that scope is never
ending as long as our technologies are increasing and developing with every
single day. So scope is always there in some form or other. You will get
forensic medicine being used everywhere. It’s really an interesting branch and
moreover students are really attracted toward this field. If you ask me about
the Indian scenario, I would like tell you that As I am working as Senior
Forensic/DNA Expert and General Manager at Ivory Coast DNA/Forensic Laboratory,
Abidjan, Cote'd Ivore, West Africa there also all the technologies and
expertise have been given to them are from India only. So now we have so
many expertise in our own country and we are in demand everywhere. And
everywhere you go, you will find people who are seeking knowledge. You may even
visit the places where nothing has been done till now so the first work of
yours will be to develop something so that even those people can get to know
that ,okay these are the technologies being used
3.
Any massage you do want to give to the students who are planning to choose this
field as their academic future?
Only massage to the students who are planning
their future in forensics or forensic medicine or any other field, they
must need to learn first of all as there is no other way except learning to get
the knowledge which is the supreme power. If you are knowledgeable, if you know
the things, people will ask you, people will come to you. So what-so-ever you
are doing, if you are deciding to come for this field and to make your future
in forensic medicine or any other field you needs to be prepared. Students
should try to be if not the best then at least try to be good at whatever they
are doing.
4. Any
book you would like to recommend to the students for straightening the view of
forensic medicine? Like a book which is easy and concise to grab the things and
understand different aspects of forensic medicine.
There are so many books but the simplest book is
“Fundamentals
Of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology by R Basu” and “The Essentials of
Forensic Medicine and Toxicology by K.S. Narayan Reddy and O.P.
Murty” and then there is “Principles of Forensic Medicine by Apurba Nandy”
and “Review of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, by Gautan Biswas” book is
there. I am talking about Indian books right now. And Apart from that if
you want to go in depth and detail, there are books Like Modified, edited
publications of “Modi’s Textbook Of Medical Jurisprudence And Toxicology”. Best
book which is most easy to understand and elaborated that would be “Principles
of Forensic Medicine by Apurba Nandy” for medical students and and “The
Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology by K.S. Narayan
Reddy and O.P. Murty” for forensic medicine and toxicology students
.Both of these books contain very short, concise and sufficient knowledge. The
book which I followed for studying “Forensic Medicine and Toxicology is by
Kishan Viz" It's an amazing book with in depth illustrations and
examples. Apart from this all the books contain almost similar content and one
can follow any one of them to catch the basic understanding about the subject.