Graduate Diploma in Forensic Odontology

Course 033AA (2011)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2011.

Year and Campus: 2011 - Parkville
CRICOS Code: 007319J
Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Level: Graduate/Postgraduate
Duration & Credit Points: 100 credit points taken over 12 months full time.

Coordinator

Professor J.G. Clement, BDS PhD (Lond), LDSRCS (Eng), Dip For Odont (LHMC).
Tel: +(61 3) 9341 1485
Email: johngc@unimelb.edu.au

Contact

COURSE CONVENER

Professor J.G. Clement, BDS PhD (Lond), LDSRCS (Eng), Dip For Odont (LHMC).
Tel: +(61 3) 9341 1485
Email: johngc@unimelb.edu.au

GRADUATE ADMINISTRATOR

Kim Hanson
Tel:
+(61 3) 9341 1507
Email: khanson@unimelb.edu.au

Course Overview: This course aims to develop a capacity for contemporary professional practice, specialist knowledge and theory in the field of forensic odontology.
Objectives:

The course objectives are:

  • To provide you with the opportunity to advance your knowledge and skills in forensic odontology. Whilst this is aquired in the context of the Australian legal system, consideration is also given to practice in other countries.
  • To develop additional skills in selected aspects of both basic sciences and forensic dentistry.
  • To engage with new and emerging fields of study in this area.

At the end of the course you should be able to:

  1. recognise, understand and use techniques in basic medical sciences which have forensic odontological application
  2. understand and have gained experience in the disciplines of forensic medicine and pathology in their broadest sense
  3. understand the Australian legal system so that oro/dental evidence may be adequately prepared and presented in courts of law and to other tribunals
  4. understand the limitations of their own knowledge and experience and be able to judge when it is prudent to be able to work as a forensic odontologist in a unsupervised environment
  5. contribute to Disaster Victim Identification missions under supervision.
Course Structure & Available Subjects:

Refer to http://www.dent.unimelb.edu.au/dsweb/future_students/postgrad/grad_dip_fod.html

Majors/
Minors/
Specialisations
. .
Subject Options: . .
Entry Requirements: ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
  • A Bachelor of Dental Science, but graduates from other disciplines (eg. medicine, anthropology, anatomy or law) may also be eligible given appropriate additional background and experience.
  • Preference is given to those with previous experience in forensic odontology or who have demonstrated a commitment to furthering their education in forensic subjects.
  • The course accepts not more than four nor less than two students in any year.
Core Participation Requirements: .
Graduate Attributes: .
Generic Skills:

You could reasonably expect to have acquired the following generic skills by the conclusion of this course:

  • a comprehensive understanding of the structure and functioning of the Australian legal system;
  • an ability to evaluate and synthesize their own research ideas and professional literature;
  • superior investigative skills that generate multiple constructive and imaginative solutions to complex problems;
  • excellent oral communication skills that encompass all social and cultural dimensions;
  • a high level of proficiency in articulating their knowledge and understanding in oral and written presentations within a legal framework;
  • an increased understanding of the international context and sensitivities of the field of forensic odontology;
  • the ability to design, conduct and report on their own original research;
  • a capacity to manage competing demands on time, particularly dealing with urgent, sporadic and unpredictably imposed workloads as well as self-directed project work;
  • the ability to maintain professional focus amid complicated, chaotic and traumatic situations;
  • a demonstrable respect for truth and intellectual integrity, and for the ethics of scholarship;
  • an appreciation of the ways in which advanced knowledge equips the student to offer leadership;
  • the capacity to value and participate in projects and large investigations which require team-work;
  • an understanding of the significance and value of their knowledge to the wider community with particular emphasis on the contribution of forensic odontology to indigenous peoples;
  • advanced working skills in the application of computer systems and software and a receptiveness to the opportunities offered by new technologies.
Links to further information: http://www.dent.unimelb.edu.au/dsweb/future_students/postgrad/grad_dip_fod.html
Notes:

Not offered in 2010.

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