Graduate Diploma in Forensic Odontology

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.

• 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.
  

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

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.

Not offered in 2009 and 2010.