title: Teaching forensic medicine in the University of Porto.
abstract: The University of Porto (UP) provides education in Forensic Medicine (FM) through the 1st, 2nd and 3rd cycle of studies, post-graduation and continuing education courses. This education is related to forensic pathology, clinical forensic medicine (including forensic psychology and psychiatry), forensic chemistry and toxicology, forensic genetics and biology, and criminalistics. With this work we intent to reflect on how we are currently teaching FM in the UP, at all levels of university graduation. We will present our models, regarding the educational objectives, curricular program and teaching/learning methodologies of each cycle of studies as well as in post-graduate and continuing education courses. Historically, and besides related administratively to the Ministry of Justice, the Portuguese Medico-Legal Institutes (since 1918) and more recently the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (INMLCF) also have educational and research responsibilities. Thus, it lends space and cooperates with academic institutions and this contribution, namely regarding teaching forensic sciences in Portugal has been judged as an example for other Countries. This contribution is so important that in UP, the Department of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of the Faculty of Medicine (FMUP) shares, until now, the same physical space with North Branch of the INMLCF, which represents a notorious advantage, since it makes possible the "learning by doing".
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Biomedical Sciences Institute "Abel Salazar", University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, North Branch, Porto, Portugal; Center of Forensic Sciences - CENCIFOR, Portugal. Electronic address: tmaga@med.up.pt.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Magalhães
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Center of Forensic Sciences - CENCIFOR, Portugal; IINFACTS - Institute of Research and Advanced Training in Health Sciences and Technologies, Department of Sciences, Advanced Institute of Health Sciences - North (ISCS-N), CESPU, CRL, Gandra, Portugal; REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: ricardinis@med.up.pt.
authors.forename: Ricardo Jorge
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Dinis-Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, North Branch, Porto, Portugal; Center of Forensic Sciences - CENCIFOR, Portugal. Electronic address: asantosinml@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Agostinho
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santos
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D011174:Portugal; D014495:Universities
keywords: 1st, 2nd and 3rd cycle of studies; Forensic medicine; Forensic sciences; Post-graduate and continuing education courses