Talk with Mayank Kumar Dubey

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.