Crime Scene Simulation: A Novel Approach to Forensic Medicine Education

This article presents an innovative teaching strategy for acquiring skills in conducting medical-legal autopsies, implemented in response to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and currently on demand. This article presents an innovative teaching strategy for medico-legal autopsies, implemented in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Colombian context, where competence in necropsies is required for general physicians, especially in rural areas, this strategy was developed at the William Osler Simulated Hospital of the University of the Andes in Bogotá, Colombia. It uses a hybrid simulation approach, combining anatomical mannequins and pig biomodels in the performance of medico-legal autopsies in the context of violent death scenarios, providing a comprehensive practical experience for fifth-year medical students. The strategy is characterized by its interdisciplinary and collaborative approach, emphasizing ethics and respect for patient dignity. The experience suggests that this teaching methodology significantly improves students’ technical skills and understanding of forensic medicine, preparing them to face complex situations and ethical challenges in their future professional practice. The article highlights the importance of simulation for forensic medical education; it emphasizes the need to develop these techniques further and widely apply them in Colombia or another country with similar contexts.