DNB CET Community Medicine and Forensic Medicine Syllabus

Community Medicine and Forensic Medicine syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Community Medicine and Forensic Medicine in DNB CET, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Epidemiology and Biostatistics

   4 topics

   • Study designs - cohort, case-control, RCT
   • Measures of disease frequency and association
   • Screening, sensitivity and specificity
   • Tests of significance and sampling methods
2. 2

   Public Health and National Programs

   4 topics

   • National Health Programs and policies
   • Communicable disease control and surveillance
   • Maternal and child health programs
   • Nutrition, environment and occupational health
3. 3

   Forensic Medicine and Toxicology

   4 topics

   • Thanatology, postmortem changes and identification
   • Mechanical injuries and medicolegal aspects
   • Asphyxial deaths and forensic toxicology
   • Medical ethics, consent and laws

Community Medicine and Forensic Medicine flashcards for DNB CET

22 of 51 cards from the Community Medicine and Forensic Medicine deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. Define incidence rate and give its formula.

   Incidence rate = (Number of NEW cases of a disease during a specified period / Population at risk during that period) x 1000. It measures the rate of occurrence of new cases.

2. Define prevalence and distinguish point from period prevalence.

   Prevalence = all existing cases (new + old) at a point/period divided by total population. Point prevalence is at a single point in time; period prevalence is over a defined interval. Prevalence = Incidence x Duration of disease.

3. In a cohort (prospective) study, what measure of association is calculated and how?

   Relative Risk (RR) = Incidence in exposed / Incidence in unexposed. RR > 1 indicates positive association; RR = 1 means no association.

4. In a case-control study, what measure of association is used and why?

   Odds Ratio (OR) is used because incidence cannot be calculated (subjects selected by disease status). OR = (a x d) / (b x c) from the 2x2 table.

5. Compare the key advantages of cohort vs case-control studies.

   Cohort: gives incidence and relative risk, good for rare exposures, temporal sequence clear, less recall bias. Case-control: cheaper, faster, ideal for rare diseases and diseases with long latency, smaller sample needed.

6. What is the gold-standard study design for evaluating efficacy of an intervention, and what is its defining feature?

   The Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT). Its defining feature is random allocation of subjects to intervention and control groups, minimizing confounding and selection bias.

7. Define attributable risk (AR) and give its formula.

   Attributable Risk = Incidence in exposed - Incidence in unexposed. It quantifies the excess risk attributable to the exposure. Attributable Risk Percent = (AR / Incidence in exposed) x 100.

8. What is the purpose of blinding in an RCT, and name the types.

   Blinding reduces observer and subject bias. Single-blind: subject unaware of group; double-blind: subject and investigator unaware; triple-blind: subject, investigator, and data analyst unaware.

9. Define sensitivity of a screening test and give its formula.

   Sensitivity = ability to correctly identify those WITH the disease = a / (a + c) = True Positives / (True Positives + False Negatives). A highly sensitive test has few false negatives.

10. Define specificity of a screening test and give its formula.

    Specificity = ability to correctly identify those WITHOUT the disease = d / (b + d) = True Negatives / (True Negatives + False Positives). A highly specific test has few false positives.

11. Define positive predictive value (PPV) and state how prevalence affects it.

    PPV = a / (a + b) = True Positives / All who test positive = probability a positive test truly has disease. PPV increases as disease prevalence increases.

12. What is the difference between sensitivity/specificity and predictive values?

    Sensitivity and specificity are fixed properties of the test, independent of prevalence. Predictive values (PPV, NPV) depend on the prevalence of disease in the tested population.

13. What test of significance is used to compare two means, and what for proportions/categorical data?

    Student's t-test compares two means (with quantitative data). Chi-square test compares proportions/frequencies (qualitative/categorical data). ANOVA compares more than two means.

14. What does a p-value < 0.05 indicate in a test of significance?

    It indicates the result is statistically significant; the probability that the observed difference is due to chance alone is less than 5%, so the null hypothesis is rejected.

15. Define Type I and Type II errors.

    Type I error (alpha): rejecting a true null hypothesis (false positive). Type II error (beta): accepting a false null hypothesis (false negative). Power = 1 - beta.

16. List the main probability sampling methods.

    Simple random sampling, systematic sampling, stratified random sampling, cluster sampling, and multistage sampling. Each gives every unit a known, non-zero chance of selection.

17. What is the standard error of the mean (SEM) formula and its use?

    SEM = Standard Deviation / square root of n. It measures the precision of the sample mean as an estimate of the population mean; used to compute confidence intervals.

18. Differentiate the normal (Gaussian) distribution percentages within standard deviations.

    In a normal distribution: Mean +/- 1 SD = 68.3%, Mean +/- 2 SD = 95.4%, Mean +/- 3 SD = 99.7% of observations.

19. Under which national program is RNTCP/NTEP run and what is its treatment strategy?

    National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP, formerly RNTCP). It uses DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course) with daily fixed-dose combination regimens; India aims for TB elimination by 2025.

20. What are the key components of India's Universal Immunization Program (UIP) schedule for infants?

    BCG, OPV-0 and Hepatitis B at birth; OPV, Pentavalent (DPT+HepB+Hib), Rotavirus, fIPV, PCV at 6/10/14 weeks; Measles-Rubella, JE, Vitamin A at 9 months.

21. What is the goal of the National Health Policy 2017 regarding health expenditure?

    To raise public health expenditure to 2.5% of GDP and provide Universal Health Coverage with assured comprehensive primary health care.

22. What does the IMNCI strategy address and what are its components?

    Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness addresses major causes of under-5 mortality. Components: improving case management skills of health workers, strengthening the health system, and improving family/community practices.

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