Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39650962›Full record

ArticleCureus2024

Knowledge and Attitudes of Saudi Medical Students Toward Forensic Medicine as a Subspecialty: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Wafi B Alotaibi, Raghad H Abduljabbar, Raghad M Al-Awn, Maha A Albakr, Safia M Binshihon, Alhassan H Hobani, Mohammad S Alnejaidi, Mohammad E Mahfouz

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Article in Cureus, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Wafi B AlotaibiCollege of Medicine, Taif University, Taif, SAU.
Raghad H AbduljabbarCollege of Medicine, Taif University, Taif, SAU.
Raghad M Al-AwnMedicine and Surgery, King Khalid University Hospital, Abha, SAU.
Maha A AlbakrCollege of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University, Riyadh, SAU.
Safia M BinshihonForensic Medicine, Forensic Medicine Centre, Ministry of Health, Jeddah, SAU.
Alhassan H HobaniCollege of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, SAU.
Mohammad S AlnejaidiCollege of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, SAU.
Mohammad E MahfouzSurgery, Taif University, Taif, SAU.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe field of forensic medicine, also known as medical jurisprudence, plays a vital role in civil and criminal legal proceedings by applying medical principles to establish facts. Despite its critical importance, there is a significant shortage of experts in this subspecialty. Understanding the factors influencing medical students' interest in forensic medicine is crucial.

methodsThe study was an observational cross-sectional conducted among medical students at Taif University, Saudi Arabia. Data was collected through online questionnaires distributed through social media applications (WhatsApp, Twitter, and Facebook) through Google Forms. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, IBM Corp., Version 27.0, Armonk, NY) to obtain important insights.

resultsThe majority of the medical students (65.2%) demonstrated good knowledge of forensic medicine. Furthermore, an overwhelming majority, 94.6%, agree that forensic medicine is a fundamental part of the medical field. Further, our study showed that 87% of the medical students have received formal education related to forensic medicine, though only 38% feel that the education was adequate. In comparison, nearly half (44.6%) of students felt that the education they received regarding forensic medicine was inadequate. Almost three-quarters of the medical students (70.7%) believe it would be beneficial to incorporate the forensic medicine module in their curriculum. The key motivating factors for choosing forensic medicine as a career were personal interest (39.1%) and the nature of the work (32.6%). Gender was not significantly associated with knowledge of forensic medicine (p-value<0.05).

conclusionMedical students strongly recognize the importance of forensic medicine and support its inclusion in the curriculum. However, many feel underprepared for medico-legal responsibilities, indicating a gap in current education. Personal interest and the nature of the work are key motivators, with lectures playing a crucial role in career decisions. The study found no significant gender differences in knowledge or attitudes toward forensic medicine. It recommends that medical schools incorporate a comprehensive forensic medicine module to address these educational gaps.

Indexed as

forensicforensic medicinejusticesknowledgemedical students

Identifiers

PMID39650962
PMCPMC11621394

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.