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

Q: Why is forensic medicine important according to the study?

Forensic medicine applies medical principles to civil and criminal legal proceedings and helps establish facts in legal cases. The article emphasizes its vital role despite a shortage of experts.

Q: How was the study conducted?

The research used an observational cross-sectional design among medical students at Taif University. Online questionnaires were distributed through social media and analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows (v27.0).

Q: What did students think about including forensic medicine in the curriculum?

A large majority believed it would be beneficial to incorporate a forensic medicine module into their curriculum. Many also reported feeling underprepared due to perceived inadequacy of current education.

Sep 18, 2026

Upload by Sarah

The study examines knowledge and attitudes toward forensic medicine—medical jurisprudence—among medical students in Taif University, Saudi Arabia. Background highlights a critical shortage of forensic medicine experts and the importance of student interest in this subspecialty. Methods use an observational cross-sectional design with online questionnaires via social media, analyzed using IBM SPSS v27. Results show most students have good knowledge and strongly support curriculum inclusion, though many report inadequate education. Conclusions identify personal interest and job nature as key motivators and recommend a comprehensive module.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Introduction

Forensic medicine and its role

Medical education focus in Saudi Arabia

Review began 10/03/2024 Review ended 11/02/2024 Published 11/05/2024 © Copyright 2024 Alotaibi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY 4.0. , which permits unrestricted use , distribution , and reproduction in any medium , provided the original author and source are credited. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.73096 Open Access Original Article Knowledge and Attitudes of Saudi Medical Students Toward Forensic Medicine as a Subspecialty: A Cross-Sectional Study Wafi B. Alotaibi 1 , Raghad H. Abduljabbar 1, Raghad M. Al-Awn 2 , Maha A. Albakr 3 , Safia M. Binshihon 4 , Alhassan H. Hobani 5, Mohammad S. Alnejaidi 6, Mohammad E. Mahfouz 7 1. College of Medicine, Taif University, Taif, SAU 2. Medicine and Surgery, King Khalid University Hospital, Abha, SAU 3. College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University, Riyadh, SAU 4. Forensic Medicine, Forensic Medicine Centre, Ministry of Health, Jeddah, SAU 5. College of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, SAU 6. College of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, SAU 7. Surgery, Taif University, Taif, SAU Corresponding author: Wafi B. Alotaibi, [wafibader@gmail.com](wafibader@gmail.com) Abstract Background: The 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. Methods: The 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. Results: The 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 asa 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) . Conclusion: Medical 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. Categories: Family/General Practice, Forensic Medicine, Public Health Keywords: forensic, forensic medicine, justices, knowledge, medical students Introduction Forensic medicine, commonly known as medical jurisprudence, is that department of medicine that applies its principles to civil and criminal judicial proceedings and helps in the establishment of facts based on medicine [1] . This goes from medicole

FAQs

Why is forensic medicine important according to the study?

Forensic medicine applies medical principles to civil and criminal legal proceedings and helps establish facts in legal cases. The article emphasizes its vital role despite a shortage of experts.

How was the study conducted?

The research used an observational cross-sectional design among medical students at Taif University. Online questionnaires were distributed through social media and analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows (v27.0).

What did students think about including forensic medicine in the curriculum?

A large majority believed it would be beneficial to incorporate a forensic medicine module into their curriculum. Many also reported feeling underprepared due to perceived inadequacy of current education.

Sep 18, 2026

Upload by Sarah