Objective

Objective: The objective of this study to find out medico-legal knowledge of medical students. In the modern day & age of consumerism compensation has become almost a source of extra income for the patient and their family. Now a day patient party do not hesitate to take the doctors to the court. Therefore it has become essential for the medical fraternity to learn the relevant laws about medical negligence and its implications. Methods: We planned to do a questionnaire survey among medical students at Banaras Hindu University. Results: Study was done among 50 medical students in the IMS, BHU. There were 35 male, 15 female students. The age group was between 21-25 years. The questions were related to medico-legal aspect. The awareness of law regarding consent: only 20 % responded yes. ‘Are you aware of any law which protects you’? Only 2 % were yes. What is medical negligence? Defined properly only by 10 % of students. The question was asked ‘have you heard of litigation: only 40 % said yes. 5 % felt that if litigation happens judiciary would be sympathetic. ‘Do they (legal team) understand our problems (are they equipped enough to understand limitations in medicine?)’: surprisingly 20 % said yes to this question. 30 % of the students felt that trust among doctor patient is lost now a day. Conclusion: This study highlights lack of knowledge and need for a course/curriculum in the Medical Students syllabus. For the postgraduate teaching there should be a part of medical jurisprudence in their curriculum with emphasis on record keeping and communication skills