FORENSIC SKILLS LAB TO IMPROVE MEDICO-LEGAL SKILLS IN MEDICAL STUDENTS

Abstract

Background: keeping the essentiality of medicolegal complexities in day-to-day practice, doctor should have forensic skills too as far as related to Medical field.  Aim: to compare score between Traditional and FMSL method, and to evaluate the effectiveness of module FMSL on students and faculty Methods: Comprehensive lists of practical skills including all relevant psychomotor skills were assembled and reviewed; then checklists were developed concurrently with the development of each learning guide. All learning guides and checklists was peer-reviewed. Each guidelines contained a description of the exact steps and their proper sequence, needed by the learner to competently perform each skill. These steps correlated to the consensus of international best practices. Results: After training in a skills lab, a notable change was seen. The FMSL approach has demonstrated a 30–70% improvement in scores, whereas the traditional method has demonstrated a 20–40% difference. Additionally, it was noted that training in FMSL improved practical skills more than training in the conventional manner. According to student feedback, they felt that the skills lab was helpful. Students enjoy the atmosphere, the facilitation, and the training of the facilitators in certain abilities.  Conclusion: Forensic Medicine Skills Lab are intended to train Indian medical graduates and can be suggested for use in medical education in a legal context in India.