Exploring the Impact of Courtroom Observations on the Awareness of Professional Risk Among Medical Students of Different Specialties: A Single-Center Controlled Study

Objective To explore the role of courtroom observation in cultivating the risk awareness of medical graduate students, to optimize teaching methods, and also to provide a reference for other medical schools to carry out similar teaching reforms. Methods In this study, a self-prepared questionnaire survey was conducted on clinical and non-clinical medicine students after the completion of the " Risk of Medical Practice " course, that is, before the courtroom observations and after, including the general information of the students' gender and major, as well as the legal cognition and evaluation of the course before and after participating in the courtroom observations. SPSS27.0 was used to perform the t or χ2 test on the data. Statistical significance was defined as p<0.05. Results A total of 72 medical students were surveyed, including 32 in clinical medicine and 40 in non-clinical medicine. After participating in the courtroom observation, there were statistically significant differences in the self-evaluation of the degree of legal awareness, the self-evaluation of the importance of future practice, and the role of practice risk prevention. In the setting of the course " Risk of Medical Practice " as a compulsory course, the degree of course recommendation has increased, but there is no statistical difference. The students' expectations for courtroom observations again and the score of setting courtroom observations as part of the course were both 9.0 or above. Conclusion The results demonstrate that courtroom observation is an effective teaching method. By participating as spectators in litigation, medical students not only enhance their awareness of medical law and practice risk prevention but also develop a more proactive attitude toward related courses. As far as the teaching mode of courtroom observations is concerned, medical students are also highly recognized and actively participated. In conclusion, this study provides empirical data for medical schools in terms of medical students' legal education and practice risk awareness cultivation, and provides a new scheme for optimizing medical education methods, demonstrating the potential value of courtroom observation methods, and the need for a more active attitude.