Introduction. The knowledge of patient rights is an essential component of proper realization of professional practice in medical professions. Medical University students should be prepared for their future profession in this sphere.

Objective. The major objective of the study was to collect the data related to the knowledge of patient rights among the last year medical students.

Material and methods. The study was conducted among 194 last year students completing their degree in medicine, pharmacy, nursing and public health at the Medical University of Białystok, who would soon start their professional career. The research tool used in the study was the authors’ own questionnaire. It consisted of 27 questions, of which 7 were open and 20 close (2 multiple choice and 18 single choice questions). The structure of the questionnaire form was based on three principle parts. The fi rst part concentrated on sociometric questions, the second referred to a general knowledge of patient rights, whereas the third one expanded the knowledge of one of the most essential patient rights – the right to information.

Results. The knowledge of patient rights among students is defi nitely insuffi cient. Nursing students appeared to have the greatest knowledge in this fi eld, whereas students of medicine obtained poorer results. In students’ opinion, university courses are the most important source of information on patient rights, although the amount of information acquired during studies is insuffi cient. Worth noting is the fact that students of Medical Faculty obtain the knowledge of patient rights during the last years of studies whilst nursing students – in their fi rst study year. The respondents demonstrated a lack of knowledge concerning basic documents and legal acts regulating patient rights, such as the Chart of Patient’s Rights or the Health Care Institution Act. Among nursing students, the knowledge of patient rights was declared by 97.4% and among students of medicine by 78.3%. Most study participants (53.6%) considered the patient right to information to be one of the most essential ones; however, 2.6% of nursing students and 46.7% of medical faculty students did not mention it at all.

It seems crucial to intensify education in the fi eld of patient rights, especially for students of Medical Faculty.