Virtual reality (VR) technology is an immersive experience that enables users to access virtual environments that feel "real" to them.
In recent years, many medical schools and teaching hospitals like the-clinx.com/clinical-continuing-educational-credentialing-courses-online have embraced the use of VR technology to train medical students and healthcare practitioners in new skills in a safe environment.
They also make heavy use of associated technology, augmented reality (AR), in which virtual images and sounds are superimposed into the real world.
Simulating medical procedures and emergency scenarios
While medical students and residents still get a lot of their knowledge from participating in hands-on training, there are some situations where the odds of going wrong are too extreme to give them decision-making power.
In cases like these, a simulated environment allows students and residents to take a lead role in an emergency scenario, with no risk of making the wrong choice and causing harm to a real patient.
VR technology is also used to help students learn to operate and participate in medical procedures, with a virtual body replacing a real-world human subject or training cadaver. For instance, surgeons in training can virtually repair a bone fracture, with the VR software providing guidance and judging the accuracy of the user’s motions throughout the course of the operation.
Key benefits of VR medical training
VR training provides an ideal opportunity for medical students to gain exposure to new scenarios and gain a better perspective on medical issues through immersive experiences that provide them with hands-on experiences—but without the associated risk of participating in an actual medical case at a hospital.
Using VR also means that students can gain access to unique medical situations without waiting for a rare case to be presented, providing them with additional learning and diagnostic training opportunities.