VR Simulation Leads to Enhanced Procedural Confidence for Surgical Trainees.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Virtual Reality Simulation

Background:

• Active learning enhances knowledge acquisition more than passive methods.
• Virtual reality (VR) platforms offer active learning opportunities for medical students with limited hands-on experience.
• VR simulators may improve procedural training in surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of VR simulators (TIPS) versus passive learning (videos) for teaching laparoscopic surgical techniques to medical students.
• To evaluate the impact of VR and video learning on student confidence and procedural skill acquisition.

Main Methods:

• A crossover study design was used with 37 medical students.
• Participants were randomly assigned to either TIPS or video learning first, followed by the other modality.
• Knowledge assessments and post-study surveys were administered after each intervention.

Main Results:

• TIPS demonstrated greater utility as a learning tool (p < 0.001) and instilled more confidence (p < 0.001) compared to videos.
• Videos were found to be easier to use (p = 0.032).
• No significant difference in knowledge acquisition was found for appendectomy, but video learning favored cholecystectomy (p = 0.042).

Conclusions:

• Both VR (TIPS) and video learning enhance different aspects of surgical education.
• The active VR platform (TIPS) significantly increases student confidence and utility in learning procedures.
• Videos can complement VR training and serve a role in curriculum design.