Using Virtual Reality to Teach Medical Students Cross-Coverage Skills

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Virtual Reality Simulation
• Clinical Skills Training

Background:

• Medical students often lack experience in managing urgent or emergent patient conditions, a key skill for internship.
• Traditional high-fidelity simulations can be resource-intensive, creating a need for alternative training methods.
• Virtual reality (VR) offers a potential solution to bridge this experience gap affordably.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a VR simulation for teaching urgent condition management to medical students.
• To assess student perceptions of VR simulation's value in preparing them for residency.

Main Methods:

• A high-fidelity chest pain simulation was adapted into a 360-degree VR format with interactive decision points.
• Fourth-year medical students utilized the VR simulation during their transition-to-residency course.
• Post-simulation surveys were administered to gather student feedback.

Main Results:

• 47 students completed the VR simulation, with 41 (87.2% response rate) completing the survey.
• Over 90% of students found the VR simulation valuable for residency preparation and similar to real-world intern challenges.
• 85.4% of students felt the VR simulation enhanced their readiness for the initial days of internship.

Conclusions:

• Virtual reality is an acceptable, cost-effective, and feasible tool for training medical students in recognizing and managing urgent clinical situations.
• VR simulation addresses a critical need in medical education by providing practical experience for Core Entrustable Professional Activity 10.
• The study supports the integration of VR into medical curricula for enhanced clinical preparedness.