Simulator training for enhanced interventional radiology education

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Interventional Radiology
• Simulation Technology

Background:

• Staff shortages in interventional radiology (IR) necessitate innovative training solutions.
• Medical students require practical experience to make informed career decisions.
• Virtual reality (VR) offers a potential avenue for hands-on training with reduced radiation exposure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of VR endovascular simulator training on medical students' procedural proficiency in IR.
• To assess changes in medical students' subjective proficiency and career interests after VR training.
• To explore the efficacy of VR simulation in medical education for IR.

Main Methods:

• Ten medical students participated in five VR endovascular simulator training sessions.
• Virtual fluoroscopy time was measured to quantify skill development.
• Pre- and post-training questionnaires assessed changes in proficiency and career interest.

Main Results:

• Median virtual fluoroscopy time decreased significantly from 19.3 to 9.3 minutes (p=0.007), indicating improved procedural efficiency.
• Post-training surveys showed a notable increase in interest in interventional radiology.
• Participants reported enhanced practical skills, understanding of IR, and readiness for clinical practice.

Conclusions:

• VR simulator-based training effectively enhances procedural proficiency in interventional radiology.
• This training modality shows potential to positively influence medical students' career choices towards IR.
• Findings support the use of VR in medical education, warranting further research for optimization.