The use of virtual reality simulation of head trauma in a surgical boot camp.
Surgical "boot camps" provide excellent opportunities to enhance orientation, learning, and preparation of new surgery interns as they enter the clinical arena. This paper describes the utilization of an interactive virtual reality (VR) simulation and associated virtual patient (VP) as an additional tool for surgical boot camps. Complementing other forms of simulation, virtual patients (VPs) require less specialized equipment and can also provide a wide variety of medical scenarios. In this paper we discuss a study that measured the learning effectiveness of a real-world VP simulation used by a class of new surgery interns who operated it with a standard computer interface. The usability of the simulator as a learning tool has been demonstrated and measured. This study brings the use of VR simulation with VPs closer to wider application and integration into a training curriculum, such as a surgery intern boot camp.
The University of New Mexico, New Mexico, USA.
Victor M
VM
Vergara
Panaiotis
Darra
D
Kingsley
Dale C
DC
Alverson
Timothy
T
Godsmith
Shan
S
Xia
Thomas P
TP
Caudell
D003198:Computer Simulation; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000193:education*; D014584:User-Computer Interface