Virtual reality in medisch onderwijs

Virtual Reality (VR) is increasingly applied in medical education due to its potential to provide students realistic and safe training scenarios. This article describes the development and evaluation of an obstetric VR scenario for medical education. In this setting, students acquire knowledge and practice decision-making, interprofessional communication, and working under time pressure within a simulated real-life scenario. Evaluation indicates that 90% of the students appreciate the educational value of the VR module. Although both students and teachers are enthusiastic about the VR’s potential, development involves significant challenges and initial investment costs. In terms of cost-effectiveness, the module appears to be a sustainable educational solution in the long term. Key challenges include selecting suitable scenarios, limited adaptability of the scenario after implementation and addressing logistical requirements. Despite these limitations, this study concludes that VR is a valuable addition to medical education, with impact on students’ skills and knowledge.

Conflict of interest and financial support: ICMJE forms provided by the authors are available online along with the full text of this article.