Pilot Study: Supplementing Surgical Training for Medical Students Using a Low-Cost Virtual Reality Simulator

The goal of this research is to evaluate the benefits of using a low-cost Virtual Reality (VR) surgical training platform in bridging the gap between early surgical skills and effective performance in more advanced training and clinical settings. The specific aim of this study is to design and evaluate the efficacy of a low-cost virtual reality system as a precursor to improving surgical skills for novice trainees. A summary of our VR training system is presented, and training results from three pre-med students and five residents in a medical school are discussed that show preliminary evidence of the efficacy of the system.