# Implementing virtual reality based surgical topographic anatomy for the education of medical students: a pilot study

## TL;DR

This pilot study explores how virtual reality can improve medical students' understanding of surgical anatomy and influence career choices.

## Contribution

The study introduces a VR-based method for teaching surgical anatomy and assesses its impact on students' knowledge and career decisions.

## Key findings

- Medical students reported high knowledge gain and teaching value from VR-based surgical anatomy.
- A small percentage of students reconsidered their surgical career paths after VR sessions.
- VR teaching effectiveness was consistent across age, gender, and educational levels.

## Abstract

Surgical specialties necessitate a comprehensive understanding of anatomy. Traditional two-dimensional anatomical teaching methods lack the depth required for spatial comprehension. Virtual reality (VR)-based anatomy models offer a promising alternative, enabling an enhanced understanding of surgical topographic anatomy. This study investigated the feasibility and teaching value of VR-based surgical anatomy teaching. In addition, we explored the impact of pursuing a future surgical career.

Meta Quest 2 VR system with Medicalholodeck “Anatomy and Dissection Master XR” software applications was used for virtual segmentation of a mediastinal and abdominal model annotated with anatomical terminology. The feasibility, knowledge gain, and teaching value of the VR-based topographic surgical anatomy were evaluated using a newly developed 14-item self-report questionnaire that included numeric rating scales (0–10; 0: no knowledge gain/teaching value; 10: high knowledge gain/teaching value) and dichotomous questions.

Thirty-seven medical students performed the instructor-guided virtual segmentation. Participants reported a high knowledge gain (median 8) and perceived teaching value (median 9) regarding complex mediastinal anatomy. Four students (11%) reconsidered their later professions after the VR sessions. Statistical analyses did not reveal any significant differences among students of different ages, genders, or educational levels.

This study showed that the implementation of VR-based surgical topographic anatomy teaching for medical student education is feasible. As an additional tool to conventional anatomical teaching, it could enhance teaching value irrespective of age, gender, or educational level, and may influence subsequent surgical career decisions. The questionnaire requires further refinement including the standardized assessment of anatomical knowledge.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-025-08563-z.