VR in Undergraduate Anesthesia Training

Launched by LONDON HEALTH SCIENCES CENTRE RESEARCH INSTITUTE OR LAWSON RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF ST. JOSEPH'S · Jul 18, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring whether virtual reality (VR) can help third-year medical students learn anesthesia better than traditional teaching methods like lectures and in-person training. Because anesthesia can be complicated and hands-on experience in the operating room is often limited, VR offers a way for students to practice skills in a safe, realistic, and controlled environment. The study will compare students who use VR training before their anesthesia rotation to those who follow the usual training approach, to see if VR improves their confidence, knowledge, and ability to perform key anesthesia tasks.

To join the study, students must be in their third year of medical school at Western University and scheduled for a two-week anesthesia rotation at one of the affiliated hospitals in London or Windsor. Participants will be asked to complete surveys before and after their rotation and will be observed during their clinical work to assess their skills. Some students won’t be able to join if they already have anesthesia experience, have used the VR program before, or have health issues like severe motion sickness that make VR use difficult. If successful, this study could lead to better, more accessible anesthesia training for medical students, including those who may not have easy access to hands-on experiences.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Enrolled as a third-year medical student in the Undergraduate Medical Education (UME) program at Western University (Schulich School of Medicine \& Dentistry).
• * Scheduled to complete a two-week anesthesia rotation at one of the affiliated teaching hospitals:
• • London: Victoria Hospital, St. Joseph's Hospital, or University Hospital
• • Windsor: Metropolitan Campus or Ouellette Campus
• • Willing to participate in the study and provide informed consent.
• • Able to complete pre- and post-rotation assessments (self-assessment surveys and procedural skills checklist) administered in the English language.
• • 18 years of age or older
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Prior clinical anesthesia experience before their core anesthesia rotation, including: Participation in an Optional Clinical Learning Opportunity (OCLO) in anesthesia. Completion of a summer elective or placement in anesthesia. Completion of an anesthesia selective before their core anesthesia rotation.
• • Previous exposure to the VR training platform used in the study (e.g., prior experience with the specific VR simulation software for anesthesia training).
• • Students who do not consent to participate in the study or do not wish to be randomized into either the VR or control group.
• • Students unable to complete the study assessments in the English language, including: Pre- and post-rotation surveys. Observer-completed procedural skills checklist (during clinical rotations).
• • Medical or personal conditions preventing participation, such as: severe motion sickness or vertigo that would prevent the use of VR headsets. Any condition that significantly impacts vision or motor function, affecting the ability to engage with VR simulations.
• • Students who are experience nausea.