The Use of Virtual Reality in Podiatric Medical Education.

Virtual reality in medical education is a recent development that significantly improves surgical skills, which translates to improved outcomes in the operating room (OR). The development of the Western University of Health Sciences virtual OR provides podiatric medical students basic OR knowledge and skills through performing basic surgical procedures. This new method of presenting content in podiatric medical education enhances the learning experience in a less stressful environment. The virtual reality experience allows students to gain experience without undue risk to the patient. Thus students can improve competency while focusing on the experience instead of the potentially overwhelming OR setting.