Virtual Reality Enables First-of-Its-Kind Clinical Anatomy Curriculum

Cleveland Clinic educators are bringing their expertise to a partnership with Zygote Medical Education to develop an immersive learning experience for first- and second-year medical students at Lerner College of Medicine.

The result is a virtual reality-based clinical anatomy curriculum designed to teach students the seven anatomic regions of the human body in a realistic, translatable way.

“Students learn best when the learning is authentic,” says Dr. Neil Mehta, MD, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. “This means that they are engaging with content that is based on real-life issues. Virtual reality provides us an opportunity to create authentic experiences by bringing the patient and the clinical environment to the classroom.”

Mobile and desktop applications will allow students to learn from self-guided or instructor-led sessions, either in individual or group settings. The applications will also be designed to support cadaver-based learning.

“What differentiates this experience from current anatomy education tools is the combination of a tested anatomy curriculum with anatomically precise 3D models,” says Cory Heizenrader, president of Zygote Medical Education. “We’re providing an affordable tool in real-world clinical settings that will enhance the ability to understand human anatomy and legitimizes virtual reality within the medical education community.”