Virtual Environments for Medical Training and Education

Abstract

There are a number of modalities for implementing Virtual Environments (VE) for medical training and simulation. Integrating them for a seamless transition from one to another presents the next challenge. The three applications of (1) individual anatomic education and training, (2) medical crisis planning and training, and (3) medical virtual prototyping have been integrated into a single program approach by the military for battlefield trauma care. With this model as a template, the power of VE for the many different aspects of medical education can be explored and exploited.