JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

The increasing adoption of Virtual Reality (VR) in medical education offers new opportunities for immersive, hands-on training, complementing traditional teach- ing methods. This manuscript presents key insights and best practices from the ’medical tr.AI.ning’ project, a three-year interdisciplinary initiative funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The project’s objec- tive was to develop an AI-supported, VR-based training platform to enhance clinical decision-making skills in medical students. Successful implementation of a VR project in medical education requires strategic planning and collabora- tion, starting with a clear identification of curricular gaps that VR can address. An interdisciplinary consortium, combining expertise from medical didactics experts, computer science, and design, is essential to ensure the development of high-quality, pedagogically sound simulations. Key factors for success include defining specific learning objectives aligned with competency-based frameworks, conducting iterative development with frequent feedback from medical experts, and integrating VR content thoughtfully into the medical curriculum. Effective project management frameworks facilitate collaboration and adaptive progress throughout the development. Additionally, considerations for hardware selection, technical infrastructure, and sustainable dissemination strategies are crucial to ensure the long-term viability and broad adoption of the developed platform. By sharing our lessons learned, this article provides a comprehensive guide for future VR projects aimed at enhancing medical education, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, rigorous testing, and alignment with educational needs.