First Exposure to Virtual Reality in Medical Education: Insights from Meta Quest 2 Use

##article.abstract##

Introduction:  Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly integrated into medical education, yet its impact on student engagement and learning outcomes is not fully defined. This study evaluated medical students’ experiences with VR (Meta Quest 2) for procedural skills training. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with third-year medical students at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon over one semester. Participants trained in intubation, arterial line placement, thoracentesis, paracentesis, and central line insertion using Meta Quest 2 headsets. The survey assessed familiarity, engagement, perceived realism, quality, effectiveness, helpfulness for understanding procedures, and preference for VR over traditional methods. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and chi-square tests explored gender differences. Results: Of 298 respondents (81% response rate), 5% were very familiar with VR, while 60% were not familiar at all. Engagement was high, with 54% feeling very engaged and 37% somewhat engaged. Realism was rated somewhat realistic by 56% and very realistic by 20%. VR was considered somewhat effective by 58% and very effective by 30%. Fifty-five percent preferred VR over traditional methods, and 67% supported its integration into the curriculum. For procedural understanding, 64% found VR very helpful and 31% somewhat helpful. Conclusion: VR training improved students’ confidence and procedural understanding despite limited prior exposure. While improvements in realism and technical accuracy are needed, the high engagement and positive perceptions support VR’s role as a valuable adjunct to traditional teaching in medical education