Seeing Is Believing: Real-Life 360-Degree Virtual Reality as a Catalyst for Neurosurgical Interest.

Background: Traditional surgical education faces challenges such as limited visibility, physical space constraints, and restricted access for students. Virtual reality (VR) technology offers a promising alternative, especially with real-life 360-degree video, which can recreate immersive clinical experiences. This study investigates whether real-life 360-degree VR can enhance medical students' interest in neurosurgery and serve as an effective educational tool.

Methods:  A VR-based educational program was developed using 360-degree video footage captured with Insta360 Pro cameras installed in the emergency department, operating room, and angiography suite. The content was incorporated into a neurosurgical clinical training course for 85 fifth-year medical students at the International University of Health and Welfare Narita Hospital in Narita, Japan. Students viewed the VR content through synchronized head-mounted displays. After the session, an anonymous questionnaire assessed usability, immersion, comprehension, enjoyment, and interest in neurosurgery. A paired samples t-test was used to compare students' interest in neurosurgery before and after the session.

Results:  High levels of satisfaction were reported with regard to usability (95%) and immersion (97.6%). Most students agreed that the VR session improved their understanding (92.9%) and was enjoyable (95%). Interest in neurosurgery increased significantly following the session, with affirmative responses rising from 22 (26%) to 52 (61%) students (t=6.77; df=84; p<0.0001).

Conclusions: Real-life 360-degree VR is an effective supplementary tool for neurosurgical education. It offers immersive experiences that can enhance student engagement, understanding, and interest in neurosurgery. Broader implementation of this technology may address declining interest in the specialty and enrich clinical education.