Medical Students' and Residents' Perception of a Virtual Reality Training Module on Urethral Catheterization: A Pilot Study

Urethral catheterization is a core competency for medical professionals, with improper catheterization leading to several adverse outcomes for patients. Research suggests that a significant number of these complications occur when the procedure is carried out by inexperienced young professionals, owing to the inadequate training received using conventional training methods during their medical education. Thus, this pilot study aimed to explore medical students' and residents' perspectives on using VR-based training for urethral catheterization. Across a 10-week period, 20 participants (11 final-year medical students and nine first-year residents) underwent training with a VR-based Urethral Catheterization module. Subsequently, a survey assessed their acceptance, perceived usability, and perceived impact of this training modality. The findings highlighted the positive perception among medical students and residents regarding VR's efficacy in enhancing medical skills, particularly in learning urethral catheterization. Notably, a significant portion of participants found VR training to be similar to using mannequins but rated it superior in various aspects. This comprehensive training approach for budding medical professionals using VR could potentially reduce the incidence of complications and injuries associated with urethral catheterization. Furthermore, the study sheds light on the potential of VR in skill development within the realm of urology.