As the U.S. population ages, future physicians must be prepared to care for older adults with multiple health conditions and complex needs. This study will test whether cinematic virtual reality (VR)-an immersive, interactive learning tool-is more effective than traditional lectures in helping medical students learn about geriatric care. Students who complete the VR training will experience realistic patient scenarios that show what can go wrong in medical care and learn how to apply osteopathic principles to improve outcomes. Researchers will compare students' performance on a clinical skills assessment and explore their experiences with the VR training. The goal is to determine whether cinematic virtual reality can better prepare students for residency and improve their ability to provide compassionate, high-quality care for older adults.
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Parallel
Cinematic Virtual Reality Training
BehavioralThe participants randomly assigned to the cinematic virtual reality training will view 6 virtual reality episodes of an older adult, Mr. Chen, with multiple geriatric syndromes, chronic health conditions, disabilities, and significant social needs, who is also vulnerable to elder abuse and neglect. The content will cover medication, mentation, mobility, what matters most for older adults, nutrition and hydration, and osteopathic tenets.
Traditional Didactic Lecture
BehavioralParticipants randomized to the traditional didactic lecture will receive a lecture on geriatric care that includes medication, mentation, mobility, what matters most for older adults, nutrition and hydration, and osteopathic tenets.
Number of Participants with Passing Score on Graduate Medical Education Readiness Assessment
Participants will be asked to perform a comprehensive evaluation of the standardized patient, Henry Johnson. The case is based on a virtual patient case from the American Geriatric Society and the American Board of Medical Specialties. All participants will have 20 minutes to perform the clinical visit. The comprehensive evaluation will be filmed for all participants in the medical school's clinical skills examination rooms. Osteopathic physicians not involved in the study will be invited to score the videos of the participants' comprehensive evaluations. Graders will be blinded to the trial arm.
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