Rohan Jotwani, MD, MBA, interventional pain specialist and anesthesiologist, Weill Cornell Medicine, and John Edwin Rubin, MD, assistant professor of clinical anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, discuss extended reality in medical education.

Extended reality and spatial computing exist in the same technical and conceptual planes, with spatial computing adding elements of artificial intelligence and computing power to enhance the interactivity possibilities. Drs Jotwani and Rubin have been teaching in an extended reality environment, which allows students the opportunity to practice procedures in a virtual setting. Learners have asked for more extended reality experiences, and although data are limited in this new field, improvements in technical performance and speed have been reported following extended reality learning.

Using this method facilitates the ability to practice using a library of technically challenging cases, and CT or MRI data can be converted to a virtual anatomy model to allow learners to practice procedures on the patient ahead of time. Extended reality can also be used to practice patient interactions, such as the consent process ahead of procedures. Drs Jotwani and Rubin noted that, because this is all happening remotely, this extended reality teaching model may be used more widely, including in underresourced areas.