Beyond the lab: Virtual reality for undergraduate Anatomy and Physiology students

Current teaching practice in undergraduate higher education anatomy and physiology courses incorporates the use of various instructional methodologies to reinforce the anatomical relationships between structures.1,2 These methods can include basic hands-on physical models, human and animal dissection labs, and interactive technology. Technological advances continue to drive the production of innovative anatomy and physiology electronic tools, including:virtual dissection in 3-D (e.g., Virtual Dissection Boards from Anatomage, 3D4Medical, and Anatomy.TV),augmented reality (AR) (e.g., Human Anatomy Atlas),mixed reality (e.g., Microsoft HoloLens Case Western Reserve Medical School and Cleveland Clinic digital anatomy app), and3-D virtual reality (VR) (e.g., 3D Organon VR Anatomy and YOU by Sharecare apps).