Virtual Reality Cadavers Poised to Revolutionize Medical School

Fisk University, T-Mobile, HTC VIVE and VictoryXR are launching one of the first 5G-powered, virtual reality (VR) human cadaver labs.

VR is one of the more exciting technologies under development, with almost limitless applications in everyday life. Nashville, TN-based Fisk University sees VR as an innovative, and cost-effective, way to teach pre-med and biology students. The university is partnering with T-Mobile, HTC VIVE and VictoryXR to help create the experience.

“We’re combining the best aspects of virtual and in-person learning, and this is the future of education,” said Dr. Vann Newkirk, President, Fisk University. “Fisk University is emerging as a tech leader among colleges, and our effort to bring a virtual reality cadaver lab to campus exemplifies our commitment to provide students with a state-of-the-art education.”

VR will enable professors and students to study and interact with the virtual cadavers in ways that would never be possible in real-life.

Inside the lab, students will examine the internal organs of various human systems, and the professor can even remove the organs from the body and pass them around for students to hold and open. Students will have the ability to enlarge the organ to a size large enough where they can even step inside to better learn how it works. In addition to organ systems, the cadavers will also include complete skeletal and muscle structures.

Given the cost of purchasing real cadavers, the VR system will put Fisk University on equal footing with other schools.

“With this cadaver lab, our pre-med students will no longer need to rely on other universities for advanced anatomy and biology classes,” said Dr. Shirley Brown, Dean of Fisk University. “Virtual reality technology takes our university to a level equal to the most advanced schools in the country.”

Fisk University’s VR campus is just the latest example of what is possible with the burgeoning tech.