Medical Students’ Perceptions of Virtual Reality (VR) in Anatomy Education: A Pilot Study in Rwanda

Abstract Background Anatomy education in Rwanda primarily relies on lectures and cadaveric dissection, with limited integration of digital tools. Increasing student numbers and resource constraints highlight the need for scalable, innovative teaching methods. Virtual reality (VR) offers an immersive alternative that may enhance learning. This pilot study evaluated medical students’ perceptions of VR-based anatomy education in Rwanda. Methods A one-day workshop was conducted at IRCAD Africa, Kigali, involving 25 undergraduate medical students from four institutions (University of Rwanda, Rwanda Military Academy, Adventist School of Medicine, and University of Medical Sciences and Technology). Participants engaged with an upper-limb VR anatomy module developed by MediXR. Pre- and post-workshop data were collected electronically. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were used to assess satisfaction, perceived relevance, and learning gain. Results Among 25 participants (56% male), 52% had no prior VR experience. Overall satisfaction was high (median = 5, IQR = 0), with high perceived relevance (median = 4, IQR = 0.75) and notable learning gain (median = 3, IQR = 1). There were no significant differences in satisfaction based on prior VR experience (p = 0.727) or learning gain across institutions (p = 0.158). Satisfaction correlated positively with learning gain (r = 0.49), while interest in surgery showed moderate correlations with perceived relevance (r = 0.39) and learning gain (r = 0.28). Conclusions This pilot study demonstrates high student acceptance and perceived educational benefit of VR in anatomy learning. VR appears to be a feasible and effective supplementary tool in resource-limited settings. Larger studies using objective learning outcomes are needed to inform curriculum integration.