Surgeons using Wii to improve skills

The next time your mother/significant other says videogames have no real-life value, point them in the direction of this article, which recaps an interview between News 8 Austin and surgeon Mark Smith. Smith claims that playing the Wii (with it’s motion controls and demand for precise movements) can help trainees improve their skills by 50%, and the relatively inexpensive console is a cheap, effective alternative to the ultra-expensive simulators (or actual surgery).

From the interview:

“I have never thought I’d be in video games to this extent. We have surgical simulators in virtual reality, but this has taken it to a whole new level, which is exciting.”

It looks like this is the new Wii-hab, and I’m sure Nintendo is eating it up. Speaking of learning on the job, the article also addresses the fact that only a few years ago, the only way for surgeons to train was the real thing – actually going in with a knife and assisting a real operation. Scary.

Read [Austin 8] Via [CVG]