First, watch this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjwPl0-AuHc

I recently explored Touch Surgery, an interactive surgical simulation app designed to support the learning of procedural skills. This educational game allows users to practice surgeries step-by-step in a virtual environment, providing both visual guidance and interactive decision-making.

During my experience, I completed the appendectomy module, where I followed the procedure carefully, made decisions at critical points, and received immediate feedback on my actions. The app uses realistic challenges and scenarios, which embody the principle of desirable difficulty, enhancing long-term retention of surgical steps. I noticed that repeating the simulation helped me understand the sequence of actions more thoroughly and anticipate potential complications, reinforcing procedural memory.

What makes this tool especially effective is its experience management. Just like in well-designed educational games, the system carefully adapts to the learner’s performance. If a mistake is made, the app provides corrective guidance without interrupting the flow of learning, similar to the concept of interactive storytelling used in game-based education.

I found that the app also engages emotions positively by allowing repeated attempts, which aligns with the peak-end rule from behavioral research. Ending each simulation on a successful note motivates further learning and strengthens my confidence.

Interactive experiences like Touch Surgery highlight the potential of digital simulations in medical education. They complement traditional anatomy labs and lectures by offering safe, repeatable, and measurable skill development. I encourage my peers to explore such simulations and reflect on how these tools could transform the way we learn procedural medicine.

• Question for Readers:
• Have you tried interactive surgical simulations? How do you think virtual practice could enhance traditional medical training?