MedEd AI-Epoch # 127 Beyond Virtual Care: Exploring the Metaverse in Healthcare Education

Today was one of those days that reminds me exactly why I love what I do in medical education. I had the absolute privilege of presenting on “The Metaverse: A New Frontier for Digital Health Solutions” to a vibrant audience of over 160 SSC medical students at the University of Buckingham. What an energising, inquisitive, and brilliantly disruptive bunch they were!

From the moment we kicked off, the energy was palpable. We ventured into the immersive landscapes of the metaverse, demystifying how VR, AR, blockchain, and AI come together to build persistent and interactive virtual health environments. These aren't just futuristic fantasies anymore they’re active tools shaping patient care, clinical simulations, and medical education. But let’s talk about the real magic of today’s session: the bombardment of 24+ questions from students! 💥

These weren’t just routine clarifications. They were thoughtful, probing, and honestly, some of the sharpest I've encountered in a while. One question, in particular, made me stop mid-session and reflect deeply:

🧠 "How sustainable is the Metaverse in healthcare beyond the hype?"

✨ Brilliant. Necessary. And so timely.

🩺 Reflecting on the Question: Is the Metaverse Sustainable in Healthcare?

The short answer? It depends on the “why” behind its implementation.

The sustainability of the metaverse in healthcare is not about having flashy VR goggles in every clinic it’s about purposeful integration where it adds genuine value to care, training, and outcomes.

✅ For instance, remote surgery training using VR-based anatomical walkthroughs can reduce travel, standardise instruction, and offer limitless safe practice for students. ✅ In mental health, immersive environments are already supporting therapeutic exposure treatments. ✅ Digital twins and AI avatars are helping simulate clinical reasoning in ways we couldn’t dream of a decade ago.

But for it to last, we must ensure:

🔄 Equity of access 🧩 Interoperability between systems ⚖️ Ethical use and data privacy 🧪 Research-led implementation with robust evaluation

If we embed these principles, the metaverse won't just be a tech trend—it’ll become an enduring part of our healthcare ecosystem.

💡 My Take-Home from Today

I came in to teach, but as always I left having learned so much more.

The curiosity, courage, and challenge shown by the students today reminded me that the best educational experiences are never one-way. They’re conversations, collisions, and sometimes confrontations that spark new ways of thinking.

And today, I paused. I thought. I learned.

Ferorelli, D., Sirago, G., Calò, F., Vinci, A., Visci, P., Solarino, B., & Dell’Erba, A. (2025). An overview of Metaverse in healthcare. Potential application in forensic and legal medicine. Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology, 1-10.

Jeong, E., & Lee, D. (2025). Metaverse applications in healthcare: opportunities and challenges. Service Business, 19(1), 4.

Uppamma, P., Padma, A., Chithanuru, V., & Ravula, V. (2025). Metaverse in healthcare: applications and challenges. Exploring the metaverse, 45-68.