Rocky Vista University to Expand Innovative Virtual Reality Program to New Montana Campus

With the launch of its third campus in Billings, Montana, Rocky Vista University will expand its partnership with Perspectus, a Colorado-based virtual and mixed reality technology firm, enabling more students to study human anatomy in the physical and virtual space.

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“We’ve seen how the integration of virtual reality (VR) learning into academia enables our students to approach subjects such as gross anatomy, physiology, and medical simulations uniquely and innovatively”

This technology is just one example of the investment Rocky Vista University (RVU) has made with its flagship Montana College of Osteopathic Medicine (MCOM). This will be the state’s first four-year medical school with a dedicated campus and will feature a 138,000 square foot technologically advanced medical education building. The campus will welcome its first cohort of students in July 2023.

As stated in its strategic plan, RVU is committed to strategic partnerships that ensure the relevance of its programming through enhanced technology and that provide for the current and anticipated shortages of healthcare providers in the Mountain West region. The virtual reality program helps RVU achieve these goals, offering ground-breaking technology that expands student access to critical three-dimensional learning. Montana will be the third RVU campus to host Perspectus VR, joining the Parker, Colorado, and Ivins, Utah, campuses who are moving into their third year with the technology.

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Perspectus VR is a patented software platform that enables students to study anatomy in an immersive 3D environment where they can manipulate anatomical structures in a virtual space and volumize actual patient (MRI and CT) scans to further understand medical diagnoses. Going from two-dimensional anatomical diagrams to viewing and manipulating anatomy in 3D fills the missing link to building critical clinical reasoning.

As confirmed by a new peer-reviewed study published in 2023 in the Medical Science Educator Journal, Perspectus VR anatomy content maintains the rigor of traditional gross anatomy labs, while improving student outcomes and engagement. During early testing at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, the Perspectus software increased understanding of spatial relationships and anatomical systems for 87% of students.

“We’ve seen how the integration of virtual reality (VR) learning into academia enables our students to approach subjects such as gross anatomy, physiology, and medical simulations uniquely and innovatively,” says MCOM’s Chair of the Biomedical Sciences Department Dr. Michael Zawada. “We’re excited to offer this incredible program to our students on the Montana campus. Providing students with the ability to view and explore anatomical structures and pathologies more accurately and comprehensively will greatly enhance many aspects of their medical education.”

Similar to its other campuses, RVU-MCOM will feature a dedicated VR lab. Anatomists plan to use the software and leverage its VR spatial recordings in conjunction with cadaver lab work. The adoption of Perspectus VR by the Montana campus confirms RVU’s commitment to using cutting-edge technology to reach large numbers of students as it continues to fill the gaps in healthcare education.

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