What The Metaverse Could Mean To Medical Education: A Surgeon's Perspective

While the metaverse continues to follow a typical technology adoption curve, I believe both virtual reality and augmented reality will eventually have their place in healthcare. The "metaverse" is a new term for the medical community. Many people use it; some know what it means or perhaps think they know. Venture capitalist Matthew Ball describes the metaverse with the utmost clarity by noting the metaverse "is a persistent and interconnected network of 3D virtual worlds that will eventually serve as the gateway to most online experiences, and also underpin much of the physical world." This definition is perhaps the most powerful and well-articulated explanation of what the metaverse is and why it's driving many to be a part of this technological revolution. It certainly explains why some of the brightest developers, clinician educators and industry players are looking to embrace this technology. And the implications for healthcare are not insignificant, but like most things, it will take time.