Results
The radiation therapy program at MD Anderson Cancer Center at The University of
Texas was surveyed, including 47 students. Of them, 31 students (seniors and juniors alike)
participated in the survey. Thirty-one radiation therapy undergraduates and graduates from the
University of Texas MD Anderson School of Health Professions were questioned for this study
to gain insight into their experiences and opinions on various aspects of Virtual Environment
Radiotherapy Training. (VERT). The survey had nine items total, and responses may be
anywhere from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree" on the provided scale. The VERT's
practical uses were the subject of four questions, while simulations were the topic of five. The
findings showed that the vast majority of students viewed the VERT favorably. Ten of the 31
students strongly believed that the VERT helped visualize treatment plans, and 18 stated that it
was helpful. In addition, 22% of students said the VERT would help them get ready for a
treatment setup in the clinic, and 23% thought it would help them visualize a treatment plan. (To
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Eighteen of the thirty-one students who participated in the simulations felt that using the
VERT right after the instructor-led didactic courses was a successful teaching strategy. Similarly,
18 of 31 students said the VERT would benefit their education. However, just 6% of the students
(out of 31) thought that the independent study/standalone assignment method was more
beneficial than the hands-on, instructor-led assignment/practice. The VERT is helpful for
students learning radiation therapy to simulate and visualize different treatment scenarios. Most
students felt that the VERT would better prepare them for the clinical setting where they would
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receive therapy. Despite the survey's shortcomings (a relatively small sample size, for example,
or technological difficulties), the results shed light on how students feel about the VERT and its
potential uses and simulations.
Discussion
Most students who took the survey see value in using VERT to help them imagine how
their clinic sets will look for various treatments. They have no qualms about employing VERT,
either. Student opinion is divided on whether VERT should replace more traditional forms of
instruction or be used in conjunction with them. According to the survey results, students would
rather have an instructor lead them through an activity or practice than complete an assignment
independently. An explanation is that employing VERT requires some instruction and oversight,
and radiation therapy is technically complex. In addition, the findings demonstrate that some
students believe that widespread use of VERT would lead to an enhanced educational setting.
Based on these results, increasing the frequency with which VERT is incorporated into the
curriculum may improve students' learning ability.
According to the survey results, VERT is a valuable part of the radiation therapy program
at MD Anderson Cancer Center of The University of Texas. Although VERT shows promise as a
supplementary instructional strategy, more study is required to fully evaluate its efficacy and
examine its possible advantages and results. The limited size of the sample and the likelihood of
response bias should be considered limitations of the study. Additionally, the survey was only
open for three weeks, which may have needed sufficient to obtain a representative sample of
students' perspectives and experiences with VERT. These constraints must be addressed in future
studies that also look into the lasting impact of VERT on academic performance. The survey
results in support that VERT is a helpful resource for those learning radiation treatment. Still,
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more study is required to identify its optimal application and long-term advantages. Increasing
the frequency with which VERT is incorporated into the curriculum may be a helpful method for
improving academic performance for students.