Colombian Medical Students View Simulation Tools as Complementary to Clinical Practice

Medical students at a Colombian university view immersive and simulation technologies as a complement to rather than a substitute for clinical practice, according to a qualitative study published in Advances in Simulation. The investigation evaluated how these educational technologies are integrated into medical training, noting that while simulation facilitates safe procedural exercise and exposure to rare clinical conditions, effective implementation in Colombia depends on specific pedagogical, technical, and socioeconomic considerations.

The study was structured across three methodological phases, beginning with a literature review. In the second phase, researchers conducted observations in simulation laboratories involving fifth-, seventh-, and eighth-semester medical students, complementing the sessions with surveys administered to 84 students and semi-structured interviews completed with nine participants. In the final phase, the authors performed a thematic analysis of the data using Atlas.ti software and validated the findings through a focus group.

Participants reported that immersive and simulation technologies strengthen practical competencies by providing immediate feedback and allowing repetitive training routines in controlled settings. Students also observed that simulation tools enable the learning of infrequent pathologies.

However, the study identified critical limitations, including the simplification of clinical scenarios, technical problems, unequal access to resources, and poor development of interpersonal empathy and communication skills. The authors also found that student expectations were influenced by viewing technological modernization as an indicator of academic quality, concluding that successful integration requires ongoing assessment, contextualization, teacher training, equitable access, and coherence with the realities of the health system.

Subject of Research: Medical student perspectives on simulation technologies in Colombia

Article Title: Integration of immersive and simulation technologies in medical education: a qualitative study of student perspectives in a Colombian university

Article References: Galvis-Villamizar, S., García, V. M., & Arias, J. C. (2026). Integration of immersive and simulation technologies in medical education: a qualitative study of student perspectives in a Colombian university. Advances in Simulation. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41077-026-00483-2

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s41077-026-00483-2

Keywords: medical education, simulation technologies, immersive learning, qualitative research, clinical practice, Colombia, student perspectives, health systems, Integration, immersive, simulation, technologies