Mixed-Reality Anatomy Instruction: Students Value 3D Visualization but Flag Technical and Comfort Issues

First-year medical students using HoloAnatomy mixed-reality in a non-cadaveric curriculum found it valuable for 3D visualization, spatial orientation, and collaborative review, but reported technical instability, physical discomfort, and limited realism; they viewed it as a usef…

• Qualitative case study: semi-structured interviews with 12 volunteer first-year medical students from a single osteopathic school (cohort of 160) after 9 months of integrated HoloLens 2 sessions.
• Perceived benefits: enhanced 3D visualization, spatial orientation, collaborative learning, and review of structures. Limitations: technical glitches, headset discomfort, limited anatomical realism, and restricted model manipulation.
• Students recommended the technology as a supplement within a multimodal curriculum; single-center, volunteer-based design limits generalizability.

RadPigeon summaries are original and for information only. They are not clinical advice.