In talking with friends and colleagues the past few weeks, it seems like many people got a new Wii game for the holidays. People shared tips for virtual bowling and bragged about their prowess at virtual boxing. We hypothesized about ways in which this new technology could be used in medical education. Then, lo and behold in the Phoenix newspaper last week was an article about a group of surgeons using their Wii to hone their skills.

Apparently there is a surgical residency program in the Phoenix area where physicians are practicing on a Wii game called Marble Mania. To determine if this game had any effect on their practice skills, they conducted a study to measure their dexterity during a gallbladder procedure after playing on the Wii. The doctors who played the game scored 48% higher than those who did not.

Having played a few rounds of Wii myself (mostly just bowling and tennis), I can understand how playing it consistently could improve your coordination and fine motor skills. It seems logical, then, for professions who rely on these skills to leverage this technology for training.

I suspect that my 12-year-old nephew has now played countless hours of every Wii game he owns, from the various sports to an Olympics game to Super Mario brothers. I marvel to imagine what new skills he will learn and how this will impact his future career options. I also wonder how future generations of students will expect new technology will be utilized in the classroom.

What do you think? Are you excited about the possibilities of gaming technology in medical education? Are you frightened about the implications? Clearly, the future will be an exciting new world.