Virtual Reality in Medical Education: A Bibliographic Literature Review on Its Potential to Enhance Clinical and Soft Skills ^†

Introduction: Recent medical undergraduate curricula have integrated technology, such as virtual reality simulators (VRS), enabling ongoing clinical skills training, including the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), semiology, and professional tools. These tools enhance student confidence and experience for future practice. Methodology: This is a bibliographic review of the literature that used the guiding question: Does the use of VRS as a complementary tool in medical undergraduate education facilitate learning and improve clinical skills? The bibliographic survey was conducted in the US National Library of Medicine (PubMed) and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) databases. A total of 1108 articles were imported and evaluated on Rayyan, filtering those related to medical students using VRS for clinical practice, resulting in 32 final articles. Results: VRS serves as an effective training tool for clinical skills in undergraduate education, helping students improve their behaviors. Ongoing, regular, safe practice reinforces learning and provides objective, realistic feedback, which increases confidence and agility. As students immerse themselves in this new technology, their engagement, interest, and retention of skills are enhanced. Nevertheless, the costs associated with this technology could be more affordable for universities. Therefore, simulated situations prepare students with the necessary tools for their future. Conclusions: Despite of the cost, the use of VRS as a complementary tool during medical undergraduate studies has proven to be positive in refining clinical skills at all stages. Therefore, it is an innovative approach to shape the future of medical education.