Integration of head-mounted virtual reality (VR) devices has been revolutionary in health professions education. In disaster preparedness training, VR simulation-based learning exposes health care professionals to the unique challenges of diverse scenarios, enhancing their adaptability. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a head-mounted VR tool for teaching basic radiation emergency medicine skills to medical students.

The participants were 64 medical students (5th-year) who underwent a 3-hour training session in radiation emergency medicine that was conducted via head-mounted VR devices. Students scored their perceived emotion, performance, and self-efficacy at various time points in a self-reported online questionnaire.

Comparison of survey responses before and after the session showed significant differences in terms of neutral emotion (P = 0.011), negative activating emotions (P < 0.001), and negative deactivating emotions (P = 0.004). The post-hoc test revealed statistically significant differences in negative activating emotions between before and during (P < 0.05), and between before and after (P < 0.05) the VR simulation. In addition, negative deactivation and neutral emotions changed significantly after the simulation.

The use of head-mounted VR devices was effective in modulating medical students’ emotions and contributed to improving their perceived performance in radiation emergency medicine.

The study clarified differences in understanding and satisfaction between face-to-face and online training on radiation emergency medical preparedness (REMP) training.

The training was held at Hirosaki University between 2018 and 2022, with 46 face-to-face participants and 25 online participants.

Face-to-face training was significantly more understandable than online for the use of the Geiger counter (P < 0.05), but the educational effect of virtual reality (VR) was not significantly different from the actual practice. For the team exercise of taking care of the victims, online resulted in a significantly higher understanding (P < 0.05).

Interactive exercises can be done online with equipment sent to learners, and VR is also as effective. The use of videos was more effective for first-timers to learn the practical process from a bird’s-eye view, especially for team-based medical procedures.

The spread of COVID-19 has made it difficult to provide training in medical treatment in a radiation disaster. In this study, we will examine the effects and challenges of using a hybrid approach that combines online and face-to-face components.

A total of 5 face-to face and 25 online medical staff participated in the training program. This program was conducted by using multiple cameras for live coverage, while protective clothing and decontamination kits had been sent in advance to the participants so that they could experience face-to-face and online learning at the same time.

Participants reported a high level of satisfaction and achievement with the style of delivery. They also experienced problems such as fatigue due to long hours, and dissatisfaction with the debriefing.

In designing new online training, it is necessary to consider the quantity and content of the program, and to take participant fatigue into consideration.