McGill University Health Centre launches new ophthalmology simulation laboratory

The McGill University Health Centre in Montreal has launched an Ophthalmology Simulation Laboratory – a first of its kind in Canada.

It’s a unique facility that brings together clinical and diagnostic ocular simulations, virtual reality surgical training, and fully equipped workstations, all under one roof.

“What this will do is provide an advanced, almost like an enhanced educational experience to all of our medical students, residents and fellows so that they feel more comfortable and confident when they interact with patients,” said Dr. Guillermo Rocha, the chief of the Division of Ophthalmology at MUHC.

Inspired by simulators in the aviation industry, students can train in eye surgery and gain diagnostic experience in a virtual environment called the High Definition Operating Room.

“One is very sophisticated where we introduce instruments and it mimics the surgical environment, both for cataract surgery and retina surgery. And then we also have another one which encompasses the use of virtual reality and that one is haptic based. So two different approaches that can be used in terms of training the residents and the fellows that come through here,” said Dr. Rocha.

Not only will this lab provide improved training to medical students, but it will also foster skill development in other disciplines, such as neurology, pediatrics, family medicine, and emergency medicine. 

“Having a facility here that allows us to look at the back of the eye, the direct ophthalmoscopy, helps our pediatric colleagues, our emergency doctor colleagues, our family physician colleagues, neurology, neurosurgery residents as well. And so we are able to interact with them in different ways to make them feel more comfortable and sometimes less afraid of the eye, because it’s sometimes a bit mysterious,” explained Dr. Rocha.

Only a few labs like this exist in the world, marking a significant step forward in ophthalmic education and training.

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“I am told that outside of the United States, this is the only facility that exists and it is the first one. There’s some others that are being planned, but this is unique in that it will offer our Canadian residents the possibility of training in a very sophisticated environment.”

Dr. Rocha believes this new facility, will play a unique role in shaping the mindset of the next generation of physicians and surgeons.

“That aspect of mindset and the non-technical skills that we need to develop will be able to be developed here at this facility. And that is something that will give physicians, our surgeons, more confidence.”