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Page 6 of 9 Lee et al. Plast Aesthet Res 2022;9:46 https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2347-9264.2022.11

Figure 3. Individual nerve disorders, such as Bell’s Palsy featured here, use game-based learning to train students on appropriate
diagnostics and treatment. Trainees interact with avatars and learn to identify the signs and symptoms of over 25 peripheral nerve
disorders. Module captured with permission from BioDigital.

an informal setting included general nerve physiology, individual nerve function, nerve disorders, and
appropriate diagnostics/treatment. Surgeons expressed a need for early diagnosis and referral from primary
care and other specialties as they frequently saw patients with delayed care. This was similarly noticed by
medical students during their clinical exposure. Medical students within their preclinical years also
described a large focus on the central nervous system over the peripheral nervous system within their
neuroscience curriculum. From these themes, 65 individual topics (i.e., ulnar nerve, carpal tunnel
syndrome) were then listed. Individual topics underwent two rounds of pretesting with five participants
consisting of plastic surgeons and medical students in an informal setting.

The VPNA team then conducted a lecture-by-lecture assessment of the medical student curriculum at
Hopkins to characterize if and how these individual topics were covered. The team worked closely with
curriculum leaders to ensure nothing was missed. Among the courses searched were Anatomy, Pre-clinical
Neuroscience, and Neurology Clerkship. Of the 40 topics assessed, 29 (72%) were present within the
curriculum. However, the topics were most often briefly described (i.e., one slide within a lecture) or were
only included within a graphic or table. Upon completion of the needs assessment, the VPNA was approved
for implementation as both a supplement to existing topics and an avenue for new topics. Based upon our
needs assessment of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine curriculum, we have deemed the VPNA would
be appropriate and beneficial to be included as a component of the Pre-clerkship Curriculum and the
neurology clerkship. We have partnered with the course directors of the Pre-clerkship Curriculum to utilize
the small group sessions already built within the curriculum to test the VPNA against the standard
educational content. During the neuroscience core, half of the small group sessions will have unlimited
access to the VPNA, while the remaining half will complete the standard course material. At the end of the
core, there will be an assessment of learner satisfaction with the course material and a quiz on content
specific to the peripheral nervous system. Final course exam scores will also be compared. We hypothesize