First Person Surgeons: Proving That Video Games Aren’t a Waste of Time

Many enjoyers of video games have constantly heard other people telling them that what they are doing is a waste of time. Although they might not be the most productive pastime in the world, one project is proving that video games may have surprising value in the Medical Industry.

At the University of Oeste Paulista (Unoeste) in Brazil, an innovative project has officially integrated the tactical shooter Counter-Strike into its medical undergraduate curriculum. The project is called “First Person Surgeons”, a play on the video game genre of Counter-Strike, “First Person Shooter”. Unoeste introduced the semester-long discipline as an adaptation to the increasing demand for medical personnel to have specialized digital and motor skills. The project was established based on scientific evidence about the impact of digital games on human motor coordination where researchers observed superior manual dexterity in individuals accustomed to video games.

For the opening lecture of the course the University invited Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo, a two time Counter Strike world champion, from Brazilian Esports organization Furia. FalleN explained the strategies employed in pro level counterstrike that translate into the medical field. There was the obvious aspect of intaking large amounts of information and making and communicating a decision in a short time. FalleN also taught the students the technique of “clearing the noise”, a mental discipline allowing a professional to block out external distractions such as a roaring stadium crowd to focus on vital information under pressure. In a medical context, this translates to maintaining coolness within the chaos of an emergency room to monitor a patient’s vitals clearly.

The project was designed to equip students with skills for minimally invasive procedures, such as videolaparoscopy and robotic surgery. These modern operations require doctors to manipulate physical controls while watching high definition monitors, making the setup remarkably similar to professional gaming. Because the interface is so similar it was found that students with gaming backgrounds found the transition from gaming mouse to surgical joysticks natural and quick as their brains had already established a link between hand movements and on screen actions.

This is not just anecdotal stories but is grounded in scientific evidence showing that surgeons who maintain an active gaming routine record lower failure rates during real surgery. Unoeste took this evidence to create rigorous training on games that is treated as a prerequisite for clinical practice. Students are even required to achieve specific accuracy goals within the game before they are permitted to perform the real deal. It is said that this method helps to rapidly reduce the initial learning curve as the practice on games builds essential muscle memory and awareness required to navigate complex structure of a human body.

By implementing the “First Person Surgeons” project, Unoeste challenged existing ideas around gaming and proved that there are valuable skills such as efficient communication, dexterity and emotional control that can be learned in tactical shooters. Although the students probably didn’t expect to be playing counter strike as part of their medical education, the scientific evidence and real results show that traditional academic methods are finally evolving. 

This one goes out to all the parents that said gaming is a waste of time.