How Playing Video Games Can Help You Become a Surgeon

Imagine this: you're locked into an intense video game, making split-second decisions, controlling every movement with precision. Now, picture doing the same, only this time, in an operating room, saving a real-life patient. Sounds unreal? Science says otherwise.

If you aspire to become a surgeon, you likely know that surgical training demands extreme precision, focus, resilience, and nerves of steel. Surprisingly, studies suggest that your time spent gaming might be honing the very skills you’ll need in the operating room - without you even realising it.

So, what’s the link between gaming and surgery, and how can it shape your journey through medical school? What does it take to become a world-class surgeon? In this article, we’ll break down the demanding path to a surgical career and reveal how video games could give you an unexpected advantage in mastering essential surgical skills.

The key takeaways of this blog include:

• Research confirms that video games enhance hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, and rapid decision-making, helping surgeons reduce errors and perform procedures with greater efficiency.
• Surgery is a high-pressure career requiring precision, resilience, and the ability to make life-saving decisions.
• The journey to becoming a surgeon varies worldwide, and choosing the right med school is crucial.
• Advances like laparoscopic surgery, robotic systems, and VR simulators are revolutionising surgical training.

What’s Surgery Really Like?

Surgery is one of the most demanding yet rewarding areas of medicine. It’s a career that requires exceptional precision, unwavering focus, and the ability to make life-or-death decisions in the blink of an eye. The path to becoming a talented and respected surgeon isn’t just about memorising textbooks – it’s about mastering practical skills, handling high-pressure situations, and committing to years of intensive education and training.

So, what does the day-to-day life in surgery look like? And what is the best educational path that an aspiring surgeon can take to make their medical dream come true? 

The Day-to-Day of a Surgeon

As a surgeon, your typical day may include seeing patients for pre-surgery consultations, performing various operations, and monitoring recovery after procedures. The hours can be long, especially if you are on call or working in a busy hospital. 

Surgeons specialise in fields like neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and orthopaedics. Some thrive in high-stakes emergency trauma settings, while others perform meticulously planned procedures in state-of-the-art operating rooms. Regardless of their speciality, every surgeon must master communication, precision, and adaptability. 

Beyond performing surgeries, surgeons dedicate time to ongoing training, research, and skill refinement. Whether it’s mastering the latest robotic surgery techniques or learning about new medical technologies, as a surgeon, you must stay on top of the constantly evolving field of healthcare. 

What’re the Differents Paths to Becoming a Surgeon?

High-quality education is the cornerstone of a successful career as a surgeon, but the path can vary depending on where you choose to study.

In the UK

Future surgeons face a highly competitive admission process, beginning with a 5-to-6-year medical degree, followed by 2 years of foundation training and then years of core speciality and surgical training. The fierce competition and limited seats make it one of the toughest countries to break into medicine. 

In the USA and Canada

Aspiring surgeons must complete a 4-year undergraduate degree, followed by 4 years of medical school and then a surgical residency lasting 5 to 7 years. Admission is highly competitive, with a heavy emphasis on the MCAT exam.

In Australia

The journey is similar to the US, combining undergraduate or postgraduate medical education with rigorous residency programmes. 

In Europe

Europe offers several unique advantages for aspiring surgeons. Many countries here provide 6-year medical programmes taught entirely in English, as well as graduate entry options. These internationally recognised programmes offer high-quality education with state-of-the-art equipment. With lower tuition fees, fewer admission barriers, and a shorter overall pathway, Europe presents an excellent option for international students seeking world-class medical education.

How to Choose Which is Best For You?

Choosing the right medical school, whether for surgery or any other field, is 1 of the most critical decisions in your career. With countless options worldwide, thorough research is essential to find a programme that aligns with your goals, academic background, and future ambitions. Once you’ve identified the best fit, strategic planning becomes key to navigating the competitive admission process and maximising your chances of acceptance.

Not sure where to start? Our Medlink Students expert academic advisors provide personalised guidance to help you select the ideal medical school, meet admission requirements, and secure your spot in a top-tier programme.

Schedule a free consultation today and take the first step toward your medical career with confidence. 

The Future of Surgery: How Technology is Changing the Game

Technology is revolutionising surgical education, providing future doctors with immersive, hands-on training to tackle real-world challenges. Surgery has evolved far beyond scalpels and stitches to incorporating the latest minimally invasive techniques and advanced surgical simulators. 

What is Laparoscopic Surgery? 

Laparoscopic (or “keyhole”) surgery has completely changed the way many operations are performed. Instead of making large incisions, surgeons use tiny cuts to insert a small camera (laparoscope) and specialised instruments, allowing them to operate with minimal damage to surrounding tissues.  

The benefits? 

• Faster recovery times 
• Reduced pain and minimal scarring
• Lower risk of infection 

Laparoscopic techniques are used in procedures like gallbladder removal, hernia repairs, and even weight-loss surgeries. However, because it requires extreme precision and hand-eye coordination, mastering this technique takes time and practice. 

Enter Virtual Surgical Simulators

What if you could practice surgery without the risks of a real operating room? Virtual surgical simulators offer a game-changing, risk-free environment where future surgeons can refine their techniques and build confidence.

These advanced systems allow users to control robotic instruments via a console, offering instant feedback on their moves. With robotic systems like the da Vinci Surgical System now becoming common in hospitals, gaining experience navigating these tools through VR simulators can give you a head start. It helps you build muscle memory and confidence, which are crucial for achieving the best patient outcomes.

Some medical schools in Europe, like Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA) in Georgia and the University of Targu Mures Medical Campus Hamburg (UMCH) in Hamburg, have even introduced advanced tools like the Anatomage table. This is a high-tech 3D dissection table that gives you the opportunity to explore anatomy in incredible detail and simulate realistic medical scenarios. It’s basically Google Maps for the human body.

Wait, What do Video Games Have to Do with Surgery?

The link between gaming and surgery comes down to 3 essential skills: hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, and high-pressure decision-making, all of which are critical for a surgeon's success.

Interestingly, these are the same skills you develop while gaming. Here’s a breakdown of how gaming might help you as a future surgeon: 

• Hand-Eye Coordination: In many video games, you control a character or object on the screen using buttons, joysticks, or a mouse. This requires precise coordination between what you see and what you do. In surgery, the skill translates directly to using instruments or robotic tools while watching a screen, like in laparoscopic surgery. 
• Quick Decision-Making: Video games often require you to think fast and make split-second decisions to survive or achieve your goal. Surgeons, especially in high-pressure situations, need to make rapid decisions. Whether it’s during an emergency or a complex procedure, the ability to think on your feet can save lives. 
• Spatial Awareness: Many video games, especially first-person shooters or action-adventure games, train your brain to visualise and understand space from different angles. This skill is essential in surgery, where understanding spatial relationships between organs, tissues, and instruments is key to a successful operation. 

Backing It Up with Science: How Research Supports This Connection

Did you know there are 50+ studies supporting the link between video gaming and surgery? One standout study found that surgeons who played video games for at least three hours a week made 37% fewer mistakes and completed laparoscopic procedures 27% faster than their nonplaying colleagues. In fact, their overall performance was 33% better. That’s because laparoscopic surgery requires extreme precision, meaning that playing games serves as an effective tool to train surgeons. 

Another study looked at robotic surgery and found that surgeons with gaming experience had 33% higher performance scores on robotic surgical stimulators. The most surprising part? Gaming surgical trainees performed just as well as experienced doctors who had already done dozens of real-life surgeries – proving once again that gaming can be an incredible training tool. 

This growing body of research shows that picking up a controller might do more than just entertain you – it could prepare you for the future of surgery. But what are the video games that are most beneficial for aspiring surgeons? 

What Kind of Games Can Boost Your Surgical Performance? 

Here’s a quick cheat sheet of video games that could help you build skills for the operating room: 

‎‎‎‎‎Strategy games (like Age of Empires & StarCraft) 

• Teach you to think ahead and make split-second decisions under pressure. 
• Just like in surgery, you need to analyse situations quickly, manage resources efficiently, and adapt when things don’t go as planned.
  
  First-person shooters (like Halo, Call of Duty, Doom) 

• Sharpen hand-eye coordination, reaction time, and multitasking 
• Surgery demands steady hands and the ability to focus on multiple things at once – like controlling instruments while monitoring a patient’s vitals.
  
  Puzzle & Precision Games (like Super Monkey Ball, Tetris, Portal) 

• Train spatial awareness, fine motor skills, and precision – crucial for procedures like laparoscopic surgery, where tiny movements make a huge difference. 
• Help develop patience and problem-solving skills, which are essential when dealing with unexpected challenges in the operating room. 
  
  Surgical Stimulators (like Surgeon Stimulator, Trauma Center) 
  
• These games are not entirely realistic but gamify real medical procedures and introduce players to surgical tools and techniques. 

At the end of the day, gaming won’t replace medical training, but it can help fine-tune the exact skills surgeons rely on. So, if you’re a gamer with dreams of becoming a surgeon, keep playing, but remember to prioritise a healthy study-life balance. While gaming can be beneficial, it’s also important to focus on developing effective studying habits. 

Conclusion

Next time someone tells you gaming is a waste of time, just say, “I’m training for surgery.” 

Video games might be a valuable tool to help you develop the skills surgeons use every day – whether it’s sharpening your reflexes with FPS games, mastering strategy under pressure, or perfecting your hand-eye precision. Of course, gaming alone won’t make you a doctor - you still need to hit the books, choose the right med school and tackle the challenges of a rigorous medical education.

So, game wisely, study hard, plan your medical path carefully - and who knows? One day, you might be saving lives not only in the virtual world but also in the real one.

At Medlink Students, we specialise in helping future surgeons like you find the best medical schools, navigate complex admissions processes, and secure your place in top-tier programmes. With our expert guidance, you can make confident and informed decisions that set you up for long-term success.

Don’t leave your future to chance; let us help you take the proper steps toward becoming a world-class surgeon. Schedule a free consultation today and start your journey with a strong foundation.

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