It's time to dust off the 3D printers

Key points:

The COVID-19 era sparked the biggest boom in school makerspaces seen to date. Makerspaces have the ability to help students consider career paths and interests they have never considered. Along with makerspaces, 3D printers also saw a boost, but after a while, what were students using them for?

How are 3D printers used?

How 3D printers are used from school to school varies. Some 3D printing is incorporated into math and science lessons, some geography, and some art, but in general, 3D printers are used as incentives to complete the “normal” lesson. (How many sweets can we make and give away?)

What if instead of using technology for rewards, we used it to create a pipeline of talent for high-demand fields, especially in the medical field, where shortages are abysmal?

How do we use our 3D printers to make real change?

Have you ever considered how emerging technologies could go hand in hand with others? Virtual reality is a promising technology when it comes to creating real interest in high-demand career areas. When most people think of virtual reality, they think of cartoons and often some not-so-great graphics and, at best, gamification content.

This is changing. One company doing this work is syGlass and it is changing the way students view medical data. It's real time and definitely not a cartoon. Students have the ability to view medical scans of patients seen that same morning. We often talk about bringing learning to life and making it meaningful. This technology allows students to see how they can change someone's life and create a pipeline of students entering the medical field, one of the biggest gaps in any industry.

Not all students can wear headsets at the same time, but there is a way to use both virtual reality and 3D printing to bring data to life. Students can print 3D models of MRIs, CT scans or other scans – the same scans that healthcare professionals see. Students use the headphones to study and review at any time. This also allows students to feel the organs and bring the data to life in real time.

In today's medical environments, surgeons can use virtual reality to plan complex surgeries by interacting with 3D models of a patient's anatomy. These models can then be 3D printed to provide a tangible reference during the actual surgery. It only makes sense for students to learn in this model even before choosing a career path. It is training that will not need to be completed upon entering medical school, not even rotations. This is something that can be done without certification or licensing. Any practical experience will only be useful to students when they graduate from high school.

VR and 3D printers can increase the pool of healthcare professional talent

Rows of desks with a teacher in front of them will not foster the desire to serve others, be empathetic, and think creatively. The time for change is now. We talk about technology in education all the time, but are we really changing what it is used for or just upgrading paper and pencils with a screen?

Virtual reality holds an important place when it comes to professional scanning, simulations, and even viewing scans, ultrasounds, and other medical documents. Outdated textbooks with pictures from years past will not attract the students we need to ensure a strong healthcare workforce in the future.

Putting students in the world of information to identify a problem on an ultrasound and save a baby's life, find a spot of cancer a doctor missed in time to provide life-saving treatment, or detect something strange in blood cells to help with a Chronic illness is what will light a spark in students. Let's use the technology we have to truly inspire the next generation – your family members already have enough keychains.