Challenge: Monthly full-PPE training was resource-intensive, costly, and difficult to scale due to single-use supplies

Solution: Partnered on a grant-funded project to supplement hands-on sessions with VR, enabling independent, repeatable practice without consuming equipment

Impact: Reduced reliance on single-use PPE while maintaining readiness for Tier 1 bio-defense response; scalable model for future national preparedness training

Challenge: Preparing clinicians for pediatric emergencies in resource-constrained, rural and crisis environments

Solution: Partnered with International Medical Response (IMR) to deliver Pediatric Assessment Triangle training in VR, building on our collaboration with Maimonides MDs

Impact: Enabled medical students in Ukraine to practice critical triage skills in realistic scenarios, strengthening global readiness for care delivery in low-resource settings

Challenge: Preparing medical students for high-stakes pediatric triage in low-resource settings

Solution: VR simulations provided immersive, standardized practice with diverse scenarios and patient presentations

Impact: Boosted learner confidence and engagement; strong faculty and student feedback with high NPS; positioned for long-term global training impact

Next Steps: Following their initial success and comparing UpSkillAI’s platform to several VR competitors, UGHE will plan expanded implementation to reach more learners and integrate VR across additional areas of their curriculum.

Challenge: Need for a scalable, objective way to assess empathy alongside clinical skills

Solution: Integrated VR scenarios into medical education, allowing students to be graded on empathy to provide a platform to research and develop virtual scoring similar to OSCE evaluations

Impact: Provided faculty with measurable insights into student empathy, a safe space for students to gain confidence in sensitive emergencies, creating a new model for evaluating critical “soft skills” in medical training