Second Life is a virtual world with numerous educational opportunities and tools. It was launched in 2003 and is being developed by Linden Labs. As of October, 2008, more than 15 million accounts were registered and the number is still growing. If you enter this virtual realm, you can organize meetings, give presentations or use interactive models easily.

It serves as a 3-D social network where users can collaboratively create objects or share information. Maged N Kamel Boulos, PhD referred to it as a ‘3-D wiki’.


The logo of secondlife.com

In such a virtual world, it becomes easier to:

• browse information resources
• access audio/video collections
• develop social skills
• build communities
• participate in live events (concerts, lectures, conferences)

It is free to use but you will need a broadband internet connection and must be older than 18 to be able to create a persona, a so-called avatar. An avatar is a user's representation of himself or herself, in the form of a three-dimensional model.


An avatar

A list of reasons why to use Second Life:

• Collaboration: Contact people of the same field of interest from around the world.


• Interactivity: Use videos, presentations, images and weblinks at the same time in one place. It means you can create links between in-world activity and real-world information resources.


• Support: Patients can easily find other patients dealing with the same medical problems. You can meet them virtually, discuss your problems, listen to doctors attending in Second Life.


• Learning: In some fields, there are just a few experts and it is hard to find them in real life. But in Second Life, it becomes possible by presentations, e-learning tools and tutorials.


• Search: You can do PubMed searches or browse among the many books of the virtual libraries.


• Exhibits: Exhibits let you present your work or your practice in a spectacular way.

The exhibition of NASA

Second Life is a tool for those who are fed up with expensive conferences and tired of travelling throughout the world as Second Life was built to let us educate and learn without borders.

Regarding communication, local chat, instant messaging (IM) and voice chat are all available. Uploading media content (slides, images and videos) is also possible.

In this virtual environment, it became simple and cheap to organize meetings and presentations:


A meeting at the Ann Myers Medical Center

A slideshow introducing the healthcare context and potential of Second Life by Patricia F. Anderson (the University of Michigan School of Pharmacy; April 11, 2008):

Second Life & Virtual Worlds for Academic Healthcare & Education

Second Life now has an educational golden age. More and more institutes and departments decide to join the virtual world where they can set their online presence. Some examples may describe the power and potential of such a tool better.

A slideshow presented at the Learning 2.0 Conference at Montclair State University:

Second Life as a Pedagogical Tool

One of the best examples why such a virtual world can play a major role in medical education is the series of events organized by the Ann Myers Medical Center.

The Ann Myers Medical Center (click here to teleport) aims to educate medical students and nurses in a virtual environment. In weekly meetings, students can learn from educators through interactive and clearly visualized case presentations.


The main building of the Ann Myers Medical Center

AMMC was created to test the possibilities of virtual training for first life medical and nursing students. The goals include:

• assisting students to become more proficient in initial exam history and physicals and to become more proficient in the analysis of MRIs, CTs and X-rays.


• attempting to link telemetric devices (ECG, oxygen saturation machines, etc.) to real-time outputs. For example, a student clicks on an ECG machine and is taken to a URL, where they can accurately diagnose the medical issue through analysis of telemetric data.


• training Psychology students in various methodologies and treatment protocols.

During such a case presentation, physicians describe a patient's history and share images with students while they discuss what kind of tests they would order in a real life situation and what the possible diagnosis can be:


A case presentation


A notecard containing a short patient's history


Brainstorming with educators and students from around the world.

Sometimes students get help from the presenters through any kind of media content.


Microscopic images of the blood of the patient.


They can also present radiology images.

Devices with educational purpose can make the entire process of learning more inspirational:

At the Department of Radiology, there is a laptop with plenty of educational resources. If you click on it, you can choose which field you are interested in. Then you can access multiple websites focusing on medical quizzes and radiological images either in your own browser or in the one of Second Life.


Laptop with educational websites

Next to the Intensive Care Unit, there are two seats (one for a doctor and one for a patient) where you can simulate a patient examination by listening to cardiac murmurs or lung sounds.



In the intensive care unit, a pulse-oxymeter monitor lets you set the numbers and data (BPM, oxygen saturation, temperature, blood pressure) yourself so medical exercises can become even more realistic:

To sum it up, Second Life can be a useful and interactive tool both for educators and students; or for patients seeking support and health information.

Education plays a major role in Second Life:

• distance education, language learning
• simulations and roleplays
• presentations, sessions, panels, libraries
• data visualization: tutorials, exhibits
• or fund raising

This E-course can help you how to enter the virtual world, which medical places to visit, how to set a slideshow up and organize a meeting in Second Life.