Kid Gamers Hone Skills Used by Health Care Pros

“Hey, doc! Played any good games lately?” If the answer is ‘no’ – kick ’em and run.

Run. Run like your appendix depends on it.

Jolting as it may be, your high school kid/sibling/friendly neighborhood hooligan might be as precise as the pro standing over you, scalpel in hand.

Marinate on that for sec.

We good? Good.

Gamers >/= Surgeons

In a study by UT Galveston, high school and college students who clocked an average of two to four hours of daily game play fared as well, if not better, than their trained and professional counterparts when it came to robotic surgery simulations. 

Some health care pros have already recognized the potential that video games have, and are using devices like the Wii to supplement their training. 

Pretty cool, huh? It only confirms what many of us already know — video games help improve fine motor skills and coordination — but it is pretty nifty to see in practice.

You don’t have to sit home playing Trauma Center all day, but next time you get hassled for playing too much Call of Duty, you tell ’em, “Hey, I’m gonna save lives someday.”

Yeah, that should buy you some time.