Studying anatomy in a virtual space
Student Success Center unveils new virtual reality headsets for student use
Students studying anatomy and physiology got some high-tech help on April 26.
The Student Success Center on Heritage Campus introduced five new virtual reality headsets for use as study aids. The set consists of five color-coded Oculus Meta Quest 2 headsets with two wireless controllers each.
Each headset includes a program known as the 3D Organon Platform, which provides access to multiple life-like anatomy models for students to manipulate and examine at a fraction of the cost of physical models. The virtual models also include built-in labels and an increased ability to deconstruct the model and examine individual pieces of the human anatomy.
Center Director Omar Villarreal demonstrated the new headsets at the event.
“The physical models can only help us in so many ways, and we only have so many different models,” Villarreal said. “So being able to offer 15 different human body systems in virtual reality means that we don’t have to spend the funds on new models.”
The software also includes a form of group space compatibility, allowing multiple students to interact with the same 3D model in a shared virtual space.
The Student Success Center received the five Oculus Meta Quest 2 headsets as part of a pilot program aimed at developing tutoring in a virtual space. The center has also applied for a $150,000 grant for the purpose of acquiring 25 more headsets for the pilot program, working in collaboration with Collegiate High School.
The demonstration showed that there is a learning curve that some students may struggle with at first, but the Student Success Center will now offer training to help students not familiar with VR equipment to adjust. One student who had the chance to test a headset prior to the showcase, Jasmine Hablik Longoria, described the experience of using one as “weird … but a good weird.”
Villarreal was excited to show off the new hardware and is hopeful for where the program will lead.
“It’s affordable, and it’s fun, and it brings students in, and I think it’s going to be the way of the future when it comes to getting an education for our students.”
Students interested in using the headsets to study for their A&P final can check one out for use, as well as receive training on how to use it, at the Student Success Center, Room 111 in the St. Clair building.
Latest Foghorn News
- Bringing home the gold for Del Mar College“I was expecting a bum rush, I was just thinking that this is gonna be a dogfight in the beginning.” Boxing is a sport of toughness, determination and endurance. To become the best, you must be willing to continuously trade fierce blows and outlast the strongest of competitors. Through years of training and dedication, 28-year-old Kennedy Contreras did just that as she turned dreams into reality on March 29 in Macon, Georgia, becoming the first woman in Texas to win a championship title at the United States Intercollegiate Boxing Association’s National Tournament. Originally from Midland, Texas, Contreras’ boxing journey began…
- A look at Del Mar’s own mariachi groupEvery Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon, the Richardson Performance Hall is filled with Del Mar’s mariachi ensemble. The mariachi group has grown over time, and it’s thriving as a proud part of campus life. Today, it gives students a chance to express their heritage, grow musically, and share the spirit of mariachi with the community. Del Mar’s mariachi program originally began in the early ‘90s and quickly gained attention after placing in the Mariachi Extravaganza in 1999 which was very meaningful to the program. But after a few strong years, the group went inactive until 2014. Del Mar brought the…
- Medical Support Squad on wheels for Del Mar College studentsA new Medical Support Squad is helping make health care easier to access and more affordable for DMC students and staff. The mobile medical services are available for Del Mar students and staff in a new partnership with South Texas Family Planning and Health Corporation. The Medical Support Squad is a medical clinic on wheels with a lab and two exam rooms and can provide many pharmacy, lab and health services to all three Del Mar campuses. Patients have access to free and affordable services, screenings, and treatments including women’s health exams, breast and cervical cancer screenings, a full range…
- SGA wraps up spring semesterDel Mar’s Student Government Association held their final meeting for the Spring 2025 semester at Heritage campus where the group discussed an upcoming conference, the success of two on-campus programs and the addition of a new mobile medical clinic. TJCSGA Convention The meeting kicked off with a discussion of the Texas Junior College Student Government Association convention, held April 10-13 in Galveston. “State conferences are about visiting with 50 other community colleges throughout Texas and discussing the needs for our students,” explained SGA Director and Advisor Beverly Cage. “These resolutions were sent to our state representatives in Austin, then DMC…
- Looking back on the deep history of Del MarWhen I arrived at Del Mar College in 1967 the new library had just been completed and thousands of books brought from the second floor of the History Building which had been housing them. Designers had the foresight to include two extra floors for future expansion. I was delighted to find all 130 volumes of the Official Records of the Civil War, an absolute must for Civil War research. When I was assigned a student typist, I knew what that meant: I was expected to publish. I had been told by Del Mar recruiter Grady St. Clair that four-year status…
- I took a chance on news writing and found a passionDuring my time at Del Mar College, I ended up receiving much more than some credits and a diploma. My life and my goals for the future completely evolved into something I never would have guessed. And it all started with Foghorn News. When I first started taking classes at Del Mar, it was mostly because my mom kept telling me to. After having taken some time off, too much time in her opinion, my mom was convinced I would never get a degree if I didn’t do it now. To her, putting this off was only wasting time and…