Virtual reality (VR) is transforming healthcare education by providing experiential, risk-free environments for medical students to develop clinical competencies. The purpose of this study is to examine the current status of VR technology in health care training, using a systematic, critical approach to identify research regarding training/education in surgery and anatomy, as well as identify gaps related to the implementation of VR technology into medical education that stem from a lack of standardized outcome measures and limited longitudinal validation studies. Furthermore, based on the findings of this review, various strategies for developing theory-driven strategies for VR technology will be proposed, and institutional barriers, such as cost, faculty preparedness, and infrastructure, will be explored.