Beginner to Slicer, SOFA, etc - Advice?

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Hello everyone,

I’m a computer engineering undergrad (senior) new to 3DSlicer and related medical software. I have recently become interested in surgical robotics and have been working on a few research projects regarding integrating medical imaging with robotics, haptic feedback, AI, and VR, as well as introducing my university to these resources by creating student guides to lower the barrier of entry and increase involvement with these technologies. I myself have been working through guides and tutorials but could definitely use some help in charting a path to learning and using these systems effectively.

In regards to 3DSlicer, SOFA, the SlicerSOFA, and MONAI/related AI tools, how should a beginner work through learning these technologies and using them effectively? Should I even be touching extensions like SlicerSOFA yet or focusing on one thing at a time and trying to become proficient through reading the official documentation and watching YouTube videos and then trying to apply what I’ve seen to my research projects/student guides?

If you have any advice on how to learn more efficiently and effectively, that would be greatly appreciated, though I do understand learning is by nature a struggle and there’s no ‘easy’ way for myself or others to do it. Thanks!

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For me personally, I’ve found Claude Code and the Slicer skills and MCP servers several members on here have built, to have been an ENORMOUS help in some of the personal projects I’ve built. As someone who is a full-time software professional, but a hobbyist med-imaging and Slicer enthusiast, there are often minor nuances or workflow things I kept missing, causing my ideas to fail. By using the skills to pair program the code for me, I’ve learnt a ton about Slicer and CT imaging, and sidestepped a whole bunch of issues.