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Medical Illustrator

Ankle and foot bones lie on the desktop. Pat Thomas studies them and adjusts a surgical instrument, trying to recreate the angle an orthopedic surgeon would use when performing surgery on this part of the human body. Finally satisfied with the arrangement, Pat reaches for her sketch pad and pencils and begins sketching the delicate bones of the human foot. When she has completed the sketch, she will send it to the orthopedic surgeon for review. "I'm working on illustrations for a foot and ankle textbook," Pat says. "The surgeon will study the sketches and tell me whether the angle of the instrument should be a bit higher or whether the insertion point should be further back on the foot."

Medical illustrators must communicate very complex medical or scientific information in a visual format. They work with such diverse subject matter as skeletal systems, organs, surgical procedures, and illnesses or injuries. Visual communication is used to convey information in textbooks, professional journals, advertisements, brochures and pamphlets, instructional videotapes, computer-assisted instruction, exhibits, lecture presentations, television, and even courtrooms. Many medical illustrators work in media and communications departments and must be able to perform a variety of tasks, including computer illustration and animation, writing, editing, page design, and project management.

Prospects

The demand for medical illustrators is growing and will continue to grow into the twenty-first century. Rapid advances in medical knowledge create an ever-increasing need to share new information with physicians and to revise textbooks for medical students.

Qualifications:

Typical undergraduate degrees for this field are an art major with a science minor or a science major with an art minor. A master's degree is essential to becoming a certified medical illustrator. Graduate programs are usually two to three years in length and include courses in art, medical science, and some business management.

Characteristics

To succeed in this field, you must have a talent for art and a keen sense of design as well as an interest in science. Medical illustrators must have exceptional concentration skills and meticulous attention to detail. Most illustrators today must be able to use a variety of computer software programs, as well as traditional media, such as pen and ink, water colors, and airbrushes.

Information Source:

Exploring health care careers. Chicago: Ferguson Publishing Co., pp. 397-404.

Association of Medical Illustrators