Career Post: Medical Illustrators

Since I was little, I've always had a fascination, and quite frankly obsession, with the medical sciences. I was born with a lot of health issues and was in the pediatrician's office quite often, so it makes sense that I'd be interested by it. Before I even learned what a brain was, I was constantly bothering my doctors and begging them to let me into their office and watch my blood get spun and tested.

I knew many relatives and neighbors who were medical professionals, and after they discovered this interest of mine, I started getting old stethoscopes, children's doctor kits, and many, many textbooks. Of course, I was too young to know what most of the Latin words were, so I spent a lot of my time just looking at the pictures. They were so incredibly detailed I couldn't help but be entranced. How did the artists know what went where? How did they learn how to draw so realistically? Do I call them artists or doctors? Medical illustrations have always fascinated me, and even now that I know what a brain is, I think they always will.

Career Title: Medical Illustrators - a professional artist with specialized training and advanced education in medicine, science, art, and design.

Tasks:

Simply put, A medical illustrator / animator is a professional artist with extensive training in medicine, science, communication and media technology. As visualization specialists, they create imagery that advances medical science knowledge and empowers health literacy for patients and the public. The Medical Illustrator will create illustrations and models of medical subjects for use in publications, training materials, exhibits and research, and consultations. The Medical Illustrator will work either manually or digitally to devise the best type of visual aid for a particular purpose.

The employment outlook for medical illustrators is excellent. As is the case with most other artists, the more impressive a medical illustrator's portfolio, the more jobs they will be able to get. About a third of medical illustrators are self-employed and operate their own business. Medical illustrators use a variety of tools to create their illustrations, including traditional pencil and paper, computer software, and even 3D modeling software. When working with traditional media, medical illustrators often use pencils and paper to create sketches and detailed outlines for their illustrations.

Necessary Skills:

Those interested in medical illustration should enjoy working alone and in teams during problem-solving, and be able to work closely with clients to understand not only the project itself but the client's often unspoken needs as well. Writing, research and ancillary computer skills are also valuable.

Potential Degrees or Work Experience:

In general, a bachelor's degree with a major in art and a minor in the biological sciences, or a major in science with a minor in art, is preferred. In addition, a portfolio of artwork and a personal interview are generally required.

Most medical illustrators have a Master's degree from an accredited graduate program from one of four medical schools. There are currently three accredited programs in the United States and one in Canada, each accepting 20 or fewer students per year.

Optimal Colleges:

- Rochester Institute of Technology

- Duke University

- Cleveland Institute of Art

- Stanford University

Average Salary: As of Nov 24, 2023, the average annual pay for a Medical Illustrator in the United States is $166,846 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $80.21 an hour. This is the equivalent of $3,208/week or $13,903/month.

The Renaissance gave us Leonardo da Vinci, the first medical illustrator in the contemporary sense. Stunningly inventive, he melded a scientific understanding of anatomy with great artistic skill. Leonardo pursued his own anatomy book, and pioneered the use of cross sections and exploded views.

Example: This is a work done by Leonardo da Vinci, of his anatomical studies, circa 1490s