A medical illustrator is a professional artist who specializes in creating images for the medical field. These images can be used in a variety of places, including instructional materials, informational handouts, advertisements, research publications, and more. Because there are a limited number of fully qualified medical illustrators and a constant need for medical illustration, employment prospects in this field are quite good for those willing to pursue certification.
As evidenced by numerous works of art and historic medical texts, humans have been creating medical illustrations for thousands of years. Illustrations were used to document specific medical issues as well as generic topics like anatomy so that people could see a visual representation of what was being discussed in texts, and they were also used to document unusual medical cases in the past. The field of medicine, as well as the potential applications for medical illustration, has grown dramatically over time.
To become a medical illustrator, one must first train as an artist and then receive biological science training. A medical illustrator’s education typically includes human anatomy and physiology, and he or she may choose to specialize in a particular area of interest, such as nursing or surgery, to gain additional skills. Many professional illustrators are also members of medical illustrator professional organizations, some of which provide certification and job referrals.
This type of work necessitates artistic abilities, as well as a keen eye for detail and the ability to follow instructions to the letter. Medical illustrators may also be required to work in a variety of environments, including operating rooms and morgues.
A medical illustrator can work with medical models, educational films, and other materials in addition to traditional drawings. Whether it’s an illustration of a new surgical technique in a trade journal or a poster used to promote childhood vaccinations to new parents, he or she wants to communicate medical information in a clear, accessible, and relevant manner.
A medical illustrator often works as a freelancer, accepting jobs from a variety of sources such as service organizations, doctors, medical schools, hospitals, and so on. Other illustrators might work for a hospital, a laboratory, or a publishing house, creating images on demand for a variety of projects. A medical illustrator working for a pharmaceutical company, for example, might create illustrations for drug information pamphlets, promotional materials, and publications in medical journals, among other things.