How to become a medical illustrator - Graduate programs
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- Опубликовано: 14 сен 2017
- For more examples of my work, drop by my website: www.campbellmedicalillustratio...
CAMPBELL MEDICAL ILLUSTRATION SHOP
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Thanks for watching!
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ASSOCIATIONS
Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI):
www.ami.org/
Medical Artist's Association of Great Britain (MAA):
www.maa.org.uk/
Association Européenne des Illustrateurs Médicaux et Scientifiques (AEIMS):
www.aeims.eu/
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USA SCHOOLS
Biomedical Visualization at UIC, Chicago, IL
ahs.uic.edu/biomedical-health-...
Medical Illustration at Augusta University, Augusta, GA
www.augusta.edu/alliedhealth/m...
Art as Applied to Medicine at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD
medicalart.johnshopkins.edu/co...
CANADA SCHOOL
Biomedical Communication at University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
bmc.med.utoronto.ca/bmc/
UK SCHOOLS
Medical Art at University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, UK
www.dundee.ac.uk/study/pg/med...
Medical Visualization and Human Anatomy at Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
www.gsa.ac.uk/study/graduate-d...
Art in Science at Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, England, UK
www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/courses/...
EUROPEAN SCHOOLS
Master in Scientific Illustration at Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts, Maastricht, The Netherlands
www.zuyd.nl/scientific-illust...
Design d'Illustration Scientifique at École Supérieure Estienne
des Arts Graphiques, Paris, France
www.ecole-estienne.paris/forma...
Scientific Visualization at Zurich University of the Arts, Zurich,
Switzerland
www.zhdk.ch/
Hey Annie! I’m currently a first year graduate student at the Medical Illustration program at RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) in NY. Just wanted to throw it out there that there’s another option for anyone looking to apply to a US school!
Anne Therese Namocatcat nice, so many talented people coming out of that program. Thanks so much for sharing!
RIT is not accredited by the association of medical illustrators like the other 3 schools are, would that affect your future job outlook or anything like that?
They are now accredited as of spring ‘22! Couldn’t get accreditation during the Covid years apparently
Hi Annie! My name is Amal, and I was interested in becoming a medical illustrator and actually stumbled upon your website while doing my research. Seeing what you do and how successful you are in the field actually motivated me to pursue this path, as I'd hit a bit of what felt like a dead-end. I didn't think I had the appropriate background (BA psychology and neuroscience) for the MSc in Glasgow, but I emailed them anyway and they said I should just apply, and after I applied they accepted me! I actually just had my first day today, and I just wanted to let you know that you played a role in encouraging me to do this, so I just wanted to say thank you so much. Hope you've been having a wonderful week!
Amal wow amal thats amazing! I too have no background of arts, I do draw as a hobby but dont have any official qualification. First I thought I'd never be able to enter a school but your comment encouraged me to keep drawing and hope for best luck!
@Amal that is the most awesome-est thing I've read. Massive congrats and I hope you enjoyed your first week? I'm really so pleased and surprised to see this message, it's made my week. I look forward to seeing your work, please do share when they're up online. Thanks so much and I hope our paths cross some day :)
Hi Amal, This is so inspiring, I'm going to apply for Art as Applied to Medicine at Johns Hopkins program this year and it will be so awesome if you can make a video about your MSc year in Glasgow.
Hi Amal. So how's it going after you took this programme? I've applied this year to the same University as you (Glasgow) and have my interview the coming Friday. Would appreciate it if you could get in touch for some pointers :)
@awesomeamal, hey Amal! I am also from a science background, I'm a dentist, but I love drawing.. Could you please tell me how you managed with the art part for the application? It would be really nice if I could connect with you!
Hi, Annie. Thank you for promoting the field of medical illustration - you are doing a wonderful job!
Hi Annie! I'm a high school student and I was looking for a future career that suited my interests. I like science and art, but wasn't very interested in architecture so I had given up. A year later I found out about medical illustration and it continues to fascinate me :) keep up the good stuff! Love your videos!!
Hi Annie, My name is Manuela, i'm a second-year med student, thank u so much for putting this video out there I'm doing my career in the UNLP in Argentina, and this video was really helpful since the medical illustration career here pretty much doesn't exist and I was considering quitting but this was really really helped me out thank u very much!!
hello i am a medical student and i am also a web developer and an amateur 3d graphics designer , i really like what you do and i learn many things from you , you make medecine more intersting , keep going
I am also medical student and really new about 3d design. I am open any recommendation coming from you.If you have any you have also a new grasshopper .Thank you
I'm not good at drawing or anything like that but I respect medical illustrators so much! Keep doing your amazing job
Thanks so much Adirana, that means a lot. Hope you have a great day!
this was super helpful. thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Amazing Video Annie ...
I admire your work so much you know :)
Thanks so much for your support Belal, I hope you and your family are doing well :)
I'm currently a first year dual majoring in Animation and Motion Picture Science at RIT and recently found out about the Medical Illustration program they have here!! I've always been torn between art and science, particularly biology. In the future, I'd love to work with animals, but continue to pursue a field with art/illustration. I've been considering transferring into the Medical Illustration major with a minor in Biology: Ecology and Evolution. Hopefully this could lead to some opportunities in the future!
I'm actually majoring in medical illustration for an undergraduate degree in Virginia commenwealth university! so if there's anyone interested in this field and hasn't gotten a bachelors degree or even started college it's a good place to start! all the class required by graduate schools are covered!
Catherine Labarca that’s awesome thanks for sharing this course! So useful for people looking to do undergraduate degrees in it.
May I know what is the programs full name please?
can i do still in pak
Thaaaaaaank you a lot hope these links help me in the future,
all the Best
hii Annie! The information you gave helped so much but im still slightly confused what a medical illustrator exactly does. I would really love it if you could explain it to me what they really do! Thank you so much! :D
That's really helpful!
Ahhh 😌 it was so helpful!
Hi Annie! Thanks for sharing your experience.
I have a bachelor's in arts, but I don't have any medical background. Is this possible for me to study in a medical illustration school?
Can you do a video that walks us through the day in the life of an Medical Illustrator?
Sounds like an interesting challenge. I'll try and do something like that in the new year as I'm currently working on a lot of client projects until Christmas. Thanks for the suggestion!
thanks! i am a radiologist ,also i wanna be a medical illustrator in the futher ,thanks for video
Hi Annie. Great video, very helpful. I´d like to get into medical visualization and I´ve been learning some 3D graphics, actually I´m just about to start with Emily's 3D animation course on LinkedIn. I'm a biologist but I have no illustration background. I wonder if drawing skills are necessary since I´d really like to focus on 3D modeling and animation.
Don’t overthink it. Do what you love and inspires you and continue learning. If you want to do more drawing then you can learn more about that and grow your skills.
Hi! Thank you, this is informative! I just found out about this degree today through azuravesta.com and i'm thrilled that there's a bridge between art and science. I graduated medical technology but im currently working as product specialist for flow cytometry and molecular techniques. Since these life science track are "new" here in the philippines, i rely heavily with illustrations to explain the principles behind the process, since i have a background in illustration i do it myself. But like you, the last time i paint/draw was yeaaars ago. My art knowledge is mostly from yt tutorials 🤣 i hope they will offer online learning course for this, i would love to take it.
Pretty please, I was wondering, for artistic purposes, if you draw the viscera only from reference, or if there's a conceptual, constructive system for the various organs? I'm currently doing Roberto Osti's artistic anatomy which has such a system for the skeleton and myology, but is aimed at figure drawing and thus doesn't include the internal organs--which I really, really want to be able to depict as well!
Hi Annie! Thank you very much for your video. I have been working as a nurse for 8 years now and I am looking get into medical illustration program. I also do not have any formal art training. May I ask what type of art classes you took and any recommendation that may help in my journey? I am also looking into an digital art certificate program but unsure if this will be helpful...
Hi, thank you for sharing. Are there textbooks that can teach to draw and self-learn please?
Hey there! thanks for the tips
can I ask for advice on how to find a job in the field?
I'm an engineer with 3 years of experience in 3D design and recently (for the past year) I've gotten into Illustration, right now I'm a 3rd year medstudent which is the reason why I want to find a job in this field since the notes I make are usually with vector apps( vectornator on ipad for example)
Hi Annie! I currently have a doctorate in Pharmacy with a bachelor’s in biology. Would you still recommend going back to school and getting a masters in scientific illustration? Could I also build an amateur portfolio or is there no way around going back to school (I’m in my 30s)? Thanks for your time 😊😊
Hi Annie! I was wondering if you could do a video on how AMI and IMI works as in job prospects for international students/professionals. more like detailed version please.
Thanks so much for the suggestion, Aditi, but I don’t think I can do a full video on that topic. Both the AMI and IMI are organisations for medical illustration professionals in the field and they have great resources and conferences to help you keep up to date with what is happening in our industry. It’s also a great way of networking with other professionals in our industry. In terms of jobs, they sometimes post jobs but there are other times where they do not include numerous jobs posted on places like Indeed, LinkedIn or through a company website of a studio or agency you’re interested in working in. So if you’re thinking of joining these organizations to only use them as a form of job searching, you probably wouldn’t benefit from doing so. You would benefit more so if you joined these organisations to network, keep up to date with the industry and learn new skills-the jobs that are posted on there are a nice addition to your membership.
Hello there! I have been very interested in this field for years now, and now that I’m back to university, I want to choose the best path to medical illustration. My plan was to major in biology and minor in art, but some advisors at my university say that I could do health and behavioral sciences in navigation instead. I’m not sure which one to choose, I also have taken most of the courses for a major in biology. Do you think either of these would help me out in entering this field?
cool, I'm just a med stud passing by.. however I'd like to draw medical illustration -even though I'm not a good artist yet-..
Hi Annie, this is so awesome. I really liked your video and I'd really appreciate it if you can post any links to scholarships that fund student of medical illustrations programs
Hi there, thanks for checking the video out. The most prominent scholarship I know of is the Vesalius trust scholarship and grants: vesaliustrust.org/
I also managed to get other scholarships through my graduate school and graduate STEM competitions. Check out the graduate schools financial page and they usually list this sort of information.
Another way to cover tuition fees is to work for the school in the form of a graduate assistantship, this can be as a tutor, a lab assistant or as a general office assistant for one of the school’s departments. This was applicable for some US schools, I’m not sure if it’s applicable for other schools internationally so you should double check.
Hope this helps!
@@AnnieCampbellMedicalThanks a lot... This is most helpful
Hey, I'm in high school interested in becoming a medical illustrator and was told to Major in science and minor in art, but would it matter if I went to school for 2 or 4 years?
Hey Annie, I studied BSc. in Biotechnology and my interest is in art/ illustration. To support my background and carry out my interest, I want to study postgraduate program in medical illustration. Do you have any advices for people like me seeking for postgraduate/ MSc. in medical illustration?
Hey Annie
Thanks for sharing your experience
I am looking for online courses to start getting into this field. Can you (or anyone who can help) please suggest courses if there are any? Or what are the steps of self learning?
Thank you in advance 🙏🏻
Hello Annie, if you can provide subtitles in Portuguese I would be grateful, I like to watch on this topic.
Hi,now i'm studying medicine and then I would like to fuse psichiatry with animation.What should I do?
Very helpful video 💕 thank you! I have a question: do you need to take lab for classes like chemistry? Biology and A&P i can understand but... yeah?
Look at the course prerequisites that are listed on the program websites. You can find links to that in the video description.
Hi Annie! Thank you for sharing, this video is really informative. I'm from China and I graduated from clinical medicine. I want to become a medical illustrator too, and your video and experience really inspire me.
I now run a personal social network account in China, aiming at introducing amazing medical artwork to Chinese viewers. May I introduce your tutorial and some of your works in my account? They won’t be used for business, and your name and site will be credited. I wish more Chinese medical illustration fans get to know your great job.
Thanks so much for checking it out. Of course, please do share away! :)
Hey! Did you go to the University of Illinois at Chicago? Can you talk a little more about how many programs you've applied to and how you decided upon one? Sorry if you've already mentioned it somewhere but thanks for your info!!
Sophia Chen Yes i did, I went to the Chicago program here: ahs.uic.edu/biomedical-health-information-sciences/admissions-and-programs/ms-in-biomedical-visualization/
That was 13 years ago though. The competition is fierce for all of the schools, and there are limited spots, so most lecturers recommend you apply to more than one so that you have a fallback option. I chose Chicago because of the program’s emphasis on technology and their internship opportunities.
Hi Annie! I’m a nurse here in the philippines, with 6 yrs exp. I also worked in the comics and design industry. What’s your advice for me in order to shift into this career so i can marry my medical experience and as an artist? Do i still need these programs to pursue this path? Cheers!
Hi Annie, are there many jobs in Medical Illustration? I'm looking around but I can't find any positions. Are there less jobs than people specialised in the field? Thanks :)
Hey Annie! I'm an undergraduate medical student from India and will be a medical doctor next year. I plan on doing my post graduation and further studies in the same field of study but also have passion for medical illustrations and research journals. Is there anyway I can get enough credit to be a professional in the field but also not leave my original field? Thankyou. Also, would like to stay in touch for further questions.
Hi Annie! I've been interested in Medical Illustration since junior year of high school, planning on transferring to Iowa State for their undergrad program. I was wondering if medical Illustrators also branch to other scientific illustrations like botanicals or animals?
Do medical Illustrators do both animation and illustration? Is it mostly digital?
Michelle Phan Yes they do branch into animal and botanical illustration. It depends on their interests and career goals. Most medical illustrators also do animation. Our team have multiple skill sets that include illustration, 2D and 3D animation, graphic design, layout design, video editing and motion graphics. Some companies look for people who can be versatile and jump on different projects while other companies are ok with people who specialize in doing one thing.
All of the work that we do is digital, even if we start off with traditional tools, the final deliverable is a digital file.
Hi Annie! Admire your work! I was wondering what kind of courses I should be taking to fill the gaps. I have a degree in Biomedical Engineering, but it was why heavy on art and bio. I am looking at online courses Udemy and Coursera. But are they enough for university application?
HarInI M great to hear from you and thanks so much for reaching out. If you are ever stuck at a point of what your next steps are and what courses to take, it’s always good to reach out to the admissions office or the lecturers of the schools that you’re interested in applying to. They will be able to let you know if you have enough credits on your transcripts to apply plus they look at each applicant individually and can make adjustments for that person.
Here is a list of all of the schools: sciartnow.com/education
Good luck and I hope it goes well for you!
This is great :D
Thanks Michael! Hope you're well :)
Is a medical illustrator the same as a scientific illustrator looking to study outside the US
Hi, my end goal is really to become a biomedical engineer(currently hold a Bsc in physiology) but I’ve been thinking of a way to make the past few years I spent doing art and graphic design as a hobby useful to me. Is it okay if i simply take some courses on maybe coursera or sth then volunteer to use these skills in healthcare organizations??
I really don’t want to waste this one life doing rubbish, my family is way too poor for that
Hi, I'd love to know what your portfolio looked like when applying for your masters? ie. the quality of work at that stage!
Hi Eve, oh man when I applied it was around 10 years ago and I applied with a CD rom and a printed portfolio. I had no print experience so the colours were very off. Since my many moves I've lost nearly all of my application portfolio pieces but if I do find them again I'll definitely share.
If you're interested in what quality of work gets accepted nowadays, you could check out the current and alumni student work for the Biomedical Visualization program at UIC:
uicbvisstudents.wordpress.com/4-2/
Yo yo Eve, I hope that you're well. I FINALLY dug out my old portfolio pieces. They are..not great. Anyway thought I'd share with you since you were so nice to ask about it: facebook.com/campbellmedicalillustration/photos/a.423815064482931.1073741828.423775927820178/859378090926624/?type=3&theater
Is majoring in a bachelors degree in Art(illustration) and a minoring in Science(biology) enough to become a medical illustrator??🤨 do you have to do the two extra years of college after that?
Hi Anne I'm a high school student and always wanted to do a career in such a field where there's a perfect blend of science and art and I found it in the form of medical illustrator. I've physics chemistry and biology as my subjects . I'm looking forward to pursue degree in animation. Please guide me and give me more information about this field.
Thank you 😊
Hiii, I read your comment and I could totally relate with loving arts and science. I’m also studying animation and am interested in medical illustration, but I don’t know how to go on about it. Have you got any info??
I wanna go to my community college and then transferring to the John Hopkins program for medical illustration. I'm also interested in studying graphic design most likely at the community college. Any tips on how I can transfer?
Slug Bug I think the John Hopkins program is a graduate program. I don’t think you’ll be able to transfer into that from an undergraduate degree. Instead you’ll probably have to apply for admissions into the graduate program after you’ve obtained your undergraduate degree. Look st their admissions requirements and check out all of the grades and classes you will need to meet their admission criteria: medicalart.johnshopkins.edu/
You can also reach out to their admissions office to see what additional classes you can take. If you have a school advisor, talk to them as well to see if they can help you create a curriculum that will help in your application process.
The Hopkins program is highly competitive and they have lots of applications each year but only admit around 5 to 8 students. Make sure you have fallback options. If you want to know other schools that teach medical illustration you can find them here: sciartnow.com/education
Good luck and all the best!
Hey. I'm studying animation and VFX as a bachelor's programme as of now. I want to get into medical animation. What do I need? Is this only for master's students? Do you need to study illustration? Thanks! :)
Hi Fiona, not everyone who enters the field of medical animation has gone the traditional route of higher education. In fact one of my past art directors at a medical animation studio also studied animation and VFX only and had no medical or science experience prior to that. They were super talented, introduced new and innovative concepts to the company and also taught a lot of medical artists animation techniques as well as fostered their creative growth--this was the value they brought to the table. So I hope that inspires you in your training.
It could be worth reaching out to some of the art directors/creative directors at the various medical animation studios out there to get an informal portfolio review and see what experiences and traits they look for in a new hire. This could help you plan your next steps and hopefully make things clearer.
I'm also a high school gradute
HI Annie! I'm currently a 4th yr Bio Major and I completely regret not taking any art classes now :(( So i'm like you in that I only have a science background and the only classes I took in college related to art was Art History. I'm super interested in your profession and am looking into taking a gap year to take classes at a CC. Are the schools putting more value on the amount of art UNITS taken or your actual portfolio? Thank you!!
Hi! Because the competition is so high they value both equally. Don’t let your portfolio component slide, make sure you follow their instructions closely. If you are worried about your credits for the application prerequisites, get in touch with the lecturers or admissions team at schools that you’re interested in. They sometimes can tell you what you personally need or don’t need for the application. Good luck in your application!
Hi Annie, I’m currently an undergrad studying to be a doctor. Unfortunately, I feel as though that path may be too arduous for me but I still want to continue in the medical field and this occupation seems amazing! In terms of requirements I have no art skill but I am a creative person. How do I acquire accredited art classes to get in? Does vocational school count? Or do I have to go to a community college to take these classes?
I'm curious to know what path you went down. I'm thinking of looking more into this field and using my bachelors in biology, laboratory experience, and self taught art skills as a foundation.
I want to study art and have a job something to do with art but idk if it will be a safe route if it will pay well and have a guaranteed job
Hi Diana. That's kind of true with a lot of career fields, there's no guarantee for a job at the end of it. Once you decide on which artistic route to take, my advice would be to work hard and keep close watch on successful people in the field. See how they do things and what it is about their traits and skills that have helped them become successful. Sometimes even emailing them to ask about their journey is also really useful. The more info you gear yourself up with, the more doors and opportunities will open for you.
What are the alternative paths to becoming a medical illustrator? I just graduated with a degree in Cell & Molecular Biology with lots of art experience. Can I go right into being a freelance medical illustrator?
Marissa Mac sure, why not? If you have the science background and feel that you have the illustration and design skills then there’s nothing stopping you from starting your own freelance business. Approach it as you would any other project, do the research, figure out the best methods of putting your business out there, implement, refine and hone until you have something that works. Establishing yourself as a freelance artist will take time. Some people do it as a side hustle on top of a full time job until they’ve built up a solid client list before moving into freelance full time. Good luck.
Hi Annie! Thanks for sharing the info and it was really helpful for me! But I got a quick questions here:
I'm studying degree in art design and i didn't take any science course, so is it possible for me to take part time degree in medical illustration to get the certificate? Because I will be graduating soon and then start working. Also, is there any online course available because my base is in Malaysia.
Would very grateful if you can answer my questions, thank you!!!
Hiii, I’m in a very similar situation, have you gotten any tips?
Hello Annie! Thank you for your outstanding video! It is really helpful. I am now a master student in biochemistry and have been drawing in iPad for years. I am curious that can I start being a scientific illustrator without the scientific illustrator degree? Can I find a case to start with? If so, are there places where scientists posting their requests to designers?
For sure, there are many scientists turned scientific illustrators working in the field right now. If you want to start creating work then you should look at your department and school and ask around. Offer your services to different researchers and teams. There will always be people looking for help with their diagrams for their publications. You’ll soon build up a network and learn on the job.
@@AnnieCampbellMedical Thank you! That's very helpful!
WAIT so in college I have to take biology and art that's it??? Then if I graduate what next??? I'm so confused and my college apps are due in 2 days helpppp
Lemon Z there are a lot of undergraduate courses for medical illustration. These have been listed in the video description as well as comments from other people. Check those out if you’re interested. Not everyone goes through a grad school program.
I am artist and dentist could I work without studying any medical illustration program ?
Hi Annie! I'm 14 and looking to be a medical illustrator. Quick question - I was wondering if it's possible to do nursing (BSN) for my undergraduate degree then switching to biomedical illustration major for my master's? Many thanks!
Hi there! Great to hear from you and thanks so much for reaching out. That’s really exciting to hear that you’re interested in medical illustration. That’s a good question about switching majors, unfortunately I’ve not had that much experience about this but I think the admissions teams at the Universities will be able to give you more insight.
I’ve created this website page that lists all of the available undergraduate and graduate medical illustration programs out there, maybe you could reach out to those schools to start?
sciartnow.com/education
Keep us posted on how you get on, I’m sure many people will be interested.
Hey Annie! I would like to know what tools (like drawing tablets...) and apps do medical illustrators use and also are there cheap alternatives to this? Thank you very much for all the advice you share with us!
Ice Hello! So Adobe Photoshop and illustrator are the industry standard for creating digital medical illustrations.
If you only want practice in digital painting there are cheaper alternatives out there www.google.com/amp/s/www.creativebloq.com/amp/advice/the-best-software-for-digital-artists
We use large Wacom Intuos Pro tablets in our studio but there cheaper smaller Wacom tablets that are around the £70 mark that also works just as well. us-store.wacom.com/Product/one-by-wacom-small#undefined1
Hope this helps!
@@AnnieCampbellMedical Thanks a lot!
hi I’m a bit confused on some stuff: I am about to finish an AS degree in Music Business at community college but very recently I’ve been really considering studying medical illustration since I’ve always been into drawing/art and also been intrigued by stuff about the human body. I figured I may as well finish the AS degree since I’m so close to finishing but afterwards I’d have no idea where to start, would I even be allowed to apply for this by just having an AS? Is it bad the degree I’m finishing has nothing to do with medical illustration? any advice welcome, thanks!
That's great that you're finishing off your degree so that you can have that under your belt. I would recommend you look at all of the links I've listed in the video description below. Especially about the AMI link where it will have articles that talk about how to get into the field. Then look at all of the schools listed (some people have listed more schools in the comments section so scroll through that). Look at the requirements page of each course and try to get a gist of the common requirements. If you are lacking in science or art credits then you will most likely need to enroll in a 1 year course at a community college to fill up those missing credits before you are eligible to apply for the programs.
I have a BFA in illustration and recently getting into medical illustration. Is it possible to get into the field without a masters or certification? I can't afford to go to grad school.
This is a hot topic of debate for many of us in the industry. Some people feel that not having a degree in medical illustration devalues the training of those that did obtain a degree. This is further reinforced by some unfortunate cases where people call themselves medical illustrators but have no experience in our industry’s best practices and produce content that is not up to industry standards and anatomically inaccurate.
On the other hand a few of us have worked with many medical illustrators and animators who did not go the 'traditional' route into the profession; a couple of those individuals became great leaders, art directors and production artists; bringing great value to the projects they did.
So what is our takeaway form our experiences?
1) The important thing we need to have is the science training; that’s our speciality and is part of the value we bring to our projects. If you find that you’re missing the science training then you can get this through schooling or learning on the job as part of your professional development. We’ve found that if you have a good attitude and talent, employers are willing to invest in your training to bring you up speed.
2) Secondly we need to have the creative training and be able to convey complex science into beautiful and engaging visuals. Understanding the fundamentals of art and design is key. Then there’s visualization techniques that you can read about or learn through school.
3) Thirdly we need to keep up to date with industry best practices such as how we structure our files, how we use real MRI data to create visuals, what our production pipelines look like etc. This can be achieved by attending conferences and workshops, keeping an eye on what’s happening in social media and websites of industry leaders, following and connecting with other professionals in the field and regularly chatting with them.
Are there any good programs on the west coast?
Hi Annie! I have no experience art but currently pursing in physiology major. I am not sure what to do.
Hi! Thanks for checking out the video. You could take a look at our educational site page here to help you get started: www.learnmedical.art/starting-out-in-medical-illustration
I know this video is a few years old so I don’t know if you will see my question or not...but I graduated with a bachelors of science in Biology with a concentration of pre professional studies and a minor in art studio. There are one or two science classes that I see on some schools websites that I need as a prerequisite even after earning a BS in biology...which is kind of odd. And many digital are classes that I haven’t taken. Do you think I should email the admissions to see what they can do or if my science prereqs are satisfied if I’m missing one or two classes since I have a BS in biology?
Thank you 🙏🏽
Happinessvirtue yes definitely email the admissions office! They look at each case individually and your education credits might cover all requirements.
I'm going to be going into nurse Practitioner but im still going to do medical illustration for extra money and hobby.
I was thinking of going into nursing but didn’t know if a BSN would satisfy the BS requirement. Have you found a program that accepts BSN as a prerequisite?
xyphoid hey how did that turn out ?? I’m thinking of doing the same thing
What is the job outlook for medical illustrator?
I was curious if you still work as a neuroscientist and do medical illustration as both of your current profession☺️
I'm afraid I was never really a Neuroscientist. I only studied the subject at University but didn't get a job as one. I found out about medical illustration when I graduated so all of my energy went into pursuing that as a career path.
I have a bachelors in mortuary science and I’m an excellent artist. I have produced a few medical illustrations but I am interested about taking it to a professional level. Now I have zero money for classes, is this a field where I can do self study to become proficient in medical illustration? Do I truly need a degree to do this.
Tim Schalm This is a hot topic of debate for many of us in the industry. Some people feel that not having a degree in medical illustration devalues the training of those that did obtain a degree. This is further reinforced by some unfortunate cases where people call themselves medical illustrators but have no experience in our industry’s best practices and produce content that is not up to industry standards.
On the other hand a few of us have worked with many medical illustrators and animators who did not go the 'traditional' route into the profession; a couple of those individuals became great leaders, art directors and production artists; bringing great value to the projects they did.
So what is our takeaway form our experiences?
1) The important thing we need to have is the science training; that’s our speciality and is part of the value we bring to our projects. If you find that you’re missing the science training then you can get this through schooling or learning on the job as part of your professional development. We’ve found that if you have a good attitude and talent, employers are willing to invest in your training to bring you up speed.
2) Secondly we need to have the creative training and be able to convey complex science into beautiful and engaging visuals. Understanding the fundamentals of art and design is key. Then there’s visualization techniques that you can read about or learn through school.
3) Thirdly we need to keep up to date with industry best practices such as how we structure our files, how we use real MRI data to create visuals, what our production pipelines look like etc. This can be achieved by attending conferences and workshops, keeping an eye on what’s happening in social media and websites of industry leaders, following and connecting with other professionals in the field and regularly chatting with them.
Hello annie, nice job. I have a question for you, well two questions. 1 do you know if are courses about Medical ilustration online? 2 wich are The best animation software to begginers? Im interesting in projectile traumatism... sorry if i had some mistakes in my english im not a Native speaker
There are these short courses available online: sciartnow.com/online-courses-1
For 3D software: if you have a student or teacher email then you might be able to get a free license of Autodesk Maya to start Learning. Alternatively Blender is an open source software program that you could learn 3D in.
So, medical illustration is a graduate program. What do you recommend I major in for my undergrad. I’m still very confused but interested in this profession :)
Hi @Argentina Tran That's great to hear that you're interested in the field. If you are interested in attending one of the graduate programs, it's useful to reach out to them to ask what kind of undergraduate degrees they accept. This will help you in deciding your undergraduate degree path.
The Association of Medical Illustrators has a really nice overview of education for all levels (high school, undergrad, masters etc).
Check out the page here: ami.org/medical-illustration/enter-the-profession/education
Alternatively, some people have commented on a few undergraduate courses that do medical illustration as well:
Rochester Institute of Technology
www.rit.edu/healthsciences/graduate-programs/medical-illustration
Iowa State Univeristy
www.bpmi.iastate.edu/
Virginia Commonwealth University
arts.vcu.edu/communicationarts/scientific-and-preparatory-medical-illustration/
I think there are more undergraduate medical illustration programs out there. A google search will reveal more of them.
Dear Annie
As someone who is challenged at finding color harmonies, do you have any tips? You always seem to have great color palettes for your illustrations! :)
Thanks so much @Koontish for checking out my stuff.
Color palettes and color combinations is something I've struggled with a lot and I still do sometimes. So I though I'd read up on things like color theory, how artists used color scripts, lighting and shading rules and anything associated with that stuff.
As part of this research I started collecting inspirational color combinations on my pinterest boards, which I tend to refer to if I ever get stuck: www.pinterest.co.uk/camp_illustrate/boards/
A great book I read was Jame's Gourney's "Color and Light- A guide for the Realist Painter": www.seamlessexpression.com/blog/2017/4/2/book-review-james-gurneys-color-and-light-a-guide-for-the-realist-painter
I also used online apps like the following:
Adobe' Color CC (used to be called Kuler): color.adobe.com/explore/?filter=most-popular&time=month
Coolors: coolors.co/
Thank you so much Annie and sorry about my delayed answer! I am very familiar with websites like color. But I believe there are certain rules and placement, that are lost on me. The art of choosing where color to place inside the other or next to the other.
If you have anything you could share on that, it would be great :) But that aside, great video, very well edited!
Koontish sure, that’s where understanding the fundamentals of color theory is important. I would recommend you research as much as you can and learn about that. Here is a good starter article: www.creativebloq.com/colour/colour-theory-11121290
Also the book I recommended in the other reply is a good resource on color theory and lighting.
Hey Annie great video, I am an international medical graduate , and I was thinking about moving to the us for an eventual residency program, I love medical illustrations and I really can’t wait to take it to a professional level but due to time restrictions in our job , is there anyway to get this diploma from home
AYOUB GHARAFI Hi there! That’s a good question. I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that. Your best option would be to get in touch with the schools that offer a degree in it.
Hey thank you for your video! Very nicely done by the way :)
Do you think it's possible to enter this field without having a diploma? I'm doing a PhD in biomedicine just right now, always love to draw on the side. After my PhD, I think it would be really cool to combine both, but I will not have the possibility to enter a graduate programs. In the same time, it seems hard to master scientific illustration without taking any classes (so much techniques and all), so I do not know what to do XD
Thank you in advance, stay as cool as you are know :D
Hey! So great to hear from you, I love your character artwork (found it on FB and tumblr). You've got some amazing skills and talent!
I don't think everyone necessarily needs a diploma from one of the programs in order to be a medical illustrator working in the field. From what I've seen it's individuals who have all of the science training already and have artistic ability that really succeed on their own. It looks like you have both already.
What our clients pay premium pricing for is our medical knowledge and they trust that we can convey that into beautiful imagery without having to give us a basic biology lesson each time we do a project with them.
My friend Jeroen, the founder of Phospho Biomedical Animation, didn't go through the traditional route. He's a has a PhD in cancer research and is pretty much a self taught 3D artist. He's incredibly talented, has successfully started his own studio and is a pretty good example to bring to light. You should get in touch with him and ask him about his experiences.
It all comes down to a self drive for learning on your own and absorbing as much info about the creative techniques from multiple fields of art and design and implementing that into your own medical illustration work. I think you can do it!
Continue making connections with people in your field and do work for them as a medical artist. You know the science side of things to make sure things are accurate. As you side hustle, start learning things about business and how to market yourself in a digital world. This will help you get your name out there as a medical artist. It'll take a while but slowly you'll begin to create a name for yourself and grow your client list.
Good luck and let me know how it goes :)
Thank you so much to reading me, complimenting and giving me advices! I really appreciate that you took the time to answer me so kindly!
Your advices seem so good! I will try to do that! Thank you so much!
Hey i have just discovered this but somewhere it was lurking in my mine. I'm a vet student and at time there isn't enough information for vet as there is for humans....so i wanted to draw vet pics while i experience it as a vet student at times it's really frustrating because i want to do accurate facts about diseases without having to look all day on the net for it...... i can draw n i like anatomy but i live in a Caribbean country we don't have those courses here or anyone interested in this field much less get a portfolio to apply outside my country... i want it as my niche on top of being a vet......but I'm weak in terms of getting the info out of my brain like composition etc drawing is not a problem....
hi! do you think a undergraduate degree in chemistry or biology would be better?
thanks
That’s a tough one to answer. It really depends on what your interests are. If you’re keen on doing medical illustration, there are undergraduate degrees in medical illustration, you can check out all of the available courses here: www.SciArtNOW.com/education . Take a look at the schools that you’re interested in and they will list the entry requirements that you need.
So I'm too nervous rn to contact an actual school, but I'm currently an undergraduate majoring in clinical and diagnostic science, but medical illustration seems perfect for me. I've talked to my advisor and they recommended switching to an art major and then taking all the required prereqs for the grad program with a science minor. My question is, do you know of any medical illustrators that majored in art and had to fill their science gaps as opposed to vice versa? Thanks for your time:)
Sarah C awesome to hear fro you Sarah. Firstly, before switching majors, I think it would be in your best interest to reach out and talk to the schools teaching leads and admissions. You might not have to switch majors and take some additional art and design credits. Some schools only accept students from a science background so you need to be sure that this would be a switch that would benefit your chances of application to a lot of the schools.
Nevertheless if you do switch out majors there are a few artists out there that came from a purely art background. Emily McDougall (Holden), who also has a RUclips channel btw, came from a fine arts background and did additional science training. Chat to hear, she is super cool.
Hi! I just looked at all the admissions info the schools in the US because I'm hoping to prepare for this MA. For sciences they typically will require at most 1) chemistry for science majors 2) 2 semesters of mammalian anatomy or physiology with dissection labs 3) two plus electives from a pre-med track. For most people it will take many more hours to get the drawing skills needed for the portfolio, but those do not always have to be school credits . It would help though to know vector, raster, and 3d imaging, and have great figure drawing skills. I hope this is helpful.
Hello my name is Devasya 4th yr Physiotherapy would love to do masters in medical illustration..Can you plz elaborate on local community college..like..I am from India..like..getting credits means to get certificate right?
There is government art college in my country..they provide courses like
Hobby classes..
Rest all courses like diploma,masters,bachelors are very long 2 3 yrs..
So how to get art credits exactly?
Devsya dodia hi there, this wiki article might help explain what a course credit is:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Course_credit
Annie, what techniques/books did you use to learn how to draw anatomically correct illustrations?
I use a combination of anatomy atlases and dissection books as well as journal papers. Here are some books that have been helpful:
Atlas of Anatomy by Gilroy et al
Thieme Atlas of Anatomy books by Schuenke and Schulte (they have many books for different body systems)
Anatomy: A Regional Atlas of the Human Body by Clemente
Clemente's Anatomy Dissector
Annie Campbell Thank you for your reply! Recently graduated with an Anthropology degree and realized that I perferred my anatomy courses than my archaeology ones. There are no CMI schools in Texas unfortunately so I'm thinking of Mastering in Visualization at A&M. Thanks again for taking the time to comment and I wish you the best of luck with your work.
I don't have degrees but I took some online classes through udemy. I figured you don't need a degree but it makes life so much harder to find a job and I feel like it's a waste of time if you know how to do mostly everything already.
This is a hot topic of debate for many of us in the industry. Some people feel that not having a degree in medical illustration devalues the training of those that did obtain a degree. This is further reinforced by some unfortunate cases where people call themselves medical illustrators but have no experience in our industry’s best practices and produce content that is not up to industry standards or medically inaccurate.
On the other hand, a few of us have worked with many medical illustrators and animators who did not go the 'traditional' route into the profession; a couple of those individuals became great leaders, art directors, and production artists; bringing great value to the projects they did.
So what is our takeaway from our experiences?
1) The important thing we need to have is the science training; that’s our specialty and is part of the value we bring to our projects. If you find that you’re missing the science training then you can get this through schooling or learning on the job as part of your professional development. We’ve found that if you have a good attitude and talent, employers are willing to invest in your training to bring you up to speed.
2) Secondly, we need to have the creative training and be able to convey complex science into beautiful and engaging visuals. Understanding the fundamentals of art and design as well as learning theory is key. Then there are specific medical visualization techniques that you can read about or learn through school.
3) Thirdly we need to keep up to date with industry best practices such as how we structure our files, how we use real MRI data to create visuals, what our production pipelines look like etc. This can be achieved by attending conferences and workshops, keeping an eye on what’s happening in social media and websites of industry leaders, following and connecting with other professionals in the field and regularly chatting with them.
If you're looking for work, be sure to check out sciartnow.com/jobs
@@AnnieCampbellMedical
"a few of us have worked with many medical illustrators and animators who did not go the 'traditional' route into the profession;
a couple of those individuals became great leaders, art directors, and production artists; bringing great value to the projects they did."
Very true! I follow a few instagram pages of science illustrators and even a doctor that designs his own illustrations and even created a website to sell his art!
1) I feel pretty confident in this part through schooling and critical thinking. I like to read science articles/ journals on my free time and sometimes I draw a simple illustration to make it easier for myself to understand. I did this pretty often during college.
2) I think my Product Design courses has taught me enough. Although now when I think of it, I should have taken a different route in my career path. This is where I find it difficult because that means more time and money I must invest and I feel it is a waste.
3) Doing the following already! Next steps is look for conferences and workshops. Too bad this is happening during COVID.
Thank you for your insight and very much thank you for the link!! A quick look has showed me that this may be worth while!
I appreciate you thank you very much.
Hi Annie!! thanks for the valuable information in the video, but I have a question, I'm still graduating and it will take a few years to finish (biology) and even longer to do my master's degree, I would like to know if I can get into the field of medical art without the Master's degree and without a degree, just with a portfolio and some specific courses? I no longer draw and I want to specialize in this area. Will I be blocked in some way, do clients usually ask for CVs and certifications or can I be carefree applying just with my portfolio as a freelancer?
Yes. There are undergrad programs. Some people have commented it in this comment section. I suggest starting from the top and reading every comment
Is the CAD mostly?
can I major in cellular biology with a minor in art to become a medical illustrator?
That’s a tough one to answer, why don’t you check out our educational channel page here to help a little: www.learnmedical.art/starting-out-in-medical-illustration
A bit late commenting, but is it possible to get a job in medical animation with a bachelors of fine arts (animation) rather than a science degree. Not sure if grad school is for me...
Jacob Hammel yes of course, you just need an interest in science and be great at animation in those cases. I’ve seen a lot of medical animation studios that hire animators and SFX artists. I think Random 42 and Polygon Medical Media are two studios that recently hired generalist animators.
Annie Campbell thanks for the quick response! I'm working on developing a medical animation reel at the moment (I'm still in undergrad) and I was wondering if you have any reccomendations for software I should become familiar with? I am proficient with maya, blender, and most of adobe suite at the moment.
Seems like you're pretty set on software. Nice one!
As long as you know of the production pipelines that are associated with a product (i.e. animation production pipeline), then I think you'll be ok.
One suggestion would be to research companies that you're interested in working for. Sometimes you can find out what kind of software they use and you can make sure you know how to use them.
If you're making a medically focused animation showreel, then make sure all of your stuff is accurate. No DNA's with incorrect rotations please! Sometimes it's good to find a medical professional (like a doctor or a professor) to check the accuracy of your work.
Good luck and can't wait to see your reel when it's done!
Can u tell how much it cost for msc course for medical illustration?
tania p john Hi Tania! Pricing for each course depends on which school you apply for. Other factors might affect cost, like being an international student. To get accurate and up to date pricing with regards to tuition fees it’s best to get in touch with the school’s administration office.
Hi Annie!,
Would you say it's too late to start this career path at 25? I'm a graduate of the field of arts but haven't found my specialty, I like doing illustrations and want to take on this path, however, i lack the science part as the requirement.
Nadine Palec It’s never too late to adjust your career path. Don’t look at it as starting from scratch. Instead, use the experience and skills you’ve learned until now to apply it to your new venture.
Figure out your end goals and work your way back. If you’re lacking certain credentials and skill sets, research your ass off to find out what is the most optimal way for you to get those. There are so many options out there and it’s up to your to create your own educational and career path.
If it seems daunting and scary, don’t worry. That’s normal and we’ve all felt that way at one point.
Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and founder of LeanIn.org, has some great articles and advice about shifting careers; “There is no straight path to where you are going. If you try to draw that line you will not just get it wrong, but you will miss big opportunities. As Pattie Sellers of Fortune Magazine says, careers are not ladders but jungle gyms. You don't have to have it all figured out.”
Nadine Palec Hi Nadine, we posted your question on our SciArtNOW education channel. Thought you’d might be interested by some of our follower responses: instagram.com/p/BrDNSqhgy4E/?igshid=8479jctqt0mw
Just saw your replies today, coincidentally as I am currently checking and listing down pros and cons of schools and the credentials I have to take. Thank you very much for your response! I am grateful for your advice, and the responses of those in you channel. gave me more perspective and boost!
Hi, Is there an scholarship offer in medical illustrator masteral?
Hi there,
Different universities have scholarship opportunities. It's useful to reach out to the lecturers of the schools to find out more about this.
The Association of Medical Illustrators also has a page about scholarships that's worth checking out. Take a look here: ami.org/medical-illustration/enter-the-profession/education/scholarships
if i am not from science stream,can i still apply?
Yes you can. The Medical Art program at the University of Dundee accept students from a non-science background.
There might be other schools that are the same. You can check out a whole list of schools here:
sciartnow.com/education
For the portfolio do we need only drawing skills.?.because I had spend 1 yr for drawing classes..don't know computer graphics 😐also is it possible after nursing?
tania p john Hi Tania, each school has a comprehensive list of the portfolio pieces you need to submit for the application. Some schools have the same portfolio guidelines whilst others differ slightly. Make sure you follow their guidelines strictly, they usually reject portfolios that don’t follow their instructions.
What you might want to double check is the admissions prerequisites. In addition to the science credits needed to apply, some schools require you to have credits/classes in certain art or design classes. Again check the course website and it will list the example classes. If you are unsure as to what those classes are, get in touch with the program administrator or head and they will be able to give you specific examples.
@@AnnieCampbellMedical thankyou so much ..
Hi please I'm Sylvester a Ghanaian and I want to become a medical illustrator
Hello Annie! I am so struggling with my future goal in medical illustration:( I am a 3rd-year design student from an art school (used to be on pre-med track from high school lol), and I really want to apply for the graduate program in medical illustration. However, most schools require 1-2 years science course while I can't take any from my art school:/ and I am also a junior already..very confused, don't know what to do but still, want to pursue my dream T.T
Looks like you'll be sorted for the art credits because of your degree. What you might be lacking are your science credits. Most schools would be happy to look at course credits which can be obtained through a semester class. Speak to your school adviser and see if your school offers any science classes. You can probably try to fit in a couple of science credits that are listed in the prerequisite lists. Worst case scenario is that you take a 1 year course at a local community college to cover your science credits.
Here's how you could make your next steps
1) talk to the lecturers of the schools that you're interested in applying to, find out your options.
2) talk to your school adviser to see if there are options to help you fill any missing credits
@@AnnieCampbellMedical Thank you T.T
Do online courses available for these courses
pavankumar chintamaneni unfortunately online courses for the graduate and undergraduate 1 or 2 year programs do not currently exist.
If this career fail, could I be become an animator later on.Animating cartoons is my dream but I live in New york.
What’s wrong with living in NY? There’s lots of opportunities there
Hi Annie! I was wondering if I could ask you a list of question about the medical illustration profession. I was hoping to get a view into this career from someone who is just getting started. If you are too busy to answer my questions, do you know of anyone who would be available to give some guidance to me? I am really hoping to do this as a career for myself, but I want to see if this is something I would want to 100% pursue. Thanks!
Hi Estrella, great to hear from you and thanks so much for reaching out. Of course you can email us questions. We currently receive them on our sister channel SciArtNOW at our email sciartnow@gmail.com.
You might also want to check out our website where we have commonly asked questions:
sciartnow.com/getting-into-the-industry
Chat soon!
@@AnnieCampbellMedical I just sent in my email, thanks for replying!
Hi Annie! I was on the AMI website earlier and read that an average of 16 people get accepted into each med illustrator program annually, does this mean that it’s extremely difficult to get in and highly competitive?
Hi there, yes admissions to the programs are highly competitive. Some programs only have 8 spots and multiple applicants each year. Other programs have 16 to 20 spots. It helps to apply to more than one school. To see whether your portfolio and transcripts have a competitive edge, it's useful to view current student work. They usually have their application portfolio pieces on their websites or Instagram. This will give you a good idea of the quality level you need to achieve to be considered. Hope this helps.
Annie Campbell I see, yes it did help thank you for getting back to me. So basically I just need to put a lot of hard work into the science I major in while also refining my artwork to be the best it can be?
ThisWasMadeForNoReason Go check out the admission criteria of the schools you want to apply for and also take a look at their portfolio requirements. Here’s a useful link to all of the schools available: www.sciartnow.com/education
You might need to take extra art or science credits to meet their admissions criteria. Also the best way to figure out what you need to do for your own personal journey is to directly talk to someone from the programs. They cater to each person individually and they can offer more personalised advice. Good luck!
Annie Campbell awesome, I really appreciate the advice thank you :)
Hey I was wondering if you got involved in any internships? I am in a nursing undergraduate program and feel that I still lack the skills to apply for internships within medical illustration. I would love to hear about your experiences with internships throughout your undergraduate and graduate academic career! thank you :))
Sure! I did do an internship but it was as part of my medical illustration course. I interned at the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The school that I went to has a close relationship with the department of medical illustration in the journal. Internships are definitely a massive benefit in getting an experience of what it's like working within a department and team. I would highly recommend people take the chance of internships if the offer is there. Do your research to make sure that the place you're interning at can provide good experience related to your field, no point on doing coffee runs and making copies.
@@AnnieCampbellMedical thanks so much for your response!!
Also, are the programs very difficult to get into. Sorry for all the questions
No problem, always happy to provide some insights if it helps.
The programs are very competitive and some have limited spaces. Some programs only accept 5 grad students a year whilst others have class sizes of around 16-20 students.
The number of applicants are increasing each year. I think when I applied (that was about 10 years ago, oh man I am getting old) I think there were about +50 applicants for a 17 spaces.
Don't let that put you off though. If you're serious about doing this as a career path, work hard at the application portfolio: practice, refine and polish your pieces. And make sure you have all of the appropriate requirements for the programs.
Good luck!
Hi again, I'm not sure if this is a rude question but based on your knowledge and having colleagues in the same field, what is the average salary?
Since you have your own company, are you hiring? Have some art experience and healthcare background.
How much does a medical illustrator make?
Alan Garcia there is a lot of useful information in this article that might help: www.careersinhealthcare.com/medical-illustrator/