Medical photographers, also known as biomedical photographers, document scientific information in the areas of medicine, biology, chemistry, and other health subjects. Biomedical photographers make prints of charts and graphs, create videotapes or digitized images, and process photographs of the many different parts of the body to enhance the understanding of the human body and disease.
Medical photographs may document a surgical procedure, record a patient’s medical condition over time, or photograph an autopsy. They can also use photomicrography which allows a microscopic object to appear in full detail. Medical photographers work in a variety of places such as medical schools, health organizations, pharmaceutical companies, publishing houses, and hospitals. Hours can vary from part-time to full-time positions, or even self-made hours if self-employed.
Education: 4 years
Patient Interaction: Low
Physical Activity: Low
Salary: $40,750
Job Growth: Low
Health Science Librarian (HSL)
Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR)
High school students should concentrate on courses in science, math, art, and photography. Graduation from an associate or bachelor’s degree program through a technical college or four-year institution is necessary to become a medical photographer. Experience with photography is a must. Two years of academic education and on-the-job training is the minimum accepted for medical photographers today. The Biocommunications Association offers several short training programs as well as certification. After passing written, practical, and oral examinations, certified professionals are titled registered biological photographers (RPBs).
Alverno College
Beloit College
Carroll University
Carthage College
Concordia University
Edgewood College
Gateway Technical College
Lakeland College
Lawrence University
Madison Area Technical College
Maranatha Baptist University
Marian University
Milwaukee Area Technical College
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design
Mount Mary College
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
Northland College
Ripon College
Silver Lake College
St. Norbert College
University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire
University of Wisconsin – Green Bay
University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh
University of Wisconsin – Parkside
University of Wisconsin – Platteville
University of Wisconsin – River Falls
University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point
University of Wisconsin – Stout
University of Wisconsin – Superior
University of Wisconsin – Whitewater
Viterbo University
Western Technical College
Wisconsin Lutheran College
American Society of Media Photographers
150 North Second St.
Philadelphia, PA, 19106
215/451-2767 (ASMP)
asmp.org/
Association of Biomedical Communications Directors
University of North Texas Texas Health
Science Center
Fort Worth, TX, 76203
www.abcdirectors.org/
Biocommunications Association
389 Newport Avenue
Attleboro, MA, 02703-5617
571/557-1971
www.bca.org
Guild of Natural Science Illustrators
P.O. Box 42410
Washington, DC, 20015
301-309-1514
www.gnsi.org/
Health and Science Communications Assoc.
PO Box 31323
Omaha, NE, 68132
402/915-5373
hesca.net/
Ophthalmic Photographers’ Society
1887 W. Ranch Road
Nixa, MO, 65714
417/725-0181 or 800/403-1677
www.opsweb.org/
Number Employed in 2012 (Wisconsin): 2,210
Expected Employment in 2022 (Wisconsin): 2,430
Percent Employment Growth (2012-2022): 10%
Expected Annual Openings: 50
Median Salary in 2014 (Wisconsin): $40,750
Salary information is located at Career One Stop
Wisconsin AHEC Health Careers Information Center provides the most current salary information available from CareerOneStop. CareerOneStop will have a lapse between when the information is gathered and when it is released.
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