Medical Illustrator (MI)

• Students should take a college preparatory curriculum and concentrate on courses and/or activities that would strengthen their artistic abilities.
• Development of a portfolio or an audition that demonstrates their talent is critical for students’ entry into private fine arts or performing arts institutions, respectively.
• Helpful high school courses would include Drawing, Multimedia Design, Photography, biology, and Computer Graphics.
• Get practical experience by contributing your illustrations to school newspaper.

• Training requirements for artists vary by specialty, and although formal training is not strictly necessary for fine artists, it can be very difficult to become skilled enough to make a living without some training.
• Medical Illustrators must have both a demonstrated artistic ability and a detailed knowledge of living organisms, surgical and medical procedures, and human and animal anatomy.
• A 4-year Bachelor’s Degree combining Art with courses in drawing, life drawing, painting, design, color theory, photography, and layout and Premedical courses usually is preferred, followed by a Master’s Degree in Medical Illustration.
• College/university coursework includes core subjects such as English, social sciences, and natural science in addition to art history and studio art.
• Independent Schools of Art and Design also offer postsecondary studio training in the fine arts leading to an Associate in Art (AA) or BFA degree. Typically, these programs focus more on studio work than the academic programs in a university setting.
• Formal educational programs in art also provide training in computer techniques. Computers are used widely, and knowledge and training in them is critical for many jobs in this field.
• This master’s degree in Medical Illustration is offered in only a few accredited schools in the United States. This two-year program includes gross anatomy, histology, pathology, anatomical and surgical illustration, three-dimensional modeling, exhibit construction, and cinematography.
• Learning how to assemble a winning portfolio is a key to success with employers. The portfolio is a collection of hand-made, computer-generated, photographic, or printed samples of the artist’s best work.
• Assembling a successful portfolio requires skill usually developed in a Bachelor’s Degree program or other postsecondary training in art or visual communication

Most Wisconsin colleges, universities, or technical colleges will offer an Art major.

Wisconsin currently does not offer a Master’s Degree Program in Medical Illustration. Currently there are 4 accredited graduate programs in the nation and 1 in Toronto. See Association of Medical Illustrators www.ami.org for a complete listing of schools.

University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Biomedical Visualization, College of Associated Health Professions, M.S. degree-2 year curriculum, see www.ahs.uic.edu

Association of Biomedical Communications Directors
University of North Texas Texas Health
Science Center
Fort Worth, TX, 76203
www.abcdirectors.org/

Association of Medical Illustrators
201 E. Main St., Ste. 1405
Lexington, KY, 40507
866/393-4AMI (4264)
www.ami.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/