Career as Medical & Technical Illustrators
A Medical Illustrator is a professional artist who specializes in medicine and visual technology and collaborates with doctors and medical supervisors to create illustrations of complex organs for educational, treatment and research purposes. This was limited to 2-D illustration and animation, but now with the advent of 3-D printers, illustrators can print life-like models of such organs. These models help during the surgical process. This area is getting more interesting as the advancement of technology is eliminating any errors which might occur. Development in technology helps operate at a lower cost, and hence few tech companies are coming forward with their innovations. Requirements of a Medical Illustrator have now increased in medicine mainly in forensic reconstruction or making of prostheses. Since people are now interested in healthcare, Medical Illustrators are in demand as a picture tells a better story than words.
- About Medical & Technical Illustrators :
- Job Profile |
- How do I get there?
Job Profile
Medical Illustrators are employed across varied verticals in this vast industry. Illustrators are employed by publications which employ them to draw diagrams in books for educational purposes. These books need to be precise and neat. Illustrations are also used for various medical journals and magazines published by many publication houses and institutions. Illustrators are also recruited for constructing real-life figures for educational purposes to be used in schools and colleges. These can be used during exhibitions or seminars Medical Illustrators are recruited in bulk in hospitals to help out surgeons during complex cases. They need to construct 3-D models showing the contrast between diseased parts and unaffected parts.
These models are also used by surgeons to do a practice operation on it to eliminate any discrepancy on D-Day. They also make models of step-wise operation procedures for new surgeons so that they can train themselves accordingly. Medical Illustrators also help to create artificial organs such as parts of ears or eyes. They also work in films and other visual programs and also make exhibits for court cases. They are also employed by museums to create artwork based on the visualization of individual species. Illustrators are also being roped in by game creators who want to better their animation by creating life-like characters for games.
Medical Illustrators who are starting can earn an average of Rs 30,000 per month. Many illustrators also take up freelancing jobs which pays them well. People working in the gaming arena earn an average of Rs 40,000 per month.
Future Growth Prospects and How to get there faster
Fields such as Biochemistry, Genomics, and Computational Molecular Biology enables such interactions between an artist and a scientist whose outcome removes the barriers between scientific experiments and a better visual understanding of the experiments. Candidates should properly stitch their knowledge about life sciences with a visual representation.
Pros and Cons of Being a Medical Illustrator
Pros
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This profile is a boon for someone who wants to work in the field of arts and science. It allows one to show one's creative prowess in this field.
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It's decent pay and attractive opportunity for growth provides a lot of incentives for people who want to do something different in the field of art and science.
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They get to play some significant role in various platforms while curating essential components of a particular story or a seminar.
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They also get to serve humanity by working with doctors by creating models for further study and introspection.
Cons
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You need to be creative while entering this industry as only education does not help here. You need to get your creative and intellectual side together.
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Sometimes finding a permanent job can be arduous.
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It requires a lot of patience and perseverance to succeed in this field.
How do I get there?
How much does it cost?
What are the Top Colleges from where you can start your career as a Medical Illustrator?
Since a Medical Illustrator as a career doesn't have any specified course structure, there are multiple courses which can be pursued to get into this field. We will look into some of the best colleges from where you can start your career in this field.
|
Name of College |
Course |
Fees |
|
IIT Kharagpur |
B.Tech |
Rs 82,000 for 1 year |
|
IIT Mumbai |
B. Tech |
Rs 85,350 for 1 year |
|
AIIMS, New Delhi |
MBBS |
Rs 1,628 for 1 year |
|
Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre |
MBBS |
Rs 75,480 for 1 year |
|
National Institute of Design |
B.Des |
Rs 3,00,000 for 1 year |
|
MIT Institute of Design |
B.Des |
Rs 3,92,250 for 1 year |
|
Srishti School of Art Design and Technology |
B.Des |
Rs 5,51,400 for 1year |
|
Arena |
Various Courses |
Rs 50,000 to Rs 4,00,000 |
|
MAAC |
Various Courses |
Rs 50,000 to Rs 3,00,000 |
Books and Study Material
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Here are some books which can be followed by potential Medical Illustrators:
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The Sourcebook of Medical Illustration: Over 900 Anatomical, Medical, and Scientific Illustrations by Peter Cull
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How To Be An Illustrator by Darrel Rees
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Human Anatomy by B D Chaurasia
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Atlas of Human Anatomy by Frank H. Netter
What if this career does not work out for me?
This is a perfect career for someone who wants to do something in the field of art and science. If someone's career doesn't turn out the way it should be then they can look for alternatives like pursuing animation in some other field other than the medical field. Illustrators are also employed by production houses to create visuals for them. Overall, this field is very much creatively pursued, and you have to be adept to this fallout.
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Content on this page is by Career Expert Mrs. Kum Kum Tandon MA (Psychology), M.Ed, Diploma in Educational Psychology, Vocational Guidance & Counseling (NCERT, Delhi) | View Complete Profile |