Medical Illustrator

Also known as:

Artist, Medical
Illustrator, Medical
Medical Artist

Introduction

Medical illustrators are specialists who are part of the healthcare science team and who produce resource materials for use in patient care, education and teaching. They specialise in clinical photography, medical graphic design, medical art or videography.

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Work Activities

Medical illustrators are specialists who are part of the healthcare science team. They support doctors, nurses, scientists and other professionals involved in delivering patient care by producing resource materials such as photography and other graphic images for use in patient care, education and teaching. They specialise in clinical photography, medical graphics, medical art or medical videography.

Clinical photographers are responsible, on an on-going basis, for the recording of medical conditions presented by patients. These images are taken with the patients' consent and can be used for diagnosis or to record the condition as treatment progresses. Clinical photographers sometimes use specialised equipment in order to produce ophthalmic, ultra-violet, infra-red or 3D images. They may also be required to carry out other photographic duties, including location photography, medical legal photography, public relations photography and creative studio work.

Medical graphic designers design and produce artwork, brochures, patient information, scientific posters and other visual materials. They use computers and specialist design software packages to create the visual images required. Within this area there are also web designers who create web sites for the health authorities and individual specialities.

Medical artists produce very detailed and accurate anatomical illustrations and artwork for publication, teaching and research. In addition to using computers and software packages, they also use traditional, conventional artists' materials.

Medical videographers produce high quality video programmes for teaching, research and promotion.

Together, medical illustrators produce an extremely wide range of materials for medical teaching, health education and clinical records.

They work in hospitals, medical schools and research institutions, or in a freelance capacity.

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Personal Qualities and Skills

An interest in science and medicine is as important as an interest and ability in art. You must be able to work in distressing situations; for example, you may have to work at a post-mortem. You must be able to communicate well with medical, nursing and research staff, and with other professionals working in the field of healthcare.

Medical illustrators use a wide range of computer software to either enhance or create their illustrations. Knowledge and experience of these is important.

As a medical illustrator, your work will require a high degree of concentration, and you must pay meticulous attention to detail.

If you work as a freelancer you will need the business skills necessary for self-employment. You must also be able to market your work and promote yourself effectively.

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Pay and Opportunities

Pay rates for medical illustrators vary, depending on whether they are self-employed or employed, and the type of employer.

National Health Service (NHS) employees are paid on a rising scale within defined pay bands, according to their skills and responsibilities.

The pay rates given below are approximate.

Medical illustrators in the NHS earn in the range of £17,000 - £20,000 0 a year, rising to £25,500 - £32,000 a year. Higher rates are possible depending on responsibilities.

Medical illustrators usually work a standard 37.5-hour week, Monday to Friday. Working hours for self- employed illustrators may be irregular, depending on how much work they have. However, in both cases, late finishes and weekend work may be required from time to time, especially to meet deadlines.

Employers include departments of medical illustration in hospitals and medical schools, in private medicine and in research establishments.

There is a great deal of competition for posts.

Self-employed illustrators gain work from the medical profession or from publishers of academic or general interest textbooks and CD-ROMs.

There are prospects for medical illustrators to rise to senior posts in departments of medical illustration.

Work for medical publishing companies can sometimes be on two- to three-year contracts. Some illustrators use the services of agents to gain commissions and short-term contract work.

Some medical illustrators work on a freelance basis.

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Adult Opportunities

It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Entrants with relevant illustration skills and abilities, (for example, gained by doing graphic design) can do further training. Keeping your skills updated, especially by using software in computer graphics/arts, is important. Knowledge of printing techniques and some commercial awareness is an advantage for those illustrators working with publishers.

If you don't have the qualifications needed to enter your chosen degree or HND course, a college or university Access course (eg, Access to Art and Design) could be the way in. No formal qualifications are usually required, but you should check individual course details.

They can lead to relevant degree/HND courses.

To enter the work or relevant courses, you normally need to have a portfolio of work demonstrating your ability.

• 26% of people in occupations such as medical illustrator are self-employed.
• 11% work part-time.
• 9% have flexible hours.
• 3% of employees work on a temporary basis.

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