While delving into research regarding college majors, I’ve come across a few interest-specific ones that the average person might not have heard of. Currently I’m a senior and this fall, I’m attending Rowan University’s Honors College, majoring in Biomedical Art and Visualization with a minor in Biology. When I tell people what my plan is, they usually give me a look of either “What the heck is that” or “Wow, that’s impressive.” This article will dive into what Biomedical Illustration is and what it can be used for!
Biomedical Illustration is when a person draws and makes models of medical or biological concepts for teaching, training, research, publication, consultation, and exhibition purposes. Illustrations can be made using traditional art mediums or digitally. This type of imaging consists of either a picture to describe what a person wants to be visualized or a video to help educate others! I am excited to major in this because I like the concept of making the nonvisual, more visual (as I am a visual learner)! Some typical illustrations one would draw are surgical procedures, skeletal system, organs, nervous systems, animals, cells, insects, nature, anatomy, and so much more.
When someone hears about my major, they usually think of two things: money and job opportunities. According to ZipRecruiter, the 25th percentile makes $74,500 per year, the average makes $166,846 per year, and the 75th percentile makes $250,000 per year. I feel that this income is relatively reliable and viable. Since this is a very niche interest, job opportunities could be scarce because it’s an uncommon field with a potential for being high in demand due to its popularity. Another considerable factor is the power of AI when creating images. AI might affect the job availability of this because it could possibly do the job faster in the future. An illustrator could still be needed to approve the image, but the job availability would essentially plummet.
Common places to find medical illustrations are textbooks, doctors offices, hospitals, zoos, museums, libraries, magazines, and the list goes on! Currently, there is a special Biomedical Illustrations exhibit at the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia on weekends. The Mütter Museum website writes that “Illustrating Medicine will offer a glimpse into medical history through examples of centuries-old medical texts that beautifully illustrate anatomy, plant-derived medicines known as herbals, and medical treatment and technique.”
More info about this event can be found with this link: https://muttermuseum.org/on-view/illustrating-medicine .
