Talk:Medical illustrator
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I would like to propose that this page should be renamed "Medical Illustration" (which search term currently redirects to this page) since it is a more encyclopedia-like umbrella term which could encompass theoretical and practical information about the field, while also containing information on its practitioners (medical illustrators). Other possible aliases or redirects could be "Biomedical Communication", "Biocommunication", or "Biomedical Visualization", which are other terms common in the field. --NWoolridge 14:06, 20 October 2006 (UTC)
The author of this page, being Gary Lees himself, states in a message to the HelpDesk that this is not a copyright violation, and that the page that it was claimed to be a copyright violation of had copied it from an earlier writing by himself at http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/medart/. - Andre Engels 21:59, 24 November 2005 (UTC)
[edit] There are FIVE Accredited graduate schools in North America
These are listed by the profession's society, The Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI). [1]
Note that the profession is largely teaching surgeons how to do operations--- in other words, it is visual journalism and instruction. Thus, visual narration and instructional design are key elements. This is technical commercial art involving a high degree of knowledge of anatomy and surgical practice.
I would heartily dispute the anonymous poster's assertion that : "Note that the profession is largely teaching surgeons how to do operations". This may have obtained historically (though even that is arguable), but today only a very small proportion of medical illustration involves surgical illustration. The field is broad, covering topics ranging from molecular interactions up to targeted health consumer communication, and encompassing media from traditional textbook and research journal illustration to 3D computer animation.
The OP's subsequent comments on the importance of visual, narrative, and instructional design are perceptive, however. I would also propose that research and practice in biocommunication are taking it far beyond the notion of it as a "technical commercial art".--NWoolridge 14:06, 20 October 2006 (UTC)
Recently, a large part of the field is molecular and cellular, due to changes in the focus of medical treatment. Interactive learning systems and 3D computer animation are also utilized. Examples of these can be seen on the AMI link above and at individual illustrator pages example[2].
