A medical illustrator is a professional artist with advanced education in the sciences (biology, human anatomy, physiology) and in art and design (illustration, 2D/3D/4D digital design, animation, interactive media). They are skilled in creating art that illustrates the things we often cannot see (internal organs of a body, cells and molecules, muscle tissues and tendons) or that need deeper explanation (how a surgery takes place, the inner workings of the human body, how a disease progresses).
Medical illustrators work with scientists, physicians, surgeons, researchers, and other medical specialists to take complex scientific information and distill it into visual images that can be used in a wide range of applications. These can include textbooks, brochures, infographics, interactive models, 2D and 3D animations, motion graphics, courtroom exhibits, digital presentations, educational materials, and more.
During the first two years of the medical illustration degree, you will focus on developing your drawing and traditional illustration skills. During this time, you’ll attend human biology, anatomy, and physiology classes. Building on this foundation of science courses, the third and fourth years of the major emphasize 2D and 3D computer illustration and animation. As a third and fourth-year student, you’ll attend Human Gross Anatomy, a course that includes full head-to-toe dissection in RIT’s Cadaver Lab, one of the few undergraduate cadaver labs in the nation. Through collaboration with area hospitals, you will also be able to draw from direct observation of surgical procedures and medical treatments in progress. The medical illustration degree explores all aspects of health care, from the molecular level through the macroscopic and into the theoretical.