Medical Illustrators are highly trained professionals who are trained specifically in illustration and science to create visual images to convey complicated concepts and ideas. I studied at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in the Medical Illustration Graduate program. I took medical and science classes with the first year medical students and illustration with my fellow medical illustration students.
There are many reasons a medical illustrator can be helpful in creating images to accompany your presentation or text. Highlighting a few of these presents examples of benefits of medical and scientific illustrations. There are at least three reasons to use a medical illustrator to create images to go with your product or education materials.
Three reasons to hire a medical illustrator
- The human brain interprets visual images much faster than words. Processing of words is sequential whereas processing of visuals is simultaneous. Visual images accompanying text have more impact than text alone. When presenting information with visuals and text together, the audience remembers more information and connects with the material . Visuals can make your presentations much more effective and memorable.
- Science and medicine frequently face the need to convey difficult topics to a select audience. A medical illustrator can transform words and concepts into visual images to convey complex ideas. Subjects can be tailored to the intended audience such as patient education or higher education. Physicians and scientists use illustrations to convey topics to their peers. Medical illustrations are an excellent way to provide patients with detailed care instructions or disease information.
- In this day of photographs and video why use an illustration or graphic instead of a photograph or video? Illustrations can be used when photographs are too detailed or show an angle that can’t be photographed or a concept that can’t be shown. An illustration can clarify or simplify or stress a particular idea or concept. Illustrations can isolate or target a specific idea or image.
Using illustrations for each of these points can increase the effectiveness of communication between the presenter and the intended audience.
To learn more about the skills of medical illustrators, visit The Association of Medical Illustrators