Medical illustration is a descriptive term for the work of highly-trained professional artists who choose medicine as their subject matter. It can be extremely realistic and anatomically precise or thematic and interpretive, or even abstract and wildly conceptual.
Media used by medical illustrators can be high tech or folksy.
Medical illustration is used effectively in all major markets, including advertising, editorial, institutional and instructional. It is also at the forefront of newly emergent markets, such as legal and home health. Whether the emphasis is instructional content or subjective impact, medical illustration is a technically demanding and time-honored graphic art. The majority of medical illustrators in the United States and Canada have a master's degree from an accredited graduate program in medical illustration. Currently five accredited programs exist in the United States, each accepting between 3 and 12 students per year.