1.What
kinds of people apply to the program and get in?
People who can
draw and who have some education in biology and science can apply to
the program and be accepted. This means that artistic biology majors
and scientific art majors have been accepted straight out of college.
Some students are more comfortable in art and others in science. Both
types of students have been successful. It also means that pharmacists
who have taken art classes over the years have embarked on a second
career in medical illustration. A typical student is talented, hard
working, and curious about the world, but there is no typical background,
age, race, or gender. >top
2.
May additional courses be taken from a junior college to meet requirements?
Yes, as long as
the school is accredited, the courses will count. However, you may want
to check with the program director before taking science classes. >top
3.
What computer courses do you recommend?
We recommend classes
in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator, but any classes in computer
drawing and painting techniques, two-dimensional or three-dimensional,
would be helpful. Classes in website design and construction would be
of use as well. While these classes are recommended, they are not required.
The first semester of the program introduces you to almost all the software
you need to learn. Computer courses are recommended, however, because
absolute ignorance of computers is a handicap to getting a running start
in the program. >top
4.What
should I put in my admissions portfolio?
Whatever you want!
Be sure to include examples of your unique abilities, things that you
have won awards for, your best pieces. Don't stick pieces in without
a reason. Choose carefully and think about how each piece best recommends
you for the program (be creative). Feel free to include 3D work, too
- it shows a good range of experience and talents. >top
5.
For my portfolio, should I send slides, a CD, or a DVD?
Any of the above
is adequate. A CD or DVD might make life a little easier for you as
far as portfolio organization, but choose whatever media is most comfortable
for you and reflects most positively on your work. >top
6.Why
did some of the current students choose this program?
The current students
chose UT Southwestern for a number of different reasons. Some said that
they really liked the facilities and resources on campus. The students
often do projects in their illustration classes and then actually see
them used in the science classes. During the second summer, students
do an internship in addition to their class work. The internship provides
an opportunity to experience the type of work that might be available
after graduation and to work outside of the department. Students really
appreciate the opportunity to make connections in other departments
and doing outside projects. Also, the fact that the program equally
stresses learning computer art and traditional illustration methods
attracts students. >top
7.What
kind of equipment will I need, and how much will it cost?
The department
has most of the bigger equipment you will need - computers (PC and Mac),
scanner, printers, drafting tables, taborets, lights, digital camera;
however, you will need to provide consumable art supplies (e.g. pencils,
papers, pen nibs, styluses and ink, erasers, etc.) The instructors will
tell you exactly what you need to purchase for each particular class.
Later on, you may want to buy a computer or other equipment for your
home studio, but it's not required. If you are in the market for a new
computer right now, you may want to wait and see what type would be
better for you. Some of the current students have Macs and some have
PCs. Also, you should budget at least $100 each semester for art supplies;
be sure to ask about student discounts!
Useful links:
www.journeyed.com
www.apple.com
www.gateway.com >top
8.
What are my options for housing?
There are apartments
built and owned by UT Southwestern near here. To learn more visit www3.utsouthwestern.edu/campushousing.
There are also some apartments where a number of the current students
live that is equally close to campus. Visit www.inwoodonthepark.com
to learn more about them. Call the graduate school to ask around at
214-648-4699. Other than that, you can call apartment locators to help
you find a reasonably priced apartment in the area. You can also call
the student phone at 214-648-5354 to find out if the apartment complexes
they recommend are any good. Students have been able to live far away,
even as far as Waxahatchie, and still get to class, but that's pretty
inconvenient. I would recommend sticking to Dallas in the beginning.
You can move to Irving later if you hear the suburbs calling your name.
>top
9.
Do I need a car?
In a word: Yes.
The public transportation system in Dallas is not what it could be,
nor is anything centralized. >top
10.
How much should I budget for living expenses?
The average student
here pays about $1500 a month for basic living expenses (e.g. food,
utilities, gasoline, apartment). This can vary depending on where you
live and what extra expenses you incur (car repair, entertainment, etc.).
Student loans and grants can help you make ends meet.
Useful links:
www2.utsouthwestern.edu/stuaff
www.UTSouthwestern.edu/biomedcom
www3.utsouthwestern.edu/campushousing >top
11.
Where can I leave my kids?
There is a day
care called First Step Learning Centre on the first floor of the building
here in Exchange Park (we are on the tenth floor). Their number is 214-352-8608,
to learn more about their facilities.
It's not recommended,
even part time, since the rigors of the program leave little time for
anything else. A paid student assistantship is sometimes available to
individuals during the second year; it reduces some of the burden and
allows one to buy supplies for professional life. Doing freelance medical
illustration is discouraged, because you won't have time for it and
the client mayrip you off because "you're only a student".
>top
13.
How hard are the med school classes?
To succeed in the
med school classes, it's important to have good study habits - prepare
beforehand for each class, review each day's material promptly, and
keep good notes for test preparation. Also, getting to know and study
with your anatomy tank mates and other medical students is helpful.
The med school classes (anatomy, cell biology, embryology) are information
intensive, but the material itself is no more complicated than what
you have encountered in your science prerequisites. Tutors and study
groups are available if you want extra help, and the professors are
more than willing to assist you however possible. >top
14.
Tell me about the entertainment in Dallas.
Dallas, like most
large cities, has a great deal of entertainment. There are concerts
every weekend, museums, a zoo, aquarium, gardens, parks, and hiking
trails; clubs, broadway shows, restaurants, movies (regular and independent
theaters), sports games (the Cowboys, the Stars, the Mavericks!), etc.
Every year there is the giant State Fair of Texas, the Fort Worth Stock
Show and Rodeo, and lots of special interest festivals and conventions.
If you don't mind a short (hour) drive, there is an enormous antique
show and flea market in Canton on the first Monday of every month, or
there is the dinosaur state park in Glen Rose for hiking. And don't
forget Six Flags! The Student Affairs office often sells student-rate
tickets to local activities and events-it's a good deal.
15. What do students like about the UT Southwestern
campus?
The campus is huge.
Our department is at Exchange Park, which is a shuttle ride away from
South Campus where the science classes are held. Students seem to like
to be in the small tight knit group of people and facilities surrounded
by the larger campus. There are plenty of activities on campus that
medical illustration students participate in such as intramural sports
(ie. softball, badminton, tennis, and basketball). The student center
also offers popular aerobic, workout, and yoga classes. >top
16.
Do the students hang out together outside of class?
Each class meshes
differently. There have been classes that spend all of their time together
outside of class. There have also been classes that attract a wide range
of personalities and people that don't have much in common. Regardless,
the small and fast-paced nature of the program makes it difficult to
have stressed relationships with the people that you see all day everyday,
and everyone becomes close whether or not they hang out in their spare
time. >top
17.Can
you tell me about the University insurance plan?
The University
has an adequate student insurance plan, including on campus clinic and
pharmacy. Dental and vision are also available separately. >top
18.
Tell me about the thesis project.
Required for graduation,
the thesis project brings together all of a student's scholastic experience
in order to fulfill two goals. First, the thesis project should be an
example of biomedical communication. It should aid the flow of knowledge
from the source (doctors, researchers, scientists) to the audience (laypeople,
students, residents). Second, the thesis should be an example of technical
expertise, raising the bar for what medical illustrators can hope to
accomplish. >top
19.
What's the job market like after graduation?
Excellent. Whether
you choose to free lance or take an institutional job, there is plenty
of work available for medical illustrators. You will be able to talk
to possible employers from around the country at the annual AMI meeting,
as well as set up interviews when you are close to graduation. In addition,
in the spring semester of your second year, you will take a management
course where you will meet illustrators from the area working in different
specialties and learn how to promote yourself and set up your business
with regard to tax laws and legal issues. There is a great deal of diversity
in the field, from traditional drawing and inking to computer animation
and film. The hard part will be deciding what you like to do best. >top
20. What is the AMI?
The AMI is the
Association of Medical Illustrators, the professional society for medical
artists. To learn more, their website is www.ami.org. >top
21. What type jobs are available to graduates
of the program?
Four major career
fields exist in medical illustration: textbook, editorial, medical-legal,
and pharmaceutical. Textbook is just as it sounds; you're doing illustrations
for doctors or publishers that will be printed in a book or monograph.
Editorial means you're illustrating scientific concepts for magazines
and newspapers. Medical-legal refers to illustrations made for an audience
of jurypersons in order to explain some facet of a medical suit, usually
a malpractice case. Pharmaceutical means you're illustrating the usefulness
of a particular drug or instrument, and sometimes designing the advertising
materials like brochures and posters as well. Obviously these are very
simplified categories and there's more to each of them than is explained
here. Other avenues are open to graduates based on technical expertise
gained through the program, such as graphic design, website construction,
or animation. The biggest question after graduation is not what you'll
be doing, but how and where. Entry-level jobs in large institutions
housing a medical illustration department used to be plentiful. Now
it's far more likely that you'll be working as an independent contractor
after graduation, although some think the pendulum is beginning to swing
back to the illustration department side. Examples of places that the
members of the class of 2005 are applying to anatomical charts companies,
The Journal of American Medical Association, and the Mayo Clinic. >top
22.
What can I expect in a starting salary after graduation?
A graduate working
for a large institution or small company can expect to make $35,000
to $45,000 a year. The numbers for those working freelance are harder
to average as there are many arrangements of part-time salary and part-time
freelance, but one would expect someone taking only freelance jobs to
make one third greater than any pure salary job in order to pay for
overhead, insurance, etc. >top
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