Augusta University Medical Illustration Graduate Program

05/13/2021

GRADUATION DAY!— We're delighted to announce the graduation of the Class of 2021. Madison Christian, Mason Goth, Anekay Kelly, Andrea Lacy, Linden Pederson, Max Perim, Kristin Piciacchia, Jordan Thornton and Annie White-Canale have successfully completed the requirements for the degree Master of Science in Medical Illustration. Congratulations to this outstanding group of bright, talented and resilient young professional medical illustrators!
If you would like to see what they've been up to, we invite you to tune in for the Master's Showcase this afternoon. We'll go live at 4:45 p.m. The link is: https://echo360.org/.../68293e4d-de3d-459e-bf2e.../public. Please note that those wishing to view the livestream will need to use an internet browser other than Internet Explorer (IE), such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge. as IE will not work with ECHO livestream.

GRADUATION DAY!— We're delighted to announce the graduation of the Class of 2021. Madison Christian, Mason Goth, Anekay Kelly, Andrea Lacy, Linden Pederson, Max Perim, Kristin Piciacchia, Jordan Thornton and Annie White-Canale have successfully completed the requirements for the degree Master of Science in Medical Illustration. Congratulations to this outstanding group of bright, talented and resilient young professional medical illustrators!
If you would like to see what they've been up to, we invite you to tune in for the Master's Showcase this afternoon. We'll go live at 4:45 p.m. The link is: https://echo360.org/.../68293e4d-de3d-459e-bf2e.../public. Please note that those wishing to view the livestream will need to use an internet browser other than Internet Explorer (IE), such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge. as IE will not work with ECHO livestream.

05/04/2021

CONGRATULATIONS— Please join us in congratulating Keri L. Jones (’20) for being the first in her class to become a Certified Medical Illustrator (CMI)! Keri graduated just one year ago, and she and her classmates took the CMI exam the week after graduation. If an applicant passes the written exam, the Board of Certification of Medical Illustrators (BCMI) allows up to 2 years to submit the required portfolio for Part II of the CMI examination process. The portfolio cannot include any work done as a student. It must include 8 professionally-created medical illustration and/or animations. The portfolios are judged by a panel of veteran CMIs, who score on accuracy, clarity and artistic competence.
Keri submitted her portfolio in under 5 months and passed on her first attempt. She is the first person world-wide to attain CMI status within 6 months of graduation.
All of our new graduates do well—Georgia grads routinely score in the top percentile on the written exam. Keri’s amazing accomplishment is proof of just how productive and proficient our grads are professionally, and of how skilled they are at building CMI-worthy portfolios.

CONGRATULATIONS— Please join us in congratulating Keri L. Jones (’20) for being the first in her class to become a Certified Medical Illustrator (CMI)! Keri graduated just one year ago, and she and her classmates took the CMI exam the week after graduation. If an applicant passes the written exam, the Board of Certification of Medical Illustrators (BCMI) allows up to 2 years to submit the required portfolio for Part II of the CMI examination process. The portfolio cannot include any work done as a student. It must include 8 professionally-created medical illustration and/or animations. The portfolios are judged by a panel of veteran CMIs, who score on accuracy, clarity and artistic competence.
Keri submitted her portfolio in under 5 months and passed on her first attempt. She is the first person world-wide to attain CMI status within 6 months of graduation.
All of our new graduates do well—Georgia grads routinely score in the top percentile on the written exam. Keri’s amazing accomplishment is proof of just how productive and proficient our grads are professionally, and of how skilled they are at building CMI-worthy portfolios.

04/21/2021

STUDENT SCHOLASTIC AWARDS— In today’s awards ceremony for the 36th Annual Graduate Research Day (GRD), two of our outstanding students have received singular honors: Benjamin Brown (’20) and Allen Hagan (’22). GRD was held virtually on Friday, April 26. It showcased the research performed by AU’s graduate students, including those in our Medical Illustration Graduate Program.
Please join us in congratulating Ben Brown. His Master’s Project entitled “Development of Immersive VR Gaming for Pediatric Education of Toxocariasis“ has received the Educational Multimedia Excellence Award during Graduate Research Day. Assoc. Professor Amanda Behr was Ben’s Major Advisor and Dr. Vahe Heboyan was his Content Advisor. Here is the abstract for Ben’s project: Public Health interventionists must overcome obstacles such as engaging community interest, cultural idiosyncrasies, communication barriers and ensuring retention of the information being passed on. As it stands, most of the work medical illustrators do in this realm involves still images such as infographics, but there is little in the way of bio-visuals which supplement field work and are engaging for today’s screen culture youth. The innovative value of this project is in supporting the use of immersive virtual reality experiences as a new model for public health education using digital environments and animated life science scenarios relevant to preventative medical practices. The production process included collaboration with elementary schools, computer science engineers, and the public health department. The results were Germ Park, a functional VR game concept focused on the playground parasite Toxocara. Game levels and cut scene animations teach adolescent users the vectors through which parasites can be contracted and why they are so dangerous. The game itself also serves in the greater benefit of the medical illustration profession as a reproducible workflow which can be used for the creation of effective immersive experiences for public health topics.
Please also congratulating Allen Hagan Allen’s project was in patient education, specifically on creating a brochure about gastric bypass surgery His scientific poster entitled “Roux-en-y Gastric Bypass Brochure” has received the Octavia Garlington Award for Instructional Design – Poster. Assoc. Professor Amanda Behr was Allen’s advisor on this project. Here is the abstract for his poster: A roux-en-y gastric bypass is a type of bariatric surgical procedure primarily used for weight loss. Patients in need of losing large amounts of weight may not be able to do so with diet and exercise alone, and gastric bypass can assist the weight loss process. A brochure was developed to provide patients with an in depth look about the operation, it’s benefits, as well as how they will digest with these surgical changes. Design elements in art style, use of font hierarchy, and simple wording aid the viewer in understanding the content without prior knowledge of anatomy. The design is intended to look professional and authoritative to help boost the confidence of the patient, what they know of the procedure and their decision to undergo a gastric bypass. Research was conducted through video observations of the surgery and compiled into a patient friendly format with informative.

04/21/2021

Each Spring, the University of Georgia, Lamar Dodd School of Art hosts an exhibition of the best in student scientific and medical illustration. Students from the UGA Scientific Illustration Program (https://art.uga.edu/academics/scientific-illustration) and the AU Medical Illustration Graduate Program (https://www.augusta.edu/alliedhealth/medicalillustration). Students participate and compete for awards. More than fifty outstanding examples of scientific and medical illustration are on display. The scientific artwork documents and explains the natural world around us, and the medical artwork informs and enlightens us about the human body in health and disease. The artwork was judged by a panel of experienced and renowned professional illustrators.

This year, several of the bright and talented students in our Medical Illustration Graduate Program received awards. Please join us in congratulating the following students:

Colin Stirt (Class of ’22) received an Award of Merit, for “Ethicon Endopath.” Created as a figure for a medical device catalog, the purpose of Colin’s illustration is to depict a complex medical instrument in an idealized yet realistic manner to better promote the device.

Clara Oh (Class ’22) received an Award of Merit, for “Eye Anatomy for Medical Students.” Created as a figure for an anatomy atlas, the purpose of Clara’s illustration is to educate first year medical students about the intricacies of the anatomy of the human eye. Clara also received an Award of Excellence, for “The Camouflage Mechanisms of Octopus cyanea.” The purpose of this illustration is to depict Octopus cyanea’s primary physiological mechanisms of camouflage—papillae and chromatophores—for a Scientific American audience.

Anekay Kelly (Class ’21) received an Award of Excellence, for Avandia and Diabetes Mellitus Type II.” The purpose of Anekay’s illustrated marketing poster is to visually explain the mechanism of Avandia, an antidiabetic drug, for treating diabetes mellitus Type 2. The drug targets fatty cells and muscular cells activating the insulin receptors, which ultimately lead to glucose metabolism.

Linden Pederson (Class of ’21) received the prestigious Stenstrom Award of Excellence, for “Bone Fractures.” The purpose of Linden’s illustrated patient education poster is to depict and describe common types of bone fractures. Linden will also receive a modest cash prize.

Small versions of the students’ amazing works are attached. The entire exhibit can be viewed online at either of two online locations:
https://mpoll21.wixsite.com/sci-med-ill
https://www.facebook.com/groups/776795586376547/.

In addition, the actual artwork is now mounted in the Robert B. Greenblatt, MD Library on the Health Sciences Campus at AU. It will be on view through the end of May.

Please join us in congratulating Colin, Clara, Anekay and Linden for their outstanding achievements!

04/20/2021

Georgia Rehabilitation Institute grant supports Augusta University’s Department of Medical Illustration

PROGRAM UPDATE— Here's a great story in the Jagwire about our new Medical Sculpture Lab and the generous grant that is getting it off the ground: https://jagwire.augusta.edu/georgia-rehabilitation.../. Enjoy!

Georgia Rehabilitation Institute granted $65,722 to Augusta University to expand the capabilities of the medical sculpture lab for the Department of Medical Illustration in the College of Allied Health Sciences.

01/28/2021

Coronavirus image produced by alumna wins international award

Iconic COVID Image Update— Please join us in congratulating Alissa Eckert ('06) and her colleague Dan Higgins on receiving a Beazley Design of the Year Award in Graphics for their masterful work on the now-icon COVID-19 virus. Here's a link to the story about their award as featured in the current edition of the JagWire: https://jagwire.augusta.edu/coronavirus-image-produced-by-alumna-wins-international-award/.
And here's a link to the story about the Beazley Awards at the Design Museum: https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/beazley-designs-of-the-year/graphics.
Our alumni are incredible, and they do amazing work. Congratulations Alissa!

The coronavirus image created by alumna Alissa Eckert earns a big win on the international design stage.

12/16/2020

The Image Seen Round the World

The Fall 2020 edition of "A." (Augusta University's Alumni Magazine) features "The Image Seen Around the World, the story of the creation of the iconic image of the COVID-19 virus by alumna Alissa Eckert and co-worker Dan Higgins at the CDC. Click on the following link to read this amazing story: https://magazines.augusta.edu/2020/11/25/the-image-seen-round-the-world/

The image she designed is everywhere, and so is she: Alissa Eckert (MSMI '06) is the most famous medical illustrator in the world.

12/10/2020

Frequently Asked Questions

REMINDER— The deadline for submission of applications for the Class of 2021-23 in our accredited Medical Illustration Graduate Program is January 10, 2021. All application materials must be submitted by midnight on the 10th. For detailed information about our application requirements and process, please visit https://www.augusta.edu/alliedhealth/medicalillustration/admissions.php#Admissions. Only online applications can be accepted. Applications will not be considered unless complete.

Additional useful information about the program, including how we are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, can be found on our FAQ page, at https://www.augusta.edu/alliedhealth/medicalillustration/faq.php.

For questions, please contact Program Director Bill Andrews at [email protected].

Per direction of the University System of Georgia (USG) in March 2020, AU issued a shelter at home mandate and closed the campus. After a brief transition period, online instruction was provided to keep current students on-track with their degree plans. Over the Summer, AU faculty and staff worked d...

12/09/2020

The Image Seen Round the World

We invite your to read the story about "The Image Seen Round the World" in the latest edition of the Augusta University Alumni Magazine at https://magazines.augusta.edu/2020/11/25/the-image-seen-round-the-world/.

The image she designed is everywhere, and so is she: Alissa Eckert (MSMI '06) is the most famous medical illustrator in the world.

12/09/2020

Please join us in congratulating Andrea Lacy (Class ’21) on her induction into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. Andrea came to us from Columbus, IN. She earned a BS in Biology degree, with a minor in Illustration, from Indiana Wesleyan University.

PKP is the premiere international honor society in higher education. Among graduate students who have completed at least one full year of study, only the top 10% academically are eligible for membership in this century-old community of scholars and professionals. The PKP motto is “Let the love of learning rule humanity.” The mission of the Society is: “to recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.”

Congratulations, Andrea, on this well-deserved recognition of your academic efforts and achievements! You are a true credit to the Medical Illustration Graduate Program, the College of Allied Health Sciences, and The Graduate School at Augusta University.

10/29/2020

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you interested in applying to our accredited Medical Illustration Graduate Program? The application deadline for the Class of 2021 - 2023 is January 10, 2021. For information about our application and admissions process please visit https://www.augusta.edu/alliedhealth/medicalillustration/admissions.php#Admissions. For additional information about the university and our program in the time of COVID, please visit our FAQ page at https://www.augusta.edu/alliedhealth/medicalillustration/faq.php. For additional, specific questions you may have about applying, please contact us at [email protected].

Per direction of the University System of Georgia (USG) in March 2020, AU issued a shelter at home mandate and closed the campus. After a brief transition period, online instruction was provided to keep current students on-track with their degree plans. Over the Summer, AU faculty and staff worked d...

10/01/2020

Medical Illustration

Please join the Dept. of Medical Illustration in congratulating the following talented graduate students and outstanding alumni who today received awards for their artwork from the Association of Medical Illustrators.

Our award-winning students are:
For the category in Didactic/Instructional: Surgical/Clinical Procedures, in the Student Salon—
• Katharine Thompson (Class of ’20), Award of Merit, for ACL Reconstruction: Arthroscopic Graft Placement
• Madison Christian (Class ’21), Award of Merit, for Swine Ovariohysterectomy
• Megan Ward (Class ’20), Award of Merit, for Total Thyroidectomy

For the category Advertising and Marketing/Promotional, in the Student Salon—
• Kristin Piciacchia, (Class ’21), Award of Merit, for Meet CPAP: A Guide to Getting Your Best Rest

Our award-winning alumni are:
For the category Didactic/Instructional: Non-Commercial, in the Professional Salon—
• Andy Rekito (Class ’02), Award of Excellence, for Immunopathogenesis of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

For the category Editorial, in the Professional Salon—
• Alissa Eckert (Class ’06), Award of Merit, for 2020 Global Pandemic Health Enemy #1: SARS-CoV-2

For the category Medical-Legal, in the Professional Salon—
• MediVisuals, Inc. (Bob Shepherd (Class ’81) and team), Award of Excellence, for Burn Injuries and Treatments
• Jennifer Darcy (Class ’04), Award of Excellence, for Janie Doe: 7/25/15 Right Leg Injuries Following Gunshot Wound
• MediVisuals, Inc. (Bob Shepherd (Class ’81) and team), Award of Merit, for Mechanism of Scalping Injury
• Jennifer Darcy (Class ’04), Award of Merit, for John Doe’s Traumatic Facial Injuries

For the category Animation: Didactic/Instructional – Noncommercial, in the Professional Salon—
• Nucleus Medical Media, Inc. (Elizabeth McDonald (Class '10) and owners Ron Collins (Class ’90) and Keith Pavlik (Class ’89)), Award of Merit, for Decoding Cancer Immunology: Hunting Hidden Tumors
• Nucleus Medical Media, Inc. (Mike Gleason (Class '88), Mary Beth Clough (Class '96), Elizabeth McDonald (Class '10), and owners Ron Collins (Class ’90), Keith Pavlik (Class ’89)), Award of Merit, for How COVID-19 Affects the Body
While all of our students are truly exceptional and our alumni are leaders in the field, today we are especially proud of our newest award-winners!

The Association of Medical Illustrators is the preeminent international professional society in this field. More info about the organization can be found at https://ami.org/.

Medical illustration is truly an interdisciplinary field—a creative combination of the visual arts, the health sciences, education, and communications. Historically, its roots were fully evident by the Renaissance, as seen in the work of research anatomists and educators such as Andreas Vesalius and in the artwork of the great figurative artists such as Leonardo DaVinci. Today, medical illustration—and biomedical communication in general—is an essential component for the growth and effectiveness in healthcare research, education and delivery.

The Medical Illustration Graduate Program at AU (MIGP) is the premier training center for visual communications in the health sciences in the southeast. It was the first graduate degree offered at the Medical College of Georgia. And, it is the oldest existing graduate program of its kind in the world. MIGP was the first graduate program to become accredited, and has been continuously accredited since 1967. It is one of only four accredited graduate programs.

The program features a synergistic multidisciplinary curriculum—students take courses in the medical sciences as well as in communications and graphic arts. The course of study focuses on conceptualization, planning, design, production, implementation and evaluation of visual solutions for complex communication and education problems in the life and health sciences. These visual solutions incorporate a variety of media—from static imagery to 3D animation, and from instructional game modules to physiological simulation. Completion of the 21-month program results in the unique Master of Science in Medical Illustration (MSMI) degree. Since its inception in 1948, the department has graduated more than 399 highly accomplished medical illustrators. More info about the program can be found at https://www.augusta.edu/alliedhealth/medicalillustration/.

The Medical Illustration Graduate Program within the College of Allied Health Sciences at Augusta University is one of only three such programs in the country.