I think people should know, I have been looking into science illustration for a very long time already, and I know it’s not a great prospect job, many of these people are freelance. But today, I decided to have the courage to aim in that direction. Because I found out that, that people get proper masters and have great prospective in working for pharmaceutical company, hospitals and science magazines. But it is rare, really rare. Most people are just those who have an art degree and freelance draw scientific stuff, how hard can that be?
But John Hopkins Medicinal Art has really high requirements to get in. And apparently some of the courses are taken alongside medicine students. And we all know that Medicine in US comes after you get a proper Bsc degree or something. I never wanted to involve in medicine, but I think that is where the job prospects (including cell molecular biology) are the greatest in these kind of fields. Who wants to demonstrate by illustration how dissecting an animal looks like? Nobody. Does scientists wants to know how does those protein structures actually looks like? Yes, they do. Of course patients going to undergo surgery might want to know how the operation procedure looks like, what are the doctors actually going to do? All these can be shown with art. It’s a real pity really, animals and plants are as interesting as humans. But if I aim at this direction, I get to do art (not that my art is really good) and I still get to be involved in science and contribute to the society in a good way. And best of all, there are computer graphics and animation involved. Check this out!
So currently, John Hopkins has the highest ranking in this field but there are other universities as well, mostly US, one in Canada, Uni. of Toronto. I’m not sure setting my aim to John Hopkins is a good idea or not, since I’m sure you’re suppose to get first class and all (it says there excellent grades) and out of 40-50 applicants they only accept 5-6, but I could always give it a try, and there are still other universities to fall back to.
Won’t be telling my parents my plans yet, because I’m still not sure myself, but it is an option. This plan, it is. I don’t even have any idea how am I going to support myself through this. But yes, it is a plan. Worse come to worse, I’ll just fall back to being a freelance scientific illustrators, it would be a poor life, really specialized field but not a bad life, who knows I might be happier than researching and working in the labs for the rest of my life? The thing is, I don’t really have a thinking mind, neither do I really like to, I don’t analyze much neither do I think critically. And I believe these are things essential to be a scientist, and you must want to do it. I can spend a whole day in front of the computer doing animation and not budging from the chair but I can’t do the same when I’m facing my books. I wonder really, I really wonder. Maybe I’m just giving myself excuses. I really wonder how my life might play out, will I be able to take the road not taken? It is yet, but just a dream.
I thank my cousin for encouraging me to dream. “This is the time of your life to dream big dreams, if not now, then when?” And dream I will.
Those days when no photos existed at all,people/artists would sit along side surgeries/dissections to draw what is necessary.Without them,I guess we will learn probably nothing and have a hard time trying to imagine what proteins and stuff are like.Johns Hopkins is a good uni.Keep on dreaming and if possible make it come true while I work my a** off to make mine a reality too.I’ll be rooting for you.Go all the way…wanna see your art in Nat Geo mag/a textbook one day… =)