Schedule - Saturday, July 19
AMI 2024 Salon Professional Award of Merit: Body Image by Heidi Schlehlein
Breakfast for Attendees
Session 13
Artists have historically faced a multitude of threats to their rights. The increasing cross-border nature of shared data and expanding growth of technology is only exacerbating these threats. How can artists, and visual artists specifically, be adequately protected in this ‘Intelligence’ Age?
To protect their concerns, visual artists should know how laws and policies are developing that have a bearing on their practice. This presentation offers an overview of these developments through: (i) examination of representative case holdings, legislation and policy that address the intersection of technology and artists’ economic and moral rights; (ii) assessment of inconsistent legal positions related to technology that are surfacing between and within jurisdictions; and (iii) analysis of perspectives from the creative sector on which aspects of emerging technologies are or may be most helpful or harmful and how the three Cs of consent, credit and compensation are valued.
15-Minute Transition Break
Session 14
During this session, attendees will learn how a systematic review and thematic analysis can be used to challenge conventional medical illustrations on the example of the menstrual cycle. A common scientific way of depicting the menstrual cycle is the linear model. Menstrual cycle tracking apps have made circular representations of part of the menstrual cycle more popular and depictions of the menstrual cycle available to the public via platforms such as Google image search do show cyclical depictions of parts of the menstrual cycle.
Utilising a systematic review of medical literature and popular media visualisations, followed by a thematic analysis, is a helpful tool to inform the creation of illustrations, and can help identify gaps in existing depictions. A mixed method research was conducted including a systematic review followed by a thematic analysis and subsequently resulting in the production of a cyclical depiction of the menstrual cycle.
Advantages of the linear model include: 1. Sequential Understanding: Chronological order helps to understand the sequence of hormonal changes and physiological processes 2. Clarity: Progresses over time (calendar format). Linear model is the preferred method for scientific knowledge transfer. Aspects have been recognized to have the potential to be shown in a cyclical fashion.
Advantages of the cyclical model include: 1. Cyclical Nature: Consistent with the inherent nature of the menstrual cycle (Cycle repeats itself = key concept) 2. Connection to Real-life Experience: Menstrual cycles experienced as cyclical by menstruating people Industry standard medical illustration techniques are used to visualise a comprehensive scientific cyclical image of the menstrual cycle.
In medical education, linear and cyclical models at different stages of instruction may offer a comprehensive and balanced approach to grasp the complexities of the menstrual cycle. The results show linear models being favoured by the scientific community and cyclical models for patient education. Both linear and cyclical models have advantages in different educational contexts. Depictions of the cyclical nature of all aspects of the menstrual cycle should be made available for educators to use. A cyclical model enables connection to real-life-experiences of menstruating people. It can be useful for future medical healthcare professionals to be exposed to the cycle's nature for a holistic approach to connect with menstruating people and their cyclical experience. To be able to gather comparable data between linear and cyclical depictions, a scientific cyclical illustration needs to exist in the first place.
Session 15
Join the BCMI leadership for an informative session designed to navigate the certification process. This comprehensive overview will guide uncertified medical illustrators through the exam format, requirements, and effective preparation strategies, ensuring a clear understanding of the certification pathway. Current Certified Medical Illustrators (CMIs) will also benefit from updates on BCMI's latest initiatives and developments. The session will cover essential topics; including effective exam preparation strategies, portfolio development, and the benefits of BCMI certification for professional growth and credibility. Additionally, attendees will learn about opportunities for engagement, leadership, and volunteer service on the BCMI board.
15-Minute Transition Break
Session 16
By Jehoon O
This session will provide an overview of biomedical art education in South Korea, tracing its development from its origins to the present day. The presentation will explore the evolution of curricula and teaching methods in this specialized field, highlighting key milestones and current practices.
The session will also feature examples from an undergraduate class in South Korea to illustrate how the field is striving to grow to meet the needs of modern education and professional training. This comprehensive review will offer valuable context for understanding the state of biomedical art education in South Korea, showcasing its impact and ongoing progress.
Session 17
The scope of our scientific visualization services at Houston Methodist's Academic Medical Center has expanded significantly in recent years. As an in-house, centralized team supporting all academic departments, they have developed their own project management and organization methods, gaining valuable insights along the way. This session aims to share their experiences with other illustrators working in similar environments, including academic medical centers and healthcare settings, offering ideas on how to effectively organize teams and manage projects.
The presentation will cover the following elements:
- Brief overview of the institution and the team’s unique placement within the institution
- Structure of the scientific visualization team and how it fit into the institution’s academic and research development mission
- Overview of who they support and the services they offer
- Project management, organization and documentation system that has been successful for their team, and how these feed into impact reporting
Lunch on Your Own
Session 18
The Vesalius Trust for Visual Communication in the Health Sciences is proud to host The VT Scholars Talks devoted to student research in the areas of medical illustration and biomedical communication. We wish all of this year’s biocommunication graduates success, all of whom will present the research done as part of their graduate studies. These award recipients will describe their research goals, problem-solving techniques and general methodology, including the use of traditional and innovative, computer-based techniques. Attendees will gain keen insight into the clinical, biomedical, and instructional design research currently being undertaken by medical illustration students in North America.
Session 19
Working with materials that are meant to educate multiple audiences with wide arrays of education, language, and cultural backgrounds can be a daunting challenge. At St. Jude, they work to create materials that can be multi-purposed across numerous platforms and for many countries. The main goal is to educate the public and to provide tailored resources for families during trying and high-stress times.
The way this information is presented needs to be above all else accurate, but also presented in simple, consistent methods that allow for the highest information retention and easiest accessibility. Being a large institution allows St. Jude to track the data they put out. They can see who, how long, and where people visit information sources provided. They are also able to test these resources with patients, families, and clinical staff globally so that they can learn what visual practices are best received and best used.
This presentation will be an explanation of a culmination of research and data used to create and share the best practices for written and visual content in public health information.
15-Minute Transition Break
Session 20
The skin is deep and superficial. It is permeable and impermeable. It renews itself continuously as it dries and sheds at the same time. It is the key to seduction and well-being. It gives us as much pleasure as pain. It transmits information to the brain and obeys its commands. Skin separates and unifies. It has an “in between” status. By its structure and function, the skin is more than a simple organ.
With its thin epidermis, it maintains homeostasis and protects us from the outside world. It also gives us a notion of the surrounding environment, by introducing an “inside” and an “outside.” Skin, mirror of our soul and thoughts, is also a reflection of the good function of the deep internal organs. In fact, skin is a witness of our identity as it varies with age, sex, ethnic, race, and identify us in society: wrinkles, scars, zits, moles, tattoo, smell, and color tone that are all part of our personal history.
Ultimately, the skin establishes relations with the world and become a non-verbal form of language. Through art, the human body has been represented in many forms and shapes, and the representation of the skin has contributed to refine this representation. If the artistic rendering of the human body is critical to the mission of the illustrator, its anatomical accuracy is its mantra.
The first part of this talk will review the structural components of the skin and the physiological changes associated with aging and color tones that affect the look of the skin as it pertains to illustrators. The second part of the talk will discuss the skin as form of identity and how this envelop becomes a mean of communication and source of discrimination.
15-Minute Transition Break
Session 21
By Peg Gerrity
Every person has inherent dignity, and the job of a portrait artist is to connect with and highlight that dignity. Capturing a likeness is a different concern altogether, and requires an understanding of the underlying anatomical structures that produce the facial features specific to each person. For this reason, portraiture is a natural outgrowth for Medical Illustrators who wish to delve into Fine Art, or as is the case of this presenter, to serve as an Artist in Residence.
As an Artist in Residence, one has an even more important task of amplifying the voices of the community for whom they serve, and must check themselves to be certain they are not speaking 'for' their subjects. For this reason, this presentation should resonate with Medical Illustrators as well, as they learn to capture the essence and dignity of their reference models in the representation of various peoples and cultures while bringing greater diversity to educational materials.
Passing of the Gavel & Closing Remarks
AMI President Nobles Green passes the gavel to President-Elect, Jennifer Fairman.
Bon Voyage Party
Join us for the Bon Voyage Party, the grand closing event of our conference. Connect, network, and say farewell to colleagues and friends as we wrap up this memorable gathering. Hosted in the charming Ashton Room at the Big Old Building (B.O.B.) in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, it's the perfect setting to bid adieu in style.
