Medical Illustration

Hi All,

Hope you're all having a great week.  I'd recently been going thru a few of my old medical illustrations and thought I'd share with you.

Cross section of the Temple.  

From 1988 - 1998 I worked as a Medical Illustrator at two different teaching hospitals while serving in the Air Force.  The first five years I was at RL Thompson Strategic Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas.  The following 5 years I was at Ehrling Bergquist Hospital, in Omaha, Nebraska.

Depiction of receding gums caused by a missing tooth

The hospitals were Air Force teaching hospitals.  The main reason I was there was to support the Family Medicine Residency Programs, but I served the entire hospital including the Dental Residencies, and clinical phase programs for a variety of technicians (X-ray, Lab, Surgery Techs, and others).

Part of a Iliac Crest retrieval teaching presentation.
Shows the nerves that can get pinched off by swollen
muscles, post procedure.  This results in the
patient not being able to walk until it heals.

What did I do?  When I started in the hospital, the main teaching tool was the 35 mm slide presentation.  My main job was working with the instructors to develop teaching tools; presentations, posters, illustrations, and overhead slides.  Initially, I did "flat" artwork to be photographed on 35 mm slide film, but as technology advanced I created the artwork on computer and then shot the slides with a digital film recorder.  Towards the end of my tenure at EB Hospital, the teachers had digital projectors that would project the slides right from the computer.  They'd develop most of their slides in Powerpoint and request illustrations that I'd drop into their presentations.

Iliac Crest - the dotted line section to be retrieved
for a jaw implant.

Although I had no formal medical training, I did have to show the Air Force that I was capable of doing the work, and apply for the job as a "special duty assignment."  I loved the assignments too and I got to do some very interesting work.  I was able to observe surgeries and photograph them (for reference), and then illustrate the surgical technique.  The docs would work with me, essentially teaching me, so I could accurately illustrate the subject matter correctly.  The Dental Residents would put together "Table Clinics" every year, and I would produce/create them.  A table clinic is a poster presentation with photos, illustrations and text - subject matter would be a dental technique or study.  They would present them at the annual Dental Conventions in the surrounding states and even won some awards for the work.  I also supported the clinics and readiness section with graphic arts products when needed; training slides, fliers, posters, etc.

Dotted line shows cuts to make for gums to be
flapped open; making roots of teeth accessible to
work on.

The greatest thing about working in these facilities was the people.  I really felt like I was going to work with 350-400 of my best friends every day.  They were hard working and dedicated. and the work was very fulfilling too.  So that's my Air Force Medical story.
Have a great day All.
Tom