SOUTHEASTERN
MEDICAL ILLUSTRATION MEETING 2026

Graduate Medical Education has become more complex with advanced procedures. Access to patients with rare or complex cases is not guaranteed during resident training. Medical simulators may be used to provide standardized training. Commercial simulation models are available to meet some of those needs. However, specialized training requires custom models. Medical illustrators have a unique skill-set to develop custom simulations models for medical education as part of a team. Our experience with materials and techniques for simulation and medical moulage will be discussed and demonstrated. Specifically, mold-making strategies, when to use 3D printing, modeling materials, and silicones will be discussed and demonstrated.

The quality and quantity of animation that any studio can produce is limited by two primary factors: skill level and computational capacity. With the advent of GPU-based rendering, previously unattainable image quality can be achieved on small, local render farms. Even so, every frame still takes time, the number of available render nodes represents a hard limit to how much can be accomplished within a given timeframe. Sometimes corners have to be cut and quality has to suffer in order to meet deadlines. But what if you could instantly manifest a farm with 100 or more computers, each with 96cpu threads and 128Gb of RAM? Or if you’re using Redshift, a group of machines with 100 or more Tesla GPU’s? My talk will outline the process of using Zync, and show some of the imagery that it has allowed Microverse Studios to produce.

Of all the components of education in the United States, it seems pretty clear that our higher education system is revered far and wide. In spite of its excellent reputation, we’re concerned. We encounter bright, highly motivated students on a daily basis that continue to use the strategies that worked for them to succeed as students, namely memorizing words on PowerPoint slides and identifying them in multiple-choice tests. The underlying problem is that they want to be veterinarians, physicians or physician assistants, professions that require problem solving skills, not great test taking skills. We believe it is time for a makeover. In this presentation, we will share our approaches to education, how they have morphed over the years, and what we have learned thus far as we’ve dipped our toes into the world of online education. By sharing our trials, tribulations, gaffs and minor successes, we hope to stimulate conversations during which we all can learn something useful.

Medical Illustration has deep roots in the university setting. This relationship has changed greatly over the decades. What is the role of our profession in an academic medical center today? What could it be in the future? How does it affect the broader profession? Medical illustrators at Emory University are venturing beyond the old models. We will discuss moving from the traditional service unit to serving on the front lines with the clinicians, researchers, and educators. A new view of patient education, as a form of treatment, with a focus on efficacy, will be considered. We will talk about we use design-thinking and rapid prototyping to make sure our work actually works. We will ask many questions and maybe offer a few answers, and hopefully spark some conversations.

Endoscopy is a well-established technique in human and domesticated animal medicine, but has only been more recently exploited in the field of zoological medicine. Endoscopy has provided minimally invasive access to various species of birds, reptiles, mammals, and fish for the purposes of biopsy collection, performing endosurgery, and creating novel teaching materials. Using a variety of case and project examples, the broad application of this technology will be presented including Galapagos tortoises, Asian box turtles, iguanas, pigeons, parrots, birds of prey and sturgeon.

Many medical illustrators find inspiration from the illustrations from the golden age of illustration and classical masters. As fans of classical techniques, is there space to showcase new creations in such techniques for today’s world continually filled with digital native media? The talk will cover marketing and branding strategies proved advantageous to diversify the audience and to break into a niche for the styles and types of illustrations you enjoy creating…and get paid. The speaker will cover roadblocks, setbacks, and unnecessary worries and fears faced as she ventured into the uncharted seas of freelancing, marketing, and branding. Aimed for veterans and students in medical illustration, this talk will give tips and tricks on how to create a small yet fierce fanbase of your work to help you build a solid foundation for your projects. Be ready to be inspired to try something a little bit differently!