I quit science research and became a scientific illustrator | Medical Illustrator Career

DrawBioMed
17 Jun 202014:35
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRScientific illustrator Jon shares his remarkable journey from a clinical researcher to an artist in this inspiring video. Initially working at the National Health Research Institute in Taiwan, Jon became disillusioned with the limited impact of academic research. After discovering the field of biomedical illustration, he took a leap of faith, learning to draw from scratch and eventually earning a spot in a prestigious program in the Netherlands. Jon's story highlights the importance of diverse career paths in science and encourages scientists to explore their passions, emphasizing the need for various talents to advance scientific communication and research.

Takeaways
  • 🎓 Jon holds a bachelor's degree in life sciences and initially pursued a career in clinical research.
  • 🏥 He worked at the National Health Research Institute in Taiwan, focusing on neuropsychiatric research related to heroin addiction treatment.
  • 🧑‍🔬 Jon found the research environment supportive but became disillusioned with the limited readership and impact of academic publications.
  • 🎨 Discovering the profession of biomedical illustration in Nature magazine inspired Jon to combine art and science.
  • 📚 Despite no prior drawing experience, Jon took up drawing classes and learned from scratch, eventually realizing his potential in realistic drawing.
  • 👨‍🎨 He transitioned to part-time research and attended art school in Taipei to develop a portfolio for scientific illustration programs.
  • 🏆 Jon was accepted into programs in both Canada and the Netherlands, choosing the latter for its teaching style and atmosphere.
  • 💰 With a scholarship from the British Council, Jon pursued his studies and made a drastic career change from researcher to artist.
  • 🌍 After graduation, Jon faced challenges in establishing a career as an artist but has since built a successful business in Amsterdam and Taipei.
  • 🤝 He collaborates with researchers, designs journal covers, and gives workshops at prestigious institutions, emphasizing the importance of diverse roles in science.
  • 🔬 Jon encourages scientists to consider alternative career paths that utilize their talents and serve the scientific community in various ways.
Q & A
  • What was Jon's educational background before becoming a scientific illustrator?

    -Jon had a bachelor's degree in life science, which is essentially pre-med, and he worked as a clinical researcher after graduation.

  • Where did Jon initially work after receiving his bachelor's degree?

    -Jon worked at the National Health Research Institute in Taiwan at the Neuropsychiatric Center on a project researching heroin addiction treatment.

  • What led to Jon's decision to quit his research job?

    -Jon became depressed and frustrated with the research job after realizing the amount of time scientists invest in research and publishing, with the resulting articles being read by very few people.

  • How did Jon discover the profession of biomedical illustration?

    -Jon discovered the profession through an article in Nature magazine, which inspired him to combine art and science.

  • What was the initial challenge Jon faced when he started learning to draw?

    -Jon had never drawn before, so he started from scratch by taking drawing classes after work and learning to draw basic geometric shapes.

  • What was Jon's epiphany that made him realize he could become a scientific illustrator?

    -Jon's epiphany came when he took a step back from his work and realized that his drawings looked very realistic from a distance, suggesting he had a talent for creating photorealistic images.

  • How did Jon prepare for applying to scientific illustration programs?

    -Jon changed his research job to a part-time position, moved back to Taipei, and attended art classes at the best art school in Taiwan to develop a portfolio.

  • Which countries' programs did Jon apply to for scientific illustration?

    -Jon applied to programs in Canada and Europe, eventually choosing the one in Maastricht, Netherlands.

  • What was unique about the teaching technique at the program Jon chose?

    -The program in Maastricht used the 'atelier model,' an apprenticeship model from the Renaissance era, similar to how Rembrandt and Da Vinci taught their students.

  • How did Jon support his studies financially?

    -Jon received one of the biggest scholarships in the world from the British Council to support his studies.

  • What are some of the challenges Jon faced after making the career switch?

    -After graduation, Jon faced the challenge of building a life and career as an artist without any prior experience or guidance, as no one around him had worked as an artist.

  • How has Jon's career as a scientific illustrator allowed him to contribute to the scientific community?

    -Jon has been able to collaborate with researchers, design journal covers, give workshops at prestigious institutions, and improve scientific communication.

  • What advice does Jon have for scientists considering alternative career paths?

    -Jon encourages scientists to explore alternative career paths that combine their hidden talents with their scientific knowledge, as it can lead to a more fulfilling and meaningful career.

  • How does Jon view the importance of science communication, especially during the corona pandemic?

    -Jon sees the importance of science communication as crucial, especially during the corona pandemic, where getting correct scientific information to the public, policymakers, and family members is extremely challenging.

  • What does Jon suggest for those interested in learning more about his journey?

    -Jon invites those interested to comment and engage in a conversation about his journey, including his application process for scientific illustration programs and his career switch plan.

Outlines
00:00
🎨 Career Transition to Scientific Illustrator

Jon, a former clinical researcher, shares his journey of becoming a scientific illustrator after quitting his research job. With a background in life sciences, he worked at the National Health Research Institute in Taiwan, focusing on heroin addiction treatment. Despite a supportive environment, Jon became disillusioned with the limited readership and impact of academic research. Inspired by an article in Nature, he pursued a career in biomedical illustration, despite having no prior drawing experience. He took drawing classes, transitioned to part-time research, and attended art school in Taipei, developing skills in color, pastels, and oil painting. This led to his application and acceptance into scientific illustration programs in Canada and Europe, choosing Maastricht, Netherlands for its 'atelier model' and receiving a significant scholarship from the British Council.

05:07
🛤️ The Risky Leap into Artistry and Its Outcomes

The video continues with Jon detailing the significant and risky career change he made, transitioning from a clinical researcher to an artist. He candidly discusses the challenges and consequences of this decision, especially the lack of understanding about making a living as an artist. Jon managed to establish his own businesses in Amsterdam and Taipei, collaborating with researchers and designing journal covers, one of which was published in the ACS journal. He also had the opportunity to give workshops at prestigious institutions like the University of Oxford and Einstein Center of Neurosciences in Berlin. Jon encourages other scientists to consider alternative career paths that serve the science community, emphasizing the importance of diverse roles during challenging times such as the corona pandemic. He stresses the need for improved scientific communication and the value of various talents in supporting scientific development.

10:12
🌟 Exploring Alternative Career Paths in Science

In the final paragraph, Jon discusses the limited visibility of alternative career paths in the field of biomedical science, which often appear to lead only to academic roles. He shares his observations about the underdevelopment of non-academic career paths and expresses a hope for a future where these opportunities are more established and exciting. Jon encourages those with hidden talents outside of science to consider integrating them into their scientific professions, as he found this combination to be personally fulfilling and motivating. He invites viewers to share their experiences and stresses the importance of community and communication in the scientific field. Jon offers to share more about his journey, including his application process, conversations with his principal investigator, and the establishment of his business, should the audience express interest.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Scientific Illustrator
A scientific illustrator is a professional who combines artistic skills with an understanding of scientific concepts to visually represent scientific information. In the video, Jon, the narrator, transitions from being a clinical researcher to becoming a scientific illustrator, which is central to the theme of career change and combining art with science. This is exemplified when Jon mentions his interest in the profession after reading an article in Nature and subsequently taking drawing classes.
💡Clinical Researcher
A clinical researcher is an individual involved in scientific studies that involve patient populations, often working towards developing treatments or understanding diseases. In the script, Jon initially worked as a clinical researcher at the National Health Research Institute in Taiwan, focusing on heroin addiction treatment. His experience as a clinical researcher provides the foundation for his later work as a scientific illustrator, as he understands the scientific concepts he needs to depict.
💡Neuropsychiatric Center
A Neuropsychiatric Center is a specialized facility or department within a hospital or research institute that focuses on the study and treatment of disorders that affect both the nervous system and mental health. Jon mentions working at the Neuropsychiatric Center in Taiwan, which is relevant to the video's theme as it shows the high level of expertise and research environment he was part of before making his career transition.
💡Academic Research
Academic research refers to the investigation and study of a particular subject carried out by researchers within an academic environment, often with the aim of publishing findings in scholarly journals. Jon expresses frustration with the limited readership of academic research publications, which averages around 3 to 4 people, according to his experience. This dissatisfaction is a catalyst for his career change.
💡Publishing
Publishing, in the context of the video, refers to the process of making research findings available in scholarly articles or journals. Jon discusses the time and effort scientists invest in research and publishing, only for their work to be read by a very limited audience. This highlights a key reason for his career shift towards scientific illustration, where his work could potentially reach a wider audience.
💡Portfolio
A portfolio is a collection of an artist's work that showcases their skills and talents. In the script, Jon mentions developing a portfolio as part of his transition to a scientific illustrator. This is a critical step in applying for scientific illustration programs and demonstrates his artistic abilities and understanding of scientific concepts.
💡Atelier Model
The 'atelier model' refers to an apprenticeship style of teaching that was common during the Renaissance era, where students learn from a master artist in a hands-on environment. Jon chose a program in the Netherlands that uses this model, which aligns with his desire to learn in a traditional and immersive way, similar to how historical figures like Rembrandt and Da Vinci taught.
💡Scholarship
A scholarship is a financial award given to students to support their education, often based on academic merit or other criteria. Jon received a significant scholarship from the British Council, which underscores the recognition of his potential and the importance of financial support in pursuing higher education in the arts.
💡Career Switch
A career switch refers to the act of changing one's professional career path to a different field. Jon's decision to move from clinical research to scientific illustration is a significant career switch, which is the central narrative of the video. His story serves as an inspiration for others considering a change in their professional lives.
💡Alternative Career Paths
Alternative career paths are professional routes outside of traditional or expected career trajectories. Jon discusses the importance of recognizing and developing alternative career paths in science, such as scientific illustration, to support the broader scientific community and to utilize a wider range of talents and skills.
💡Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is the process of designing, launching, and running a new business, which is typically a step-by-step process. Jon's journey includes entrepreneurship as he builds his own business in Amsterdam and Taipei, combining his scientific knowledge with his artistic skills, which exemplifies an alternative career path in the scientific community.
Highlights

Jon, a scientific illustrator, shares his story of transitioning from a clinical researcher to an artist.

Jon was interviewed by a Dutch scientific magazine about his career change.

He held a bachelor's degree in life science and worked at the National Health Research Institute in Taiwan.

Jon worked on a project researching heroin addiction treatment.

He became frustrated with the limited readership and impact of academic research publications.

Jon discovered the profession of biomedical illustrator in an article in Nature.

Despite having no prior drawing experience, Jon decided to pursue a career in art.

He took drawing classes after work, starting from basic geometric shapes.

Jon had an epiphany about his artistic abilities after stepping back from his work.

He changed his job to part-time and moved to Taipei to attend art school.

Jon met a teacher who taught him advanced art techniques, improving his skills rapidly.

He prepared a portfolio and applied for scientific illustration programs in Canada and Europe.

Jon was accepted into programs in Scotland and the Netherlands, choosing the latter for its teaching style.

He received a significant scholarship from the British Council to support his studies.

Jon now runs his own businesses in Amsterdam and Taipei, collaborating with researchers.

He has given workshops at prestigious institutions like the University of Oxford and Einstein Center of Neurosciences.

Jon emphasizes the importance of diverse career paths in supporting the scientific community.

He encourages scientists to consider alternative career paths that combine their hidden talents with their scientific skills.

Jon invites viewers to share their experiences and discuss scientific career paths.

He offers to share more about his journey, including applying for programs and opening his business.

Transcripts
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