Associated Organizations

Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI)

The Association of Medical Illustrators is an international non-profit professional organization founded in 1945. Its members are illustrators, designers, film-makers and others who specialize in creating material designed to facilitate medical and bioscientific knowledge through visual communication.

Members are involved not only in the creation of such material, but also serve in consultant, advisory, educational and administrative capacities in all aspects of bioscientific communications and related areas of visual education.

The professional objectives of the AMI are to promote the study and advancement of medical illustration and allied fields of visual communication, and to promote understanding and cooperation with the medical professional and related health science professions.

International Anaplastology Association (IAA)

The International Anaplastology Association is an international organization founded in 1980 and incorporated in California as a 501c4 Nonprofit Mutual Benefit Corporation as the American Anaplastology Association. The association was created to bring together a wide variety of specialists involved in providing restorative prostheses for patients with facial and somatodisfigurements due to cancer, trauma, or congenital origin.

IAA’s Mission

  • The IAA promotes quality patient care by supporting the development of best practices in anaplastology through educational conferences, networking, publication, and advocacy opportunities.

IAA’s Vision

  • The International Anaplastology Association is the recognized global forum for excellence in continuing education, research, and innovation in anaplastology.

The IAA embraces these core values…

  • To create an intellectual climate where members can come from diverse professions and turn information into knowledge.
  • To introduce old and new members to ideas that will encourage critical thinking.
  • To provide a respectful atmosphere in which members express their view, show their work and listen and learn from the work and views of others.

International Anaplastology Association

Board of Certification in Clinical Anaplastology (BCCA)

The mission of BCCA is to promote and provide certification in Clinical Anaplastology for the enhancement of patient care and professional practice. The Board for Certification in Clinical Anaplastology (BCCA) sets the highest standards for quality facial and somato prosthetics care through:

  • Stringent education requirements
  • Rigorous written and clinical certification examinations
  • Mandatory continuing professional education
  • Professional and ethical guidelines

Board of Certification for Medical Illustrators (BCMI)

The Board of Certification of Medical Illustrators administers a certification program for medical illustrators who seek a recognizable means of credentialing to outside professionals. The designation of Certified Medical Illustrator (CMI) denotes this voluntarily-earned credential and provides a recognizable means of signifying a practitioner’s current competency. The CMI credential is not required for practicing medical illustrators, nor for membership in the Association of Medical Illustrators.

The process for certification consists of a written test and portfolio presentation. There are currently approximately 250 board-certified medical illustrators.

Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (GNSI)

The Guild of Natural Science Illustrators is a non-profit organization of people engaged in the field of natural science illustration. The Guild strives to maintain and further the profession, assist others interested in entering the field and encourage high standards of competence. The Guild offers membership to those earning their living, in part or whole, by the rendering of scientific illustrations, or to anyone interested in furthering the Guild objectives.

Journal of Biocommunication (JBC)

The Journal of Biocommunication is the only peer-reviewed publication in the field. It is dedicated to serving as a venue for current research in all areas of biocommunications: techniques, presenting proven and experimental procedures in any medium used for communicating health/scientific, ethics, educational principles and other related research.

Association Européenne des Illustrateurs Médicaux et Scientifiques (AEIMS)

The Association Européenne des Illustrateurs Medicaux et Scientifiques is Europe’s association of premier medical and scientific illustrators. Founded in 1986 in Strasbourg, AEIMS endeavors to present a strong front and gain recognition for the skilled work which is carried out by its members. AEIMS holds annual meetings at various locales in Europe to bring together artists, illustrators and sculptors working in medical education and the life sciences, usually linking the conference with one of the European training institutes.