Lifelong Learning, integrated teaching scenarios and anatomical illustrations

Our University is full of talented, unique and inspiring students. Each year the TILT team offer a placement to one of our postgraduate Medical Art students to offer an opportunity to develop their portfolio, and create a wide range of learning materials for our undergraduate medical programme. In 2022 we had the pleasure of accepting Rachel Bessell; a skilled, motivated and passionate individual who, in just under 3 months, created a range of fantastic educational illustrations.

Rachel’s coursework for the MSc programme - Heart Attacks in Women, a 3D Model – is available to view on Sketchfab.

Lifelong Learning – A Wimmelbilder illustration

Our BMSc students are given a presentation on the importance of lifelong learning by Dr James McMillan – a vast subject that has been interpreted by researchers in different ways, taught in many different educational settings, and is valuable both professionally and personally.

Feedback from some of the students mentioned they were unsure of the link between lifelong learning and medicine. Visual material with a narrative that would enable James to clearly connect lifelong learning with medicine was created by the TILT Medical Artist, and Rachel contributed to this project by creating a detailed illustration for use during the presentation.

As a one minute activity, the students would be invited to view the illustration with a game of ‘how many can you spot?’. Rachel’s illustration details a variety of everyday scenarios relating to lifelong learning, which are elaborated on throughout James’ presentation. Wimmelbilder, meaning “teeming picture book” we know very well from the children’s book series ‘Where’s Wally?’ and originates as far back in paintings by the likes of Peter Bruegel the Elder (1530 – 1569).

The following slide would show the illustration with each scenario highlighted, and due to the ‘busy’ nature of the illustration, the students would likely miss a few scenarios – giving them time to reflect on the extensive nature of lifelong learning.

Designed to encourage interactivity and refresh learning materials, students responded very positively to the illustration and the presentation as a whole. 

Integrated teaching scenario illustrations

Part of a set of seven in collaboration with the Medical Artist, Rachel worked on three scenarios – a triadic consultant with an elderly patient, an awkward discussion between two colleagues, and an unsure patient. With use of expression, iconography and colour, these illustrations are designed to generate discussion and emotional impact during the clinical scenario sessions with groups of our year 5 students.

More information about the project and the Medical Artist’s Illustrations are available on our Integrated Teaching Scenario Illustrations web page.

Anatomical illustration – Jugular vein anatomy

Requested by Dr Rosalind Harpur in Clinical Skills, this illustration is used as teaching aid and features as part of a bank of bespoke images for the University of Dundee, featuring diversity and representation as a main focus.