Meet Emily Hromi | Freelance Medical Illustrator, Artist, and Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Hromi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
When people find out that I am a medical illustrator, I typically hear a combination of the following:

“I never realized that was a job, but I guess somebody has to do it,” or “So you draw anatomy textbooks?” followed up by some variation of “Can’t they just use photos for that?/anatomy books already exist, do they really need new ones?”

In response to the question, “I never realized that was a job, but I guess somebody has to do it.”: Yep! Moving on…

I want the world at large to understand the job of a medical illustrator and that the duties of a medical illustrator extend well beyond drawing anatomy books (although, yes, we do that too). The Medical Illustration industry is much broader than that, often transcending both medicine and illustration when it branches into other areas of science and utilizes 3D modeling, animation, and immersive technologies in addition to more traditional illustration methods. Though other folks in the industry can certainly elaborate even further, for the sake of brevity I’ll only speak about my own experience and the types of jobs I work on.

“So you draw anatomy textbooks?” For all intents and purposes, yes—sometimes. Some of my work is exactly what you might expect, i.e. straightforward anatomical illustrations. In response to the question, “can’t they just use photos for that?”: Photos can be useful and of course they have their place, but sometimes it’s impossible to photograph certain topics and concepts, and often an illustration is clearer and more instructive than a photo could ever be. And because there is always new science to visualize, my job as a medical illustrator usually isn’t so straightforward: for instance, I’ve helped to illustrate cutting-edge research that hasn’t been illustrated before; I create explainer graphics that help scientists apply for funding; I illustrate new medical procedures and new medical devices.

In response to the question, “Do they really need new anatomy books?”: I’ve already mentioned that anatomy books are only a small slice of what medical illustrators work on. But even so, the books and other resources that are already out there have to be updated as our knowledge grows and evolves, as trends in design and illustration change, and ultimately to more fully represent humanity in terms of diversity and inclusion.

The Association of Medical Illustrators has delved into the topic of what medical illustrators are and what we do, for anyone who is interested in exploring further: ami.org/medical-illustration/learn-about-medical-illustration

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I attended the Cleveland Institute of Art and earned my BFA in Biomedical Art. After I graduated in 2014, I moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. I was hoping to work as a medical illustrator straight out of school, but I found a lack of opportunities in my new city and wasn’t ready yet to dive into freelancing. Instead, I accepted the first creative job that was offered to me, which began my brief career detour into the planetarium industry; I worked at the Grand Rapids Public Museum from 2014-2019, first as the Planetarium Production Technician, and was later promoted to Planetarium and Theater Manager.

While this job was not EXACTLY what I wanted to be doing professionally, it was a useful step in my career path for a number of reasons. Before I was promoted, my role at the Museum was fully creative, and although I wasn’t a medical illustrator, I was a science communicator. Instead of illustrating anatomical and medical concepts, I was animating and programming astronomical concepts, so I was still utilizing much of the training and skills I had acquired in school. More importantly perhaps, since this was my first full-time office job out of college, I developed all of the interpersonal skills and self-confidence that typically come with work and life experience, so when I did decide to go off on my own I was much better prepared than I was five years prior.

But I didn’t just decide to quit one day. Beginning in late 2018, I spent nearly a year rebuilding my portfolio, setting up an online presence, trying to network with other medical illustrators, and seeking out potential clients. I continued to work at the Museum through all of this, and I only decided to move on once I was absolutely sure I was ready to be self-employed; and even then, the Museum and I worked out a two-month transition plan so that I could continue to oversee basic operations while my successor was hired and trained. At the time that this was all happening, the decision to leave my job and endure this huge career shift felt very emotional and bittersweet, but it’s important to leave on good terms and not burn bridges. Since then, I have maintained connections to the Museum and have worked as a collaborator with them in a few different capacities.

Through having had this experience, I’ve learned that careers—especially creative careers—are more flexible than popular perception would have you believe. I’m just very much in favor of people quitting their jobs to pursue their own trajectory instead if they’re able to survive and thrive by doing so.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
To be honest, I’ve kind of become a homebody in recent years! But here are some of my favorite local businesses and activities that I might be convinced to drag myself to, if I had an out-of-town visitor.

Coffee/Treats:
Outside Coffee Co., Scorpion Hearts Club, Lantern Coffee Bar & Lounge, Stovetop Roasters, Furniture City Creamery

Food/Drinks:
San Chez, Little Africa, Chez Olga, Harmony Brewing Company, Brewery Vivant, The Meanwhile, Eastern Kille

Live Music:
The Pyramid Scheme, The DAAC, Midtown, DeVos Performance Hall to see the Grand Rapids Symphony

Shopping:
Rebel, Vertigo Music, Zabház, all of the antique shops on Century Ave, perhaps an art market or two

Museums/Cultural Institutions/Art Galleries:
Grand Rapids Public Museum, Veen Observatory, Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archive, ArtRat Gallery, 106 Gallery, a walking tour of murals in Grand Rapids

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to the Association of Medical Illustrators. Generally speaking, I’m a huge proponent of joining professional organizations; the AMI isn’t the only one that I belong to, but it’s the one where I’m the most active. As a freelancer, my day-to-day job can be somewhat isolating, so being part of a group of professionals in my industry (and especially getting involved in committees and mentoring) provides similar fulfillment for me that I would normally get from being part of a team of coworkers if I wasn’t self-employed.

Although I was a Student member of the AMI about a decade ago when I was in college, I had let my membership lapse and I didn’t become seriously involved again until 2019 when I was looking to start freelancing full-time. I decided to re-join, and the resources that were available through my membership were immeasurable in helping me figure out what it would take to be a freelance medical illustrator. I continue to utilize those resources and membership perks now, more than four years later. Networking is obviously also a big part of it, so while my shoutout is directed toward the AMI as a whole, there are countless individuals within the AMI who acted as mentors, references, or de facto counselors to me while I was figuring things out, and who are still more than willing to lend advice and knowledge if ever I need it.

Website: studiohromi.com

Instagram: instagram.com/studiohromi

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/emilyhromi

Twitter: twitter.com/studiohromi

Facebook: facebook.com/studiohromi

Youtube: youtube.com/@studiohromi

Other: TikTok: tiktok.com/studiohromi Tumblr: studiohromi.tumblr.com Threads: threads.net/studiohromi Medical Illustration portfolio: hromibiomedical.com

Image Credits
Rachel Britton Photo, Studio Hromi LLC