Originally coming to Campbell University with hopes of going on to dental school, Paul Kim’s career path changed to follow his passion.
Kim, `08, graduated with a pre-dental Biology major and a minor in studio art. After Campbell, Kim was accepted into the Medical Illustration Graduate Program at the Medical College of Georgia, class of 2011.
“I always loved to draw,” said Kim. “By the beginning of my senior year, I knew I couldn’t and shouldn’t suppress my passion for art any longer. I desperately sought out a career that would allow me to utilize both my talent in art and education in science and discovered medical illustration. God really must have led me here because I couldn’t have asked for a better fit for my meticulous style, both in my art and personality.”
Since entering graduate school, Kim has won three prestigious awards. In a competition held among all the medical illustration programs in North America, he won the Award of Excellence (1st place) in the Instructional Line category and also the Orville Parkes Award (Best of Show.) In another competition, he won the Stenstrom Award of Excellence (1st place).
“My science education at Campbell gave me a competitive edge in the medical illustration program,” said Kim. “My current program does not require a full Biology bachelor’s degree prerequisite but only a few specific courses. Therefore, many of the other students are trained more in art and less in science. However, I found that the few art courses I was able to squeeze in before graduating from Campbell sufficiently prepared me for the program. Prof. Daniel Rodgers and the other art faculty were excellent and taught me the fundamentals of drawing and color that I use on a daily basis.”
To make his subject matter more realistic, he uses the cadaver lab to perform dissections to use as drawing models. He also has access to a hospital and is allowed to observe and sketch from any surgery he wishes to illustrate.
Photo Copy: Paul Kim, `08, graduated with a pre-dental Biology major and a minor in studio art and was accepted into the Medical Illustration Graduate Program at the Medical College of Georgia.