Uti Nilam Sari, a trailblazing medical illustrator, is making history as the first Indonesian to specialize in this unique field. A graduate of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Indonesia, Uti earned a prestigious scholarship from the Lembaga Pengelolaan Dana Pendidikan (LPDP), fueling her passion for both medicine and design.

Uti’s journey into medical illustration is as unconventional as it is inspiring. Despite her parents' wishes for her to pursue a medical career, Uti had a deep love for art and design. Initially uninterested in medical school, she followed her parents' guidance but soon found a way to marry her artistic talents with her medical education.

"Alhamdulillah, I found my way. I am very passionate about design and technology, and during my studies, I found myself creating designs for free, simply to preserve my sanity," Uti shared in an interview with LPDP.

Today, Uti holds the title of dr. Uti Nilam Sari, M.Sc., MIMI, a recognition of her remarkable academic and professional journey.

Using Visuals to Educate the Public

During her time as a research assistant at Dharmais Cancer Hospital, Uti became increasingly concerned by the public's lack of awareness about early signs of cancer. This sparked her resolve to educate people through engaging and informative visual content.

"We need better public health education, and I believe visuals can play a huge role in that," Uti explained. Her aim is to make complex medical information, particularly about cancer, more accessible to the general public through effective visual communication.

Her passion for medical illustration was also fueled by her dissatisfaction with the quality of reference books during her medical studies. Many books contained poor-quality or inadequate illustrations, often borrowed from international sources, which left much to be desired.

"It was heartbreaking to see textbooks with subpar illustrations or those that just borrowed from abroad, with very limited quality. I knew that visually, we could offer so much more than just text," Uti emphasized.

Inspired by renowned medical illustrator Frank H. Netter, Uti dreams of becoming Indonesia’s version of Netter, creating high-quality anatomical resources that will educate future generations.

A Bold Path into Medical Illustration

Recognizing that the field of medical illustration is still relatively unknown in Indonesia, Uti sought out formal education abroad. After much consideration, she chose the Medical Visualisation and Human Anatomy program, a collaboration between the University of Glasgow and The Glasgow School of Art.

Despite completing her studies, Uti faced a challenging career path in a field that was largely unfamiliar to her home country. "At first, the response was almost non-existent, but I knew I had to start somewhere," she reflected.

In 2015, Uti founded Medimedi (Medical Media), a company dedicated to creating medically accurate and visually appealing health-related media. Together with a small team, Uti combines her expertise in medical science, visual art, and digital technology to produce content that is both medically approved and visually captivating.

"We aim to create 'medically approved' and 'visually attracting' content. Doctors who understand technology and art, along with art and tech enthusiasts who are willing to learn from a medical perspective, make the collaboration work seamlessly," Uti explained.

By 2018, Medimedi had solidified its presence as a business, continuing Uti's mission to innovate and expand its reach. The company’s short- and medium-term goals include establishing an immersive health learning center supported by AI-based virtual tutors and patients.

Uti Nilam Sari's work is revolutionizing the way health information is conveyed, proving that art and science can work together to make a meaningful impact on public health education.