MD student's talent for illustration becomes anatomy teaching tool

Feb 7th, 2025

Kelly Foss

A first-year doctor of medicine student is creating detailed illustrations to help his classmates better understand anatomy.

A man is seated on a green curved sofa. He is wearing a black shirt and a black toque and holding a tablet and pencil. On the screen is a drawing of a fantasy character. — For Karim Elnaas, art has always been a constant, helping him through difficult times in his life.
Photo: Rich Blenkinsopp

Born in eastern Libya, Abdulkarim (Karim) Elnaas moved to Alberta as a child.

His path to medical school has been anything but ordinary, marked by challenges, self-discovery and resilience.

A change of heart

Mr. Elnaas briefly studied medicine in Libya, but left due to political unrest, describing the experience as a low point in his life.

“You can go to medical school right out of high school in Libya, and I didn’t have the desire or discipline back then,” he said. “I passed, but it was the closest I’ve ever been to prolonged depression.”

After moving to Canada, Mr. Elnaas earned a biology degree at ��Ƶ University but initially pursued other interests, including zoology.

Then in 2023, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. While undergoing treatment at the Health Sciences Centre, his perspective on medicine shifted.

A man in a black shirt and toque is leaning on a glass half wall. In the background is a window and the side of a red brick building. — Karim Elnaas shares his art on social media with the hope of helping fellow medical students better visualize difficult concepts.
Photo: Rich Blenkinsopp

“I tell my friends it feels like I was promoted to med student because I’ve spent so much time as a patient at this hospital,” he said. “But after going through that, my heart changed a lot towards medicine.”

His experience inspired him to consider a career in emergency medicine or hematology.

Born to draw

Throughout his journey, art has been a constant.

“I’ve always drawn,” said Mr. Elnaas. “My dad loves to tell the story of how I was scribbling before I could even walk.”

1/ Human heart - posterior oblique view

Oblique-posterior aspect of human heart with labels.
Photo: Karim Elnaas

2/ Laryngoscopy

A black-and-white illustration of a physician performing a laryngoscopy.
Photo: Karim Elnaas

3/ Arab lancer riding a dromaeosaur

Fantasy drawings, like this Arab lancer riding a dromaeosaur, were inspired by English artist Karl Kopinski.
Photo: Karim Elnaas

4/ Bee hawk

This stylized drawing of a bee was created for Mr. Elnaas's biology honours supervisor, who keeps bees for honey.
Photo: Karim Elnaas

Transitioning from paper to digital art in 2015, he’s honed his skills, inspired by fantasy artists like Karl Kopinski.

Recently, he began using his art to aid his and his classmates’ studies.

“I struggle with anatomy, so I started making labeled illustrations of things like the heart. Sometimes an illustration sticks in your memory better than a photograph.”

Mr. Elnaas shared his work on social media, hoping to help others visualize tricky concepts before exams.

His talent hasn’t gone unnoticed. He has been approached about using his illustrations as part of his medical degree research project.

“I’m really enjoying medical school this time,” said Mr. Elnaas. “Drawing is a great coping mechanism and it helps me take the edge off stressful material — it’s how I relax and stay focused.”

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