In the spring of 2022, the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) reviewed the proposal and recommended implementation of the Johns Hopkins University Master of Science in Clinical Anaplastology program.

The full program is intended to prepare applicants for professional paid internships in Clinical Anaplastology as they move forward to obtain certification from the BCCA.

Sample educational content covered during the MS program:

• Facial Prosthetics: Auricular (ear), Orbital (eyelid), Nasal (nose), Upper Facial, Hemifacial, and Midfacial prostheses
• Ocular Prosthetics: artificial eyes, scleral shell, in-prosthesis
• Somatic Prosthetics: Finger, Toe, Breast
• Patient / Clinician Considerations, Retention Mechanisms
• Human Anatomy, Pathology of Facial Cancers
• Medical Sculpture (includes instruction in 3D scanning, 3D digital sculpting, 3D printing)
• HIPAA, CPR, Infection Prevention and Control
• Materials and Methods, Sculpting Exercises, Casting and Finishing
• Professional Publication and Presentation
• Business Practices and Ethical Standards
• Supervised Clinical Rotations
• Capstone Research Project

For more information, take a look at the Curriculum page.

Yes. Admittance is open to domestic and international students.

All applicants will need to show evidence of English language ability either by completing a college course in English Composition (writing) or by exam (GRE, TOEFL, IELTS, or similar).

No. The program includes on-site instruction and clinical experiences. Essential tasks, like taking molds of a patient’s individual post-surgical site, is not possible via remote learning.

After completing the 22-month clinical anaplastology MS program, entry-level anaplastologists are strongly encouraged to seek paid positions in existing practices with a Certified Clinical Anaplastologist (CCA) and to pursue certification from the Board for Certification in Clinical Anaplastology (BCCA).

The program is designed to strongly position entry-level anaplastologists to meet BCCA Certification. Students completing the 22-month clinical anaplastology program follow BCCA Eligibility Pathway 1 requirements.

BCCA Eligibility Pathway 1 typically requires an additional time of supervised clinical practice, a Clinical Case Portfolio (consisting of 18 different cases), as well as a passing score on the certification exam in order to attain full certification and ability to practice independently. More details are available on the BCCA website – https://www.bcca-cca.com/eligibility.

To reduce clinic density and the potential risk of infection for vulnerable patients, visits from potential applicants are prohibited.

Most graduates will participate in a paid internship with a Certified Clinical Anaplastologist (CCA) to gain further clinical exposure, learn different techniques and continue building their Clinical Case Portfolio to become eligible for Certification.

Information on BCCA Certification Requirements for a Clinical Case Portfolio (and additional requirements) can be found here. Currently, submission of a Portfolio containing 18 cases is required by the BCCA (including 3 Detailed case reports, as well as 15 remaining cases) for certification eligibility purposes.

It is the student’s responsibility to properly document all such clinical cases during and after the program. While the 22 month Master of Science program may provide a large number of these cases, it is not guaranteed to provide all the required cases. In such instances, a post-graduate internship is advised.

The Board for Certification in Clinical Anaplastology (BCCA) defines Anaplastology as a branch of medicine dealing with the prosthetic rehabilitation of an absent, disfigured or malformed anatomically critical location of the face or body.

(from Greek derivation: ana-again, anew, upon; plastos-something made, formed, molded; logy-the study of)

Clinical Anaplastology is the art and science of providing custom-made facial, ocular, and non-weight bearing somatic (body) life-like prostheses.

The goal of Clinical Anaplastology is to restore symmetry and normal appearance to malformed, disfigured, or absent parts of the human body. In contrast the goal of Medical Illustration is to create a visual that teaches concepts in science and medicine to a particular audience.

Practitioners of each discipline have a strong background in biological sciences; a desire to communicate and work with others; and an ability to accurately, realistically, and artistically represent what is directly observed.

Anaplastologists are clinicians, and Medical Illustrators are visual communicators.

The International Anaplastology Association (IAA) is the professional membership organization for anaplastologists. IAA is the recognized global forum for excellence in continuing education, research, and innovation in anaplastology. The IAA meets on an annual basis across the globe to provide opportunities to exchange ideas that push the profession and its members forward in service of the patients clinical anaplastologists care for.

The BCCA promotes and provides certification in Clinical Anaplastology for the enhancement of patient care and professional practice.

Certification provides evidence to patients, clinicians, hospitals, employers, and health insurance programs that practitioners have met peer reviewed standards for safe and effective care of patients through examination, clinical portfolio and other certification program requirements.

Clinical Anaplastologists are considered allied healthcare professionals practicing in various clinical settings. Work settings are typically associated with larger medical institutions (with comprehensive cancer center designation). Employment within healthcare centers is usually associated within dental (maxillofacial prosthodontics), plastic surgery, otolaryngology (head and neck surgery), or rehabilitative medicine departments. Alternatively, many practitioners have private practice clinics

Body Parts, a TLC program launched in April 2022, features certified clinical anaplastologist Allison Vest, a colleague of the faculty in the Clinical Anaplastology program at Johns Hopkins.

Admissions faculty encourage submitting accurate and realistic representations of closely and directly observed subject matter. Avoid work created exclusively or predominately from photo reference.

Take a lok at the Sample Portfolio Page for more information

Admissions faculty discourage art created exclusively from photo reference, non-representational, or abstract art. These do not show the ability to draw or sculpt what you see, a critical ability for the professional Clinical Anaplastologist.