Member Benefits

© Norm Barker, MA, MS RBP, FBCA

 
 

Why Join the BCA?

The BioCommunications Association is dedicated to enhancing the professional competency of its members and advancing the profession by educating, encouraging and fostering creators and users of visual communication media in the life sciences and medicine. The BCA can open the door to a vast network of colleagues able to offer advice and support. People you can share problems with, who use the same equipment and have some of the same goals. The BCA can assist you in maximizing your opportunities with educational resources, programs and materials.

Just how our world will change in the future is anyone’s guess. Your success will be based on your ability to responsively adapt to and master emerging technology. The BCA promotes and encourages the highest professional standards in visual communications. We believe the greatest benefit of knowledge is not only securing it, but sharing it with others, We invite your participation in the BioCommunications Association. Your membership in the BCA will go far in empowering you for a successful future.

BioImages 
Free Entries and Discounts

BioImages is the premier annual juried exhibition sponsored by the BioCommunications Association (BCA). BioImages showcases some of the world’s outstanding images featuring the life sciences and medical fields. 
The online competition includes still images, illustration graphics, and motion media work. Submissions are open to individuals, institutions, and organizations. More than $2500 in prizes are available.

* BCA members are eligible to submit 2 free entries in the competition each year and up to 4 additional submissions at a reduced member rate.

BIOCOMM
Reduced Registration Rates

BIOCOMM is an annual conference on biocommunications and a great place to acquire knowledge on emerging technologies and the contemporary state of the art. BIOCOMM provides a live, in-person forum for exchanging technical ideas and information and is generally held in North America. The program typically covers a wide range of specialty topics and includes lectures, workshops, site-specific field trips and association meetings and honors ceremonies. The professional members of the BCA have acquired a knowledge bank of technical and educational resources of great value to every visual communicator and volunteer to share that knowledge at the BIOCOMM meetings.

* BCA members receive discounts on registration fees for BIOCOMM, as well as post-meeting workshops.

International Symposium
Savings on Registration

BCA's new online International Symposium on Biomedical and Scientific Photography embraces the breadth of photography by highlighting interesting, as well as lesser-known topics presented by world experts in their respective fields. The diversity of photographic techniques and applications is immense and the ability to tap members around the globe creates an exciting and dynamic experience.

* BCA members receive discounts on registration fees and longer access to the recorded materials.

Certification (Total Body Mapping)
Reduced Member Rate

The Total Body Photography (TBP) Certification was created by the BioCommunications Association, Inc. (BCA) to provide the medical community with a standardized examination process for evaluating professionals who will be performing photographic documentation of the dermatological condition of living human patients.

*  Members receive a $50 discount on the cost of the program

Grants
Members-Only Grants

The BCA offers many funding opportunities to support educational research in medicine and life science communications. These EFFE grants (Endowment Fund For Education) are highly competitive, but available to any individual submitting a worthwhile application. 

*  BCA members are eligible for higher amounts of EFFE funding, and are also eligible for members-only travel grants to help defray the costs of attending an in-person BIOCOMM meeting.

Networking
Individual Profile Page / Member Search

The lifeline of any professional organization is the knowledge, experience, mentoring and personal relationships that develop over time. With more ways to connect than ever, the BCA provides ample opportunity to find others around the world with needs just like yours. 

*  All members receive a personal profile directory page (Coming Soon!) that they can share with others and post their CV, images and other documents. The members-only section also includes member search capabilities based on specialty or location.

Publications
Journal / News / Learning Hub Content

Enhance your career by authoring online content through your professional association. Publishing your work will help to grow your professional presence and expand your reach.
*  The Journal of Biocommunication - publish full length scientific papers in the BCA's shared professional journal.
*  BCA Learning Hub -
specialized content in our new teaching and learning center (Coming Soon!)
*  BCA News - shorter articles for current topics.

Professional Development
Jobs / Awards / Skills / Leadership

After finding your perfect career through the * BCA jobs board, the BCA will provide many opportunities for you to develop your * Presentation Skills at BIOCOMM, our Symposiums, or other local venues. The BCA itself provides a platform to take on  * Leadership Opportunities with your peers and even provides * Awards and Recognition that you will not find elsewhere. Each year at BIOCOMM, members receive valuable professional awards for their contributions to the field.