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Damien, a medical Doctor from Antigua, came to Cosmetic Courses to pursue his career in aesthetics. After completing almost every course on our training programme, here he talks about the benefits of aesthetic training for Doctors and reflects on his time with us.

Tell us about your professional background

I’m a young businessman and qualified medical Doctor from the Caribbean. I’m currently working in the field of tourist/travel medicine, but preparing to move into aesthetics.

Why did you decide to train in aesthetics?

I was introduced to the idea by a friend who had a keen interest. As I was about to visit the UK to pursue some training in travel medicine, I decided to make the most of my time here and train in aesthetics too. I realised it was a virgin market back home, so there was a great opportunity to capitalise on it.

What attracted you to Cosmetic Courses?

I searched online and Cosmetic Courses was the company that most impressed me. There were a few others I looked at, but they didn’t seem to be very organised, and didn’t offer all the information I was looking for. You guys had thought of everything.

How many other providers did you consider?

I actually had my whole office looking! I think there were about 6 different firms. That was shortlisted to 3, then shortlisted to 2, then you guys won.

Which courses did you attend?

There are so many! Technically it’s all of them except for Lower Face Botox and Microsclerotherapy.

What did you think of the quality of our training?

Marvellous. The trainers are very experienced. I liked the fact that because they’re treating people in their practice every day they were able to tell you “do this, do that, don’t do this” and would also explain why. I feel it’s given me the confidence to make my own judgments and decisions as to the best approach to take with my patients.

What’s the biggest benefit of aesthetic training for Doctors?

Networking. Since training, my network has grown tremendously. I feel very well equipped to move into this exciting new industry.

Do you feel confident to pursue this in the future?

Absolutely.

Compared to other courses you’ve attended, how would you rate our training?

High up, very high up!

What are the next steps following your training?

Getting a business plan in place first. Then I’ll be talking to my investors, securing some finance – and making some money!

Where do you see your practice in 3 years time?

Hopefully by then I’ll have managed to spread to about 2 or 3 other islands.

Would you recommend Cosmetic Courses’ aesthetic training for Doctors to your colleagues?

Definitely!

Cosmetic Courses, led by Consultant Plastic Surgeon Adrian Richards, is the UK’s most established cosmetic training provider. For more information on aesthetic training for Doctors, please contact our team.

 

Are you a Doctor working in the NHS? Starting to want more variety from your working life? Read on for 5 compelling reasons to make aesthetic training for Doctors your next move.

1. It’s great for your bank balance

Let’s not be coy. Training in aesthetics offers you far more scope to dictate your own earnings than working as a GP.

Most aesthetic treatments can be performed in under an hour. Botox, for example, takes around 15-40 minutes depending on the areas treated. With Botox treatment typically charged at around £200 for one area, your earning potential is limited only by your own ambition.

2. More patient time

If you’re frustrated by the time pressure of the NHS, and want to spend longer with your patients, aesthetics is the perfect antidote to the NHS ‘conveyor belt’.

You can choose how much time to spend with your patients. If you enjoy patient interaction, aesthetics is much more conducive to chatting and passing the time of day.

Another crucial difference is that you’re not trying to remove a negative, as you are when you’re a GP treating unwell patients. Instead, you’re aiming to produce a positive, in the form of a great aesthetic result. So there’s far more potential for spreading joy!

3. Training is quick

In most careers, if you want to shift focus and move into a new area, you can expect a fairly lengthy retraining period. If you’re a Doctor, however, you’re in the happy position of having access to a new specialism that uses all your existing skills and experience – allowing you to qualify very quickly.

Aesthetic training for Doctors is quick to complete, with most courses taking only one day. It’s quite possible to train one week, and be treating your own aesthetic patients the next.

4. Growing market

Aesthetic treatments are hot right now. Botox alone is a billion dollar industry worldwide, and that shows no sign of slowing. In fact, demand for non-surgical aesthetic treatments is growing relative to cosmetic surgery. So getting qualified in as many non-surgical treatments as you can will make you a sought-after expert in a booming industry.

5. Long-term patient relationships

Aesthetic treatments produce impressive results for your patients – but they don’t last forever. So if a patient’s happy with their treatment, there’s a good chance they’ll return to you when needed.

And establishing long-term relationships with your patients not only makes them likely to return to you for top-ups, they may also be tempted to try new treatments you add to your repertoire.

Find out more about aesthetic training for Doctors

For more on the benefits of aesthetic training for Doctors, watch this video where Dr Sophie Shotter explains how aesthetic training helped kickstart her business.

Cosmetic Courses is the UK’s longest established medical aesthetic training provider. Our team offer a wide range of accredited aesthetic training for Doctors, Dentists and Nurses. To find out more, call the team on 01844 318798 or email [email protected].

I am already an experienced doctor or surgeon: can I skip the foundation level course?

At Cosmetic Courses, we frequently receive enquiries from potential delegates wanting to know whether they can skip the foundation level medical aesthetic training (botulinum toxin training with an introduction to dermal fillers) and go straight to the advanced level techniques (such as brow lift, Nefertiti neck lift, platysmal bands, hyperhidrosis etc.) This question is usually posed by doctors or even surgeons who are very highly qualifed, so feel that the foundation course might be too simple for them and cover ground they already know.

However, we do strongly believe that all our medical professional delegates, regardless of sector or experience, need to start with the Foundation course. This is not to say that the Foundation course you do cannot be tailored specifically to your level and ability. We have good logic for this reasoning, which we shall explain in this Blog:

  1. Although you may be very experienced within your own field, medical aesthetics is quite a different approach (technically and theoretically) to other medical professions. Quite often it is the most highly trained doctors who find they need to go over the groundwork in skin structure again! Sometimes you might have covered the necessary theories, but a long time ago during your initial degree or you may have approached them at a different angle to the way you will need them for aesthetics. Having a refresher can only benefit your understanding and ability to deliver fantastic results to your patients.
  2. There is a much wider gap between the Foundation Level course and the Advanced Techniques course than many initial enquirers realise. It is only when we begin to explain the extent of the techniques and theories that we cover on this course that they see there may actually be a need for some homework in between the two in order to be confident enough with the required theory and methods to achieve good results. In fact, many of our delegates choose to attend 1-1 courses with Cosmetic Courses in between their Foundation and Advanced courses, to brush up on techniques they are unsure of before taking the next big step.
  3. Cosmetic Courses do actually certify you in competence after each course so we have a duty to know that each of our delegates have the Foundation grounding in place before we can progress you to the next level. Whilst the vast majority of our delegates are entirely honest, highly qualified and skilled practitioners, there are always those who will try to claim they have more ability than they do. Therefore, we have to assess this level of medical aesthetic competence in order to be sure that we are certifying fantastic injectors to go out into the world and practice!
  4. Cosmetic Courses have a reputation for excellence and very high standards of training. This benefits you in that the delegates we train are also associated with high standards of medical aesthetic ability. In order to maintain this, however, we need to be very rigorous about our training procedures and ensure that everybody follows each step of the courses.
  5. We do not want anybody to be frustrated, however, by material which they already feel they know or to believe that they are wasting time and money. Please be assured that Cosmetic Courses are experts at tailoring courses to suit individuals’ needs. If you feel that you are at a higher level than a typical Foundation Level delegate, simply give us a call on 01844 390 110 and explain your experience and knowledge. We can then work with you to put together a tailored foundation level package incorporating new angles, theories and techniques or focusing on areas which you feel you are less confident about.