Online Aesthetics Course

Author

Dr. Stephen Cosentino

The medical aesthetics field is always evolving. But busy medical professionals can’t always take the time to travel for continuing medical education, or even to take a full day away from practice to attend a local seminar.

A comprehensive online aesthetics course can solve this problem. Here’s what you can expect from online aesthetics training.

What Is an Online Aesthetics Course?

An online course for aesthetics training is a virtual alternative to in-person instruction in aesthetic medicine. The goal is to teach or reinforce aesthetic medicine techniques to help participants improve or expand their practices.

For continuing medical education modules, participation is generally limited to currently licensed professionals, including:

Physicians (D.O. and M.D.)
Nurses (R.N., N.P.)
Physician assistants
Dentists (D.D.S., D.M.D., B.D.S.)

Most online aesthetic training courses are entirely virtual and self-paced. These courses include a mix of instructional videos, quizzes, and supplemental review materials.

Depending on the scope of the course, participants may need anywhere from a few hours to several dozen hours to complete all required coursework. Each course concludes with an exam, and participants who pass receive certificates of completion.

What Should an Online Aesthetics Course Cover?

Some online training courses are very broad in scope, covering a wide range of topics for practitioners seeking to expand their capabilities. Participants in these sorts of broad courses may not be expected to have extensive experience in aesthetic medicine.

Others focus on one particular subject area, providing crucial depth for practitioners eager to hone their skills in a specific aesthetic procedure or technique. Participants in these more advanced aesthetics courses may be expected to complete introductory coursework first.

Instructors may refer to these shorter courses as “modules” or “mini-courses.”

Online Aesthetics Course Curriculum

A practical online aesthetics course focuses on at least one aesthetic procedure or technique. At the introductory level, this might mean broad overviews of injectable treatments like botulinum toxin or dermal fillers. More advanced courses may focus on specific injection techniques or treatments for specific medical or cosmetic conditions.

Regardless of the subject matter, the curriculum should also include related background material, such as facial anatomy and basic pharmacology.

Not all online aesthetics courses dive deep into step-by-step procedure or technique. Some focus entirely on foundational topics like facial anatomy or nonmedical topics like aesthetics practice management or marketing.

Example of a Comprehensive Online Aesthetics Course

Here’s what a comprehensive online aesthetics training course — let’s say one devoted to Botox® training — might look in practice:

An introductory facial anatomy module focusing on muscle, nerve, and blood vessel placement
An overview of common cosmetic issues and conditions for which Botox may be indicated
An overview of corresponding Botox injection sites
Instruction in Botox treatment planning, including dosing and potential contraindications
Instruction in basic Botox injection techniques for specific sites and conditions
An overview of Botox safety and handling
Guidelines for follow-up visits and future treatments

A comprehensive course that combines instruction in Botox with instruction in dermal fillers — a common package — would include a similar array of modules related to dermal fillers.