Why Doctors Should Attend a Filler Course and What It Entails
Possibly, one of the most striking trends seen in the field of medicine during the past couple of decades has been the rapid rise of the discipline we now refer to as medical aesthetics. Although the term might reasonably be applied to cosmetic surgery, today, it is more commonly used to describe a battery of far less invasive procedures that, nevertheless, are proving to be highly effective and hugely popular. Given, that these are elective, non-essential treatments, they also offer a lucrative new source of income for physicians who, simply by enrolling in a basic filler course, will be positioned to start benefitting from this new revenue stream.
Despite the amazing achievements of medical science in areas such as the treatment of malignancy and the virtual eradication of many, once common, communicable diseases, researchers are still no closer to discovering a so-called fountain of youth; the means to halt and reverse the natural but inevitable process of ageing. Instead, they have had to continue focussing on ways in which to conceal some of its more visible effects in an effort to create a more youthful appearance, albeit only temporarily. Although something of a misnomer, anti-aging medicine now motivates millions of patients worldwide to seek out physicians who possess the knowledge and skills gained from a dermal filler course.
The material covered by the training will often be spread between basic, intermediate, and advanced sessions held at intervals, so as to ensure that learners have sufficient time to implement and gain sufficient experience of the techniques they have already learned. Together, their content should be designed to cover all of the most commonly sought applications for this type of treatment, as well as the various materials and techniques that are involved. Naturally, there needs to be a strong focus on the practical exercise, in order to both hone the necessary skills and to inspire confidence in all of those who choose to attend a filler course.
While the same restriction is not necessarily applied in all countries, under South African regulations, only a medically qualified individual is permitted to perform these procedures. Given that treatments involve the injection of various substances, including the highly potent botulinum toxin, beneath the skin, it is a precaution that appears to be well justified and one from which a prospective patient can also take comfort.
The use of botulinum toxin either under the name of Botox or some other brand for treating fine lines, such as those resulting from laughter and frowning and, along with collagen improving the volume of other facial areas is covered in the basic filler course conducted by the Medskills Training Academy. Consisting of a full day, the morning begins with a discussion of the psychology of aesthetics and anti-aging, and the relevant anatomy, followed by instruction, by means of extensive practical demonstrations, in the various injection techniques.
The afternoon session is a strictly hands-on one in which each doctor, in turn, will inject a number of his or her own patients under the expert guidance of an experienced trainer. As with all aesthetic courses held by Medskills Training Academy, to ensure optimal conditions, attendance for the filler course is limited to a maximum of six doctors and, while one is injecting, the remaining learners are encouraged to observe and participate in relevant discussions, as well as in the evaluation of the patients being treated. Experience has shown that given their exiting background knowledge, these basic one-day sessions are sufficient to provide doctors with all that they will need in order to begin treating their own patients on their own premises.
Prior to attending, learners are issued with pre-course study materials designed to provide the foundation for their formal instruction during the filler course, and commitment to this undertaking will be integral to the benefit they derive.