The Institute of Advanced Medical Esthetics

I attended the Institute of Advanced Medical Esthetics from October 2010 to August 2011 pursuing a career in esthetics. I also furthered my studies in the Medical Esthetics curriculum from early September 2011 to late October 2011. Deciding to pursue and further my education at the age of 53 was one of the biggest decisions I made in my adult life. When I began the process of choosing a program several factors were important to me. Among those were affordability, curriculum, and accreditation. Not having to attend a traditional classroom setting was also a great advantage since it afforded the opportunity to fulfill my home obligations. I entered the program having a degree and experience in the field of nursing but with a clean slate as regards to the field of esthetics. When I first started, I never expected it to be as challenging as I found it to be. What a humbling experience when I realized how little I really knew about the skin. I found the curriculum comprehensive and well structured to assist in the learning process to become a qualified esthetician, master esthetician, and medical esthetician. In the beginning I was concerned with how I would assimilate the material and apply it in the clinical setting but with time and positive encouragement from the instructors, I developed more confidence.

During the course of my training, there were times I found myself concerned whether to proceed with a particular treatment protocol or unsure about a client’s skin condition. I always felt comfortable approaching Instructors to ask for assistance. Instructors always helped with any questions or concerns I had and there were also several occasions where she approached my treatment table and offered suggestions and demonstrated how to improve on certain skills. One aspect of the program that I found especially valuable as a new student was the opportunity to observe and work with senior students. Observing their techniques and asking questions provided an opportunity to learn and broaden my skills and gain insight on their experiences in clinical practice. As a senior student I found that mentoring junior students and sharing what I learned beneficial in both reviewing and furthering my knowledge base and clinical skills. As I progressed from a junior to a senior student, the opportunity to experience a full schedule of clients afforded me the ability to attain the required number of hours and treatments, along with honing my organizational skills; which I found invaluable to stay organized in the real world. The online forums as well as the clinical day discussion sessions were also opportunities to exchange information and ideas between students and instructors and share different aspects and challenges that occurred in the clinical setting.