The New Medical Spa MD Academy: Clinical + Business Training For Physicians

Clinical Training for Cosmetic Physicians

A few months ago we started thinking about how we could add more value for Members - and we came to the conclusion that there was a lot more we could do to help you. So we decided to bite the bullet, roll up our sleeves, and build it.

This is kinda a big deal... so cut us a little slack if we sound a little giddy.

Until now, we've focused on building what is essentially a somewhat 'soft information' community built around the blog and the forums. It's worked incredibly well. We've gown into a vibrant community with thousands of members, millions of page views and unique visitors, there have been millions dollars exchanged through the classified ads (lots of 'millions' in this post), and we've helped many Members find info or answers that have grown their practice or save them from making mistakes. (Just read some of the testimonials on the Join Us page.)

We're going to keep all of that. 

But we're adding something new: An incredibly powerful training platform.  : )

Over the last few months we've been heads-down building out an entirely new technology stack and some amazing new capabilities. We've been polishing code and tweaking copy. Our testers have run through more than 100 usability trials and security tests.

The result: We're launching the Medical Spa MD Training Academy — real-world courses for Members will provide clinical and business training for our Members.

(The first course: A Botox and filler injection course taught by Marc Scheiner MD, a Certified Allergan Trainer who has already trained hundreds of clinicians.)

Now, a physician who has spent years training clinicians a few at a time, can take that training and make it available to any clinician, anywhere, at any time. And it all happens auto-magically.

It's as easy to train a doc in Mali or Singapore or Toronto as it is to train them in your clinic.

And online clinical training works — something we learned from our friends at http://MedMastery.com who teach online clinical courses on Cardiac MRI, ECG, Epidemiology, Coronary Angiography and Transesophageal Echocardiograpy... all of which will earn you CME.

For clinicians, there are real benefits for learning online.

It used to be that you'd pay Dr. Scheiner $2,000 for a two day training. You'd have to pay for your travel. You'd have to pay for a hotel. You'd have to bring your own patient. You'd miss a couple of days of income and you'd spend those two days looking over the instructors shoulder trying not to miss anything and remember everything that you were seeing. (The old see one, do one, teach one.)

And it was still worth it.

But now it's easier.

Now, you spend a couple of hundred dollars for an online course. You can watch the trainings over and over and refer to them at any time. You don't have to worry that you'e missing something. You get every file, video and lesson in one place.

And there's a 30 day money back guarantee so there's zero risk.

What's not to like?

But there's much more to this than publishing a single course.

The 'light bulb' moment was when we realized that all of the expertise we would ever need was already here on the site. You. Thousands of Members with - we're guessing here -  hundreds of thousands of years of experience. You guys - in aggregate - know pretty much everything there is to know about clinical cosmetic practice.

If only there was a way that we could help you extract those skills and knowledge, design a beautiful course that would be available to anyone, and supply you with a massive audience of potential buyers.

So that's what we built: A new training platform and perfect target audience that's going to allow you to take your clinical expertise or business savvy, and create an awesome course that will be seen world-wide.

It's the best deal we could possibly think of.

It removes all of the risk that has stopped you from doing this on your own. You'll build your credibility, personal brand, visibility and influence, and you'll make money every time your course sells.  : )

And there are no preconditions other than they provide massive value for our Members.

If you're a clinical trainer. If you've given a clinical presentation. If you're a consultant that can teach clinicians something of value. If you're a clinician who's discovered a new technique. If you're a savvy operations manager who can improve a clinics consultations. If you already have a course that you're teaching offline, or if you think you might be able to build a course that will benefit our Members, we want to chat.

So here's what we'd like you to do: Take a look at the new Training Academy and read the "Become and Author" page. (links below) Then contact us and tell us about your new course. If we like it, we'll help you build it, market it, and put it in front of  hundreds of thousands of potential buyers who want to know what you can teach them.

Let's get started.

Dr. Barry L. Eppley, Indianapolis Double Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Dr. Barry Eppley Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon

Dr. Eppley is both a licensed physician and dentist. He's board certified in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery as well as Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Name: Barry L. Eppley, M.D., D.M.D.
Clinic: Eppley Plastic Surgery
Medical Spa: Ology Spa 
Location: Carmel, IN 
Website: eppleyplasticsurgery.comologyspa.com

You're using SmartLipo technology. What do you think of SmartLipo's efficacy?

It is important to recognize that Smartlipo, like any technology, is a tool and has no magical properties. It is only as good as the skill and experience of the physician holding it. When used properly and judiciously, my experience has been that it can lead to better outcomes and less bruising. One of Smartlipo's biggest claims to fame has not been particularly useful for me...being able to do most of the procedures under local anesthesia. But this may be reflective that many of my patients are looking for treatment of multiple body areas with bigger volume reductions and it is often combined with other procedures which need to be done under general anesthesia anyways. Its biggest disadvantage is that it is a very costly device and requires extra time to pre-treat the areas before suction evacuation. Thus it requires a motivated user and one who believes that the cost and extra time to do it are worth it to their practice.

How do you evaluate and make your technology comparisons and decisions based on efficacy and cost? 

I view technologies and devices as either comparative or innovative. This means does it offer similar treatments as other technologies or devices on the market (with some claimed minor advantage) or is it the only one that can produce its aethetic effects. Most cosmetic technologies are comparative and thus must be judged primarily from a business perspective on its return on investment. Every technology costs a lot more than the price tag when you factor in labor, disposables (if they exist) and marketing. One must look very carefully at the cosmetic market and have realistic projections about what it can really generate. Very few technologies fall in line with ‘buy it and they will come’. Most sales are driven and do not magically fall off the street and through the door. This understanding allows me to apply a basic capital purchase philosophy... if it can not generate in gross sales what it cost to buy in one year or less, it is not a good business decision.

Innovative technologies, uncommon as they are, are different. Because they have less competition and offer something new, being an early adopter is less of a business risk. When the market cap is undefined, it is sometimes easier to take the risk.

Read More

Nick Carr MD, FRCSC, Canadian Plastic Surgeon & Educator

Dr. Nick Carr shares his thoughts on the medical education system in Canada as a plastic surgeon and eductor.

Name: Dr. Nick Carr 
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Website: skinworks.ca

That's interesting: Dr. Nick Carr is a Royal College Examiner in Plastic Surgery.

Read More

2 Day Awake Tumescent Laser Liposuction Course: Dr. Thomas Young

Medical Spa Training

Dr. Thomas E. Young's available training dates for 2012 for his CME Awake Tumescent Laser Liposuction Course Beginner with hands On "6 Steps to Good Results"

Young Medical SpaIncludes laser, ultrasound and water jet liposuction devices and techniques.

 This 2 day course provides 17.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ to course attendees from AKH, Inc. - Advanced Knowledge in Healthcare. This 2-Day course is beginning level training that includes didactic discussion, observation and hands-on cases.

Course dates for 2012:

  • March 32-24
  • June 15-16
  • August 17-18
  • October 19-20
  • December 14-15

Visit the registration page here

Liposuction Training Course

Many physicians across the U.S. have spent time with Dr. Thomas E. Young learning the various techniques and aspects of awake tumescent liposuction.

If you are a licensed physician and are interested in beginner to intermediate level training in Laser, Ultrasound, Water Jet liposuction, or tumescent anesthesia, Dr. Young is offering a two-day program with hands-on experience.

If you are interested in training with Dr. Young, please complete the form below for submission and specify the type of training you are looking to achieve and what dates you are interested in.

One of our staff members will contact you to discuss with you any questions you may have, available dates, and the needs of your visit.

The fee for this two-day course is $4995.00.

Learning Objectives: Upon completion of the educational activity, participants should be able to:

  1. Describe the process involved during the patient's first and second Awake Tumescent Liposuction consultations;
  2. Discuss the risks associated with Laser, Ultrasound and Water Jet Liposuction & Tumescent Anesthesia;
  3. Demonstrate proper marking and positioning of the patient for Awake Tumescent Liposuction;
  4. Compare average tumescent infiltration volumes for abdomen, waist, arms, and thighs;
  5. Describe symptoms of lidocaine toxicity;
  6. Describe the functions of various lipolysis devices, power outlets, wavelengths, and areas to be treated during the liposuction procedure;
  7. Demonstrate basic techniques relating to grid marking, hand piece manipulation, fanning, speed and clinical endpoints;
  8. Demonstrate fat harvesting through appropriate suction techniques;
  9. Discuss patient post-operative experiences and instructions;
  10. Delineate the necessary equipment needed for liposuction and emergency situations;
  11. Demonstrate the proper technique for mixing tumescent anesthesia.

New Skin Clinic & Laser Center Products

There are a number of new product launches for physicians, skin clinics and laser centers coming.

The first three or four of these will be launched over the next two weeks or so and include a webinar on how to protect and control your online reputation, a Botox training membership site that teaches physicians how to add cosmetic Botox and fillers to their existing clinical practice, some videos on social marketing and building relationships, a course in creating additional revenue for surgeons, and quite a few others. These are being launched in conjunction with other physicians and businesses to have information and expertise that are of value to our community.

You can find all of the current medspa products and services here.

We are also working on integrating a number of new technologies into our systems and providing greater conductivity for our membersand will be rolling out some new systems in the (hopefully) near future.

One of the principles that we founded this site (and Freelance MD) on is the idea that there are many physicians who have information that is of value but that is siloed and unavailable outside of the confines of a medical conference or seminar.

One of our goals is to take that information, specialized knowledge and skill set and to make it much more widely available to physicians who want and need it. We're doing this by building information products and membership sites that allow very specialized information a broad reach and benefit both the author and the consumer.

We will be announcing a number of these products in the next few weeks... and besides just building in the announcements of these new products, I'll be diving into great deal of detail about how we produce this content and how physicians can benefit from it. My hope is that you'll take a look and give this new system a chance.

PS: As a side note, if you're a physician or medical service provider that has some specialized knowledge that  would benefit from a wider physician audience please contact us and let's discuss if there is a way that we get that online.