Continuous Training for Non-Invasive Aesthetic Physicians

Q: What was the strategy behind the foundation of the SMCME?

A: Both the SMCME and the Pan-American Institute of Scientific Professionals (IPPC) were set up to promote knowledge, professional skills, values, and doctor-patient relations to medical doctors living in Mexico and Central America, without doctors and specialists having to travel outside the Western hemisphere. UNAM’s accreditation and recognition of our educational program got us off the ground, along with permissions from health and education authorities. The typical SMCME member is a medical doctor, with that term including general practitioners, specialists and even subspecialists, who are interested in the field of minimally invasive aesthetic and anti-aging medical procedures. We are fundamentally an education organization for doctors. Medical treatments do not fall under our remit.

Q: What kind of training programs do you offer, and to whom?

A: The SMCME and IPPC provide continuous medical education accredited by the UNAM for medical doctors who require medical and clinical knowledge for their daily practice. Our programs have been designed and reviewed to cater to the needs of medical doctors, and submitted to UNAM’s Department of Continuous Education at the FES Zaragoza campus. In recent years, this campus reviewed and approved our program, meaning that those doctors who graduate from our courses receive a diploma from UNAM FES Zaragoza, which is recognized by the Health and Education authorities, and by COFEPRIS. We have participated both with government and with health regulation institutions to provide a legal framework for this field of activity.

Q: What are the most popular products in the aesthetics market in Mexico? What training do you provide on the risks surrounding low-quality products? 

A: The OTC products with the largest growth in Mexico are sunscreens and products for pigmentation disorders, with botulinum toxin, absorbable facial fillers, and skinhydrating products being the most important prescription goods. The Mexican market offers products that comply with the sanitary regulations, as well as those that do not, so physicians should be wary of the products they prescribe. The SMCME and IPPC are continuous medical education institutions. Our interest lies in imparting to doctors the scientific, evidence-based knowledge they need to conduct ethical patient-doctor relationships, and to develop a skill-set geared towards minimally-invasive procedures in aesthetics medicine and anti-ageing techniques. The SMCME and IPPC only recommend and use products approved by government authorities, but we do not endorse any brands, and nor do we participate in the commercialization of any products that are not approved for medical practice. Our educational programs are not built around any specific products.

Q: How do you collaborate with other organizations for promoting innovation and quality in this field?

A: We work with one non-profit organization in order to assist the general public. Beauty is not exclusively for the rich, and should be open to every sector of society. Improved access to treatment is required. The SMCME and IPPC constantly collaborate with international medical societies in aesthetic medicine to promote the quality and excellence in our educational programs. Many such institutions have similar university programs in their own countries, so we maintain extensive ties to offer medical doctors the latest information in this field.

Q: The medical tourism industry has grown considerably over the past few years. How is this sector influencing aesthetic medicine and what needs to be done to increase Mexico’s position?

A: Medical tourism is a natural outcome of the evolution of aesthetic medicine. Many of the medical doctors who have come to develop medical knowledge, ethical values, and skills of minimally invasive procedures in aesthetic medicine and anti-ageing have established successful clinics which minister to this growing market. Since doctors should constantly update their medical knowledge and skills through ethical medical practice to assure a steady growth of this sector, medical tourism can only benefit doctors and our work as a whole.