Preparing for a Crowded Cosmetic Market: A Resident Training Model for Minimally Invasive Cosmetic Treatments

Patient demand for nonsurgical and minimally invasive cosmetic treatments has increased in recent years, resulting in a growing market that is particularly vulnerable to specialty creep. Despite this growing demand, nonsurgical cosmetic training for plastic surgery residents is often inconsistent and challenging. To ensure the continued safe and effective delivery of nonsurgical cosmetic care by board-certified plastic surgeons, it is critical to implement standardized training models for plastic surgery residents. In this Special Topic article, the authors describe their experience with a resident-run clinic training model that incorporates graduated autonomy, volunteer patient recruitment, and grant-based industry support that has been successfully implemented at their institution for the past 6 years. The article provides a framework for a resident educational model and addresses common obstacles in resident cosmetic training. The authors also provide recommendations for patient recruitment, optimizing clinic workflow, and the management of patient complications.