Aesthetic and dermatosurgical education at dermatology congresses: A 2025 cross-sectional audit

Nonsurgical aesthetic procedures have become increasingly prominent in dermatology education; however, the distribution of cosmetic, dermatosurgical, and medical content in continuing medical education programs has not been systematically quantified. This study established a 2025 cross-sectional baseline of continuing medical education course (MEC) distribution and a framework for monitoring changes in aesthetic content over time. Dermatology-related events scheduled for 2025 were identified through a national specialty calendar in Türkiye; 52 eligible national, regional, and international events were included. Courses were classified as cosmetic procedure courses (CPCs), dermatosurgery courses (DSCs), or MECs. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and event-scope comparisons were interpreted cautiously given the small international subgroup. Of the 114 identified courses, MECs were the largest category (52/114; 45.6%), followed by CPCs (42/114; 36.8%) and DSCs (20/114; 17.5%). DSCs were offered at 15 of 52 events (28.8%). CPCs represented 40.0% of courses at international events versus 36.0% at national/regional events, although only six international events were included. Exploratory correlations were positive between CPCs and DSCs (r = .59), CPCs and MECs (r = .45), and DSCs and MECs (r = .32), although these associations may partly reflect overall event size. CPCs therefore comprised more than one-third of the identified continuing MECs, whereas dermatosurgery was less frequently represented. Potential downstream effects on trainee career choices and practice patterns warrant longitudinal evaluation. Repeated annual audits using a consistent sampling frame and coding framework are necessary to determine whether dermatology congress education will shift toward more aesthetic content over time.