This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Alok S. Patel, MD: A friend recently joked with me and said, "I wish you were a dermatologist so you could hook me up with Botox and fillers." Well, little does this friend know that I could be a certified cosmetic injector just after a weekend course. Botox parties, here I come?
I can't blame any healthcare professional for having a side hustle. People are burned out, want to supplement their income, or scale back clinical hours. According to one Medscape survey, almost 40% of physicians do have some form of a side hustle, whether it is consulting, speaking engagements, being an expert witness, or moonlighting. I know plenty of doctors and nurses who have taken on Botox injecting as a way to make some extra cash.
Now, going back to me and smoothing out wrinkles. I'm a pediatric hospitalist. I've never injected an aesthetic product in anyone's face. When it comes to sharp objects and faces, I've sewn lacerations and drained abscesses. In my world, when we talk about botulinum toxin, we're usually talking about botulismor the therapeutic treatment of migraines and muscle spasms — pathology. But even still, how hard would it actually be for me to go out and get certified to give Botox?
COMMENTARY
Weekend Botox Training: Shortcut to Cash or Risky Business?
Alok Patel, MD
DisclosuresAugust 01, 2023
This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Alok S. Patel, MD: A friend recently joked with me and said, "I wish you were a dermatologist so you could hook me up with Botox and fillers." Well, little does this friend know that I could be a certified cosmetic injector just after a weekend course. Botox parties, here I come?
I can't blame any healthcare professional for having a side hustle. People are burned out, want to supplement their income, or scale back clinical hours. According to one Medscape survey, almost 40% of physicians do have some form of a side hustle, whether it is consulting, speaking engagements, being an expert witness, or moonlighting. I know plenty of doctors and nurses who have taken on Botox injecting as a way to make some extra cash.
Now, going back to me and smoothing out wrinkles. I'm a pediatric hospitalist. I've never injected an aesthetic product in anyone's face. When it comes to sharp objects and faces, I've sewn lacerations and drained abscesses. In my world, when we talk about botulinum toxin, we're usually talking about botulismor the therapeutic treatment of migraines and muscle spasms — pathology. But even still, how hard would it actually be for me to go out and get certified to give Botox?
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Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.
Cite this: Weekend Botox Training: Shortcut to Cash or Risky Business? - Medscape - Aug 01, 2023.
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Authors and Disclosures
Authors and Disclosures
Author
Alok Patel, MD
Clinical Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons; Pediatric Hospitalist, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian, New York, NY, and Benioff Children's Hospital, University of California San Francisco
Disclosure: Alok S. Patel, MD, has disclosed the following relevant financial relationships:
Serve(d) as a director, officer, partner, employee, advisor, consultant, or trustee for: Medumo Inc.