Will being a medical esthetician give me clinical experience?

[Faitrome]

I’m considering getting an esthetician certificate and the program I want to apply to offers a medical esthetician certificate as well. I’ll probably go for it regardless because I love skin-related issues, but I’m wondering if it’d qualify as clinical experience. I would be involved in procedures such as mild chemical peels, microdermabrasion, micro-needling, and dermaplanning. I believe some of these procedures might have to be under the supervision of a physician, as well.

Just wondering if it would qualify as a less-traditional route of clinical experience, by working in a medically-oriented esthetician job during undergrad. I would still be doing facials, waxes, and other skin treatments such as a general esthetician, so I’m not entirely sure what this should fulfill for my resume.

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[Goro]

No, because you're dealing with clients, not patients.

We need to know that you want to be around sick and injured people (some of whom are not very nice) for the next 30-40 years.

 

[SpoiledMilk]

On the surface, becoming a med esthetician might seem to satisfy certain aspects of the clinical experience, i.e., you will be doing chemical peels, microdermabrasion, micro-needling, and dermaplaning which are procedures that a dermatologist can do or employ a tech in their office to do. Then logically, someone who works in an allied field profession such as a being a clinical laboratory science technician who helps with diagnosing disease could also be deemed to have clinical experience since a Pathologist does the same thing. Yet the peeps you treat as a med esthetician are considered clients as opposed to being a dermatologist’s or Pathologist’s patient. Correct?

Since the gist of requiring clinical experience by Adcoms is to provide pre-meds an understanding of what it will be like to take care of patients who are ailing and see how a physician handles/treats patients, I am of the same opinion as Goro that while being a med esthetician will make you stand out in a sea of similar applicants, it will not be enough to satisfy the clinical experience requirement.