A med spa is just the nickname for a medical spa. If you are unsure what a medical spa is then picture a day spa, then picture a doctor’s office and now combine them. Very basically a med spa provides all the medical beauty treatments that a doctor’s office can but in the more relaxed setting of a day spa. Day spas cannot perform the same procedures allowed in a med spa hence the distinction between the names.
Med spas have been around for over twenty years now and they are part of a growing industry that generates billions of dollars a year. Med spas can be attractive and fun places to work as the idea is to give the client a positive experience and to achieve that the staff need to be happy too.
A good spa will have staff that look forward to going to work and are genuinely happy to be there to help provide a good atmosphere for their customers.They should have a comfortable waiting area, refreshments and friendly assistants who can answer any queries from the customer. So how do you get to work in a med spa? It will depend on which area interests you as there are legal requirements and different qualifications required.
Legislation
The rules and regulations surrounding med spas are different from state to state and of course in different countries. If you are looking to work in a med spa or even open one you should look into your local legislation.
What are the potential jobs in a med spa?
There are many positions available in a med spa, some require medical qualifications and others do not.
Sales Representative/Front Receptionist
Your role would be to greet clients entering the spa and take them to the waiting area. You would be selling the spas product line and answering phones and making appointments. There is more to this position than just this and you would have to show a warm, friendly front and be able to greet people in a genuine way. Qualifications are not important so much as your attitude and ability to put people at ease and continually show a happy front which can be tiring sometimes.
Spa Manager/Assistant Manager
Again another role that does not require medical training or background. You would need to manage all staff and oversee all aspects of the med spa.
Medical Spa Nurse
Things start to become more difficult as you look at the medical positions. You will first need to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing or a Diploma from a nursing program. Then you can receive your Registered Nurse (RN) licence. You will need further experience working with patients and you may also need further education before you can perform certain procedures.
Your duties would include providing beauty services and esthetician procedures, skin treatments,sterilising exam rooms and assisting with medical procedures. You would be able to perform tasks taken on by estheticians but they are unable to take on your role due to lack or RN licence.
Medical Esthetician
First you will need to go to an Esthetician School. This will take around 600 hours but you should be able to complete this within six months. After this you will need to obtain a medical estheticians licence. To do this you must pass your State Board Exam. The exam is made up of a written and practical part and both must be passed.
You can find entry level medical esthetician positions but you will need to complete some additional training before you are able to undertake some procedures. You will then be tasked with providing chemical peels, botox, microdermabrasion, laser treatments and fillers.
Plastic Surgeon
If you have dreams of becoming a plastic surgery you will have to work extremely hard and have a degree of patience. It will take about 14 years before you can be fully qualified and able to practice independently at New Medical Spa from Richmond, VA for example..
Physician
Medical spas need to have a doctor or physician associated with them and depending on the state they are in they should also be a shareholder in the business. As above with plastic surgery becoming a physician takes years before becoming fully qualified.
To summarise
The amount of schooling you need to work in a med spa completely depends on the position. For someone who has no wish to gain a medical education then becoming a sales representative, receptionist or going into management may be the key to gaining employment in a med spa. Alternatively training as a medical esthetician or a medical nurse may be a more achievable goal compared with a plastic surgeon.
