A recognized specialty since 2013
Non-surgical aesthetic medicine
In Belgium, a law framing the practice of aesthetic medicine was promoted on May 23, 2013 and officially published on July 2, 2013.
This law aims to regulate the practice of “non-surgical aesthetic medicine”, which is defined as follows:
- Any non-surgical medical procedure, performed with the aid of any instrument, chemical substance or device using any form of energy, involving passage through the skin or mucous membranes, and intended primarily to modify a patient’s body appearance for aesthetic purposes to the exclusion of any therapeutic or reconstructive purpose. Included are devices using any form of energy, devices using class 4 or higher laser or intense pulsed light.
Who is concerned
Extracts from the law. The full list of authorizations in Belgian law can be consulted by clicking here.
Art. 13. Doctors holding the professional title of general practitioner referred to in article 1 of the Royal Decree of November 25, 1991, who are training for the professional title of specialist in non-surgical aesthetic medicine referred to in article 1 of the same Royal Decree, may continue to practice general medicine during their training and for two years after obtaining the aforementioned professional title of specialist in non-surgical aesthetic medicine.
Art. 14. Holders of one of the specific professional titles reserved for holders of a legal diploma of licenciate in dental sciences referred to in article 3 of the Royal Decree of November 25, 1991 are authorized to perform all procedures relating to aesthetic surgery or non-surgical aesthetic medicine in the intra-oral region.
Art. 15. Aestheticians with the professional skills set by the King are authorized to use class 4 laser or intense pulsed light hair removal techniques, if they have completed the training set by the King.
This law is the fruit of the constant and concerted efforts of all those involved in aesthetic medicine in Belgium, and in particular of the Belgian Society for Aesthetic Medicine (SBME/BVEG), which contributed to the drafting of the law and supported its promulgation.
Aesthetic medicine is a specialty in its own right in Belgium. Doctors of medicine are authorized to practice aesthetic medicine, with some specificities depending on their original specialty. Dentists are also qualified to practice aesthetic medicine, but only in the intraoral area.
All are subject to specific training and continuing education requirements.
To my knowledge, few countries have succeeded in enacting such a clear, framing law that allows anyone to practice aesthetic medicine within the framework reserved for it, and under cover of dedicated training. It’s a remarkable step forward, and one that many countries should emulate.
Training for Belgian aesthetic doctors
Once the legal framework had been drawn up, it was necessary to provide high-quality training for doctors wishing to practice aesthetic medicine.
What was needed was Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) training, summarizing current best practice recommendations to harmonize practices for ever greater safety and ethics.
Aesthetic medicine is a discipline that responds very well to the “master” format for health professionals.
For general practitioners, dermatologists, plastic surgeons, otorhinolaryngologists, ophthalmologists and many other specialists:
- It “adds to” the knowledge common to all medical doctors, who master the physiology, anatomy and cellular biology of the human body.
- It is an interspecialty discipline.
- Good practice recommendations have now been published.
- Its fundamentals can be taught in their entirety in a Master’s, DU or DIU format.
But to provide EBM training that meets the strict criteria of medical pedagogy (UEMS), and is free from conflicts of interest, very substantial private human and financial resources are required.
This is what the SAMBA Academy has succeeded in doing by uniting professors, KOLs and recognized specialists with scientific rigor and irreproachable ethical values around a common vision, to create a benchmark basic training program in aesthetic medicine.
SBME/BVEG has therefore sought to provide all its members with comprehensive training in aesthetic medicine within the Belgian legal framework.
As the SAMBA diploma was conceived, created, designed, audited and accredited to meet the aesthetic medicine training needs of doctors in Europe and around the world, we were honored to be selected by the Belgian Society of Aesthetic Medicine as the official training program for their members.
Belgium has therefore pragmatically succeeded in framing the practice of aesthetic medicine on its territory by enacting a clear law and equipping itself with an effective training tool that rapidly harmonizes practices and complies with current recommendations for good practice in aesthetic medicine.
The SBME/BVEG collaborative solution is therefore a virtuous model that should be emulated.
To sum up, clear legislation and quality training based on scientific evidence (EBM) with ethical and safety values enable SBME/BVEG to offer its members a clear and healthy framework for the practice of aesthetic medicine.
One step closer to European harmonization
The SAMBA diploma in aesthetic medicine aims to become a benchmark training program for the learned societies of each country.
We’re going to promote this model, which offers governments, health ministries and learned societies a simple, fast and effective solution for regulating the practice of aesthetic medicine under the right conditions.
This helps to harmonize practices, ensure that doctors follow published best practice recommendations, and thus increase treatment safety for the benefit of patients.
The best of both worlds, working together in the service of public health and patient care.
A win-win partnership
Collaboration between a learned society and a private training organization creates multiple synergies for the benefit of both practitioners and the public.
Members of the learned society are oriented towards training, and therefore benefit from an advantage on registration fees. Part of the registration fee is returned to the learned society, which can then organize workshops, congresses and continuing education sessions throughout the career of its member doctors, as part of their ongoing training and acquisition of the fundamentals.
A stronger, more attractive learned society
In fact, the appeal of the learned society has been strengthened, and the number of members has increased.
A common basic training program enables members to exchange ideas on a common scientific postulate and to develop the specialty within the company.
Credibility is strengthened, because the more a learned society is alive and kicking, the more its voice is heard, the greater its capacity for action, and thus the better it can represent the interests of its members.
Training that supports and federates
The academy, for its part, can grow and develop the community, offering mentoring, platforms for exchange between specialists, sponsorship, new courses and masterclasses.
Exchanges between the academy and learned societies help federate an active, motivated community for the ultimate benefit of patients.
Ongoing training
Collaboration between a learned society and a private training program enables the alternation between the acquisition of fundamentals and the organization of various events around the specialty, such as workshops, congresses, webinars and any other training support that may be organized by the learned society or in direct collaboration with the academy. This enables us to offer our member doctors and alumni a high-quality range of continuing education courses that are always at the cutting edge of knowledge and developments in their specialty.
Specialties within specialties
Another beneficial effect of the synergy between a learned society or the public domain and private training is the possibility of offering and producing new courses dedicated to specific techniques.
Requests may come from alumnis themselves, who will acquire new knowledge throughout their careers, and will be looking for training in very specific techniques in the specialty, such as: tensor threads, liquid rhinoplasty, aesthetic gynecology, complication management, or other topics that will emerge with technical and societal developments.
As a result, doctors who enroll in this training process not only benefit from a solid foundation for their entire career, but also from follow-up and the opportunity to develop their practice over time.
In conclusion
Thanks to the remarkable and successful work of SBME/BVEG, Belgium has been one of the only countries to recognize aesthetic medicine as a specialty since 2013.
With this rigorous spirit, the SBME/BVEG audited the various private training courses in aesthetic medicine in Europe. We were honored to be selected as the official training course recommended by the SBME/BVEG, offering all its Belgian members a comprehensive training course in a hybrid format, accredited by the Union Européenne des Médecins Spécialistes (UEMS). This collaboration enables Belgian doctors practicing aesthetic medicine to acquire the fundamentals of the specialty, raising the overall standard of all these practitioners to the primary benefit of patients and the public.
In addition, this collaboration enables the development of new training courses and the assurance of continuing education through the organization of congresses, workshops and the production of new courses on specific themes.
This collaboration, already highly acclaimed, will be followed by others, and we look forward to the next steps in the harmonization of aesthetic medicine practices.
