International college of cosmetic surgery to open in Mumbai
Rita Dutta - Mumbai

Dr Vijay Sharma, president of Indian Association of Cosmetic Surgery

There is good tidings for doctors who nourish the desire of specializing in cosmetic surgery. The International Association of Cosmetic Surgery (IACS), US would be opening one its international schools in a sprawling 50 acre land in Lonavla. The centre would impart a two-year training where the minimum eligibility is MBBS/MD/FRCS. The other five centres of IACS will be built in California, Capetown, Sydney, Beijing and Singapore. The Rs 5-crore-project got the nod of approval from IACS at the world congress on Aestheic and Restorative Surgery in Mumbai, India on February 11, 2001. The college would be affiliated to IACS and is expected to be be operational by 2005.

The brain child behind the institute, Dr Vijay Sharma, president of Indian Association of Cosmetic Surgery (IACS) and Federation of Restorative and Cosmetic Surgery (FRCS), says, “Cosmetic surgery is an emerging industry in India. It was given a boost in early 1990s when spurred by the success of an array of Indian models in international beauty pageants, middle class people started becoming our clients. Only 30 per cent of the clientele now is the affluent, the bulk being the middle class. While the demand for cosmetic surgery is increasing, the supply of trained cosmetic surgeons is few and far between.” The training centre is expected to streamline cosmetic surgery in India, a profession which is managed by ENT surgeons, opthalmologists, plastic surgeons, gynecologists in the absence of any training in the arena of cosmetic surgery. “The absence of training in India has also resulted in the lack of standardized norms for performing cosmetic surgery. This centre is also expected stop doctors from going abroad for training and give a fillip to health tourism, with the cost of cosmetic surgery in India being one-sixth of that abroad,” added Dr Sharma. The cost of the project would be borne by the 42 faculty members of IACS with each contributing $10,000. Being the only cosmetic surgery college in south east Asia, students from Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, Bhutan and other UAE countries are expected. In the first phase the college would start with 50 seats and then later expand as oer the requirements. The campus would have an institute building along with residential quarters, cafeteria and library. “As we are expecting students from abroad, we have chosen a place like Lonavla with its cool climes and lush greenery,” says Dr Sharma.

The six varieties of courses offered would be masters in cosmetic surgery, masters in cosmetic dentology, masters in aesthetic dermatology, masters in cosmetology, twin training, advanced cosmetics and cosmetic surgery. The course fee is from 2,000 to 5,000 $. A discount of 50 per cent would be given to Indians, 35 per cent to citizens of neighbouring countries and 5 per cent to post graduate with experience. However, the entrance would be purely on merit.

The two-year-training schedule in both of the two years, would comprise12 weeks of training at a base unit and 24 weeks of training at 4 affiliated centres. The syllabus would include anatomy, aesthetic physiology, aesthetic psychology, and patient selection (physical assessent, psychological assessment and emotional assessment). Certificates would be awarded only after each student has performed at least 250 procedures as primary procedures or cosurgeon (performing at least 50 per cent of the surgery) during the training.