ESTHETIC SKIN INSTITUTE, ESIW, SASHA PARKER, CEO, FRAUDULENT TRAINING, BAIT AND SWITCH, WASTE OF TIME, ILLEGAL BUSINESS fort lauderdale Florida

After reading all of the above comments I have a feeling the first comment is a legitimate post. The rest of the responses are a very aggressive concerted effort by the company to discredit an honest individual. I take one persons opinion with a grain of salt. But when I see a series of closely related posts my intution tells me they are bogus. Just saying. I do draw one thing no from this. The company cares about its online reputatuion which is a good thing. 

I am a retired Neurosurgeon starting an Aesthetics practice. I have no monetary relationship with ESI and have nothing to disclose. 

I am dubious of the author's comments. In contrast to the report I had a very good experience.

I thought that the didactic portion of the class was well organized and concise. Q and A session was saved for the end of the lecture and did not disrupt anything.

Lunch only lasted 1 hour.

The afternoon practical session was run very professionally. There were three instructors helping us all with injection technique.

After 20 years of practicing brain and spine surgery I was amazed at what I was able to learn from Sasha. I am very happy with the class and will be attending more of ESI's courses in the future.

Handout materials were sufficient and what I would have expected.

After re-reading the original report I must ask myself ... Is this guy for real? Is this a bogus report? Is this person just a trouble maker?

I would whole-heartedly endorse ESI's programs and would ask that professionals disregard the original report.

Thank you for reading.

I must respond to this author's contention, as nothing about the comments are true. I must first state that I have no invested intrest in ESI, financial or otherwise. I am writing this as a private practice academic General Surgeon who wanted to add a new dimension to my practice, especially for when I turn completely gray and no longer desire  the rigors of a general surgery practice.

To start, The morning session may be considered boring to someone who just wants to start injecting without any concern for how or why neurotoxins and dermal fillers have progressed to their current usage in our society. As we experienced in medical school, the implementation of current practices is best understood as we learn how the knowledge base of information has been developed and refined. Do we really need Biochemistry to be able to competently practice in todays environment? Probably not...but it helps us to understand the the new therapies we use, how they work on a cellular level and any potential consequenses that may occur. This is especially true with any new pharmacologic therapy that is introduced.

At ESI, I learned how and why neurotoxins were developed and thier first clinical application....and no, it was not to get rid of wrinkles. In fact, the biochemistry of neurotoxins and dermal fillers is taught. From the introduction of the technology, to the refinement and development of similar products, to future potential applications, all was discussed to allow the student to practice this medical therapy in a responsible manner. Clearly not a waste of time for me. In fact, I give this information to my patients, who not only are very interested in learning about the therapy they are recieving, but clearly feel they are in the hands of a true professional that can treat AND educate them.

As for the manual...all medical considerations are provided. Past medical history, concurrent medication use etc. are clearly outlined. Potential pitfalls are included. Patient pre-procedure preperation and instructions, numerous procedure techniques, post procedure considerations and instructions are all discussed and forms are included. Medicolegal issues are outlined. Event the current marketplace environment is discussed. It could not be more comprehensive.

As for the hands on portion, some individuals grasp the techniques faster than others. As a surgeon, I am in this category. After my comfort level was reached, I walked around to see how other instructors were teaching their students. I witnessed first hand, Sasha Parker personally training those individuals who required a more "focused" level of instruction. There is absolutely NO question Shash was and is committed to providing the best possible training for her students to competently perform the procedures she teaches.

I teach medical students and residents daily. I know what is required to produce an effective, knowledeable and safe clinician. I can assure any reader considering taking a training course at ESI, that you will experience a course where you will feel competent and comfortable with using neurotoxins and dermal fillers.

John T. Malcynski, MD, FACS, FCCP

I am also a physician and was extraordinarilly impressed with Sasha Parker and her team. I have also been to her facility for additional 1on1 training because of my experience in the initial course. The instructors were well trained, educational and articulate (which is more than can be said about the original letter writer, who was apparently never taught punctuation, capitalizations or the difference between there and their!). The syllabus was well written and concise and the accompanying CD was excellent. The live patient demonstration was professional and educational, in full compliance with all federal and state regulations.I am using Botox and a variety of fillers with skill and confidence at my clinic because of Sasha and her team!

Hi, I felt the need to write in response to the negative comments regarding ESIW training courses. I took many of the classes offered by ESIW over the years. The information is comprehensive, current, and the hands on experience was invaluable. I was provided not only with the medical information I needed to feel comfortable perfoming a new procedure, but I was also given the documents needed to begin my own practice or take my skills into another practitioner's practice. The classes (except for the advanced classes) are geared towards the beginning practitioner. Facial landmarks are given for approved injection areas, but off label applications are also discussed. If a practitioner wants further information and techniqes they can attend the advanced class. Videos and live demonstrations were done before we began our hands on portion of the classes.

The manual provided was up to date and VERY thorough.

The hands on portion of the classes; for Botox we injected each other, or if one person did not want Botox or had a medical reason that they could not receive Botox, they were injected with Normal Saline. No one wandered around the room other than the instructors who observed every injection given. First we marked each other for needle placement. All the needles were of course sterile and there were trash cans provided for waste and sharp containers for the needles. In the Filler class models were provided so that we could focus on the areas we were to learn.

I am not sure where the 'complaining physician' took his course as he does not say, but I have taken classes from ESIW at several of their locations and the teaching has been consistent.

The information I learned allowed me to take my career in a whole new direction.

I am quite surprised to see such a negative and poor experience with any training provided by ESIW or Sasha Parker.

My first experience with Sasha and her team was approximately 12 years ago when I attended a full week of training in various aesthetic procedures.  I came away fully trained and loaded down with various business tools to help me become a successful provider.

I was so impressed with Sasha and her team that I returned several times for additional trainings over the ensuing years with my last training/course being two years ago.  I have never observed any unsanitary conditions and always found that the training was conducted in a very aeseptic environment.  I have a continued association with Sasha and her team always feeling comfortable with accessing them for additional support.  I would not hesitate to schedule any additional courses/trainings with her and refer many people to her and her courses. 

Sasha is hands down one of the most knowledgeable and proficient trainers that I have ever had the opportunity to work with as through the years I have attended various trainings throughout the country and have many with wihich to compare she and her company with. As a paid peer to peer trainer for a pharmaceutical company training physicians and nurses in a botulinum toxin and fillers myself I feel I can wholeheartedly endorse Sasha.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share my experiences with Sasha and her company as I wanted others to know that the above report is not the norm. I'm sorry this attendee did not have the same experience and wonder what the real issue is here.

As a former Student and Trainer of ESI I have never experienced any of the comments made by the Physician making the complaint in my 11 years in this industry.

The Neurotoxin and Dermal Fill courses are basic and may be boring to some, but necessary for the didactic portion of the course.  The history of neurotoxins and fillers explaining chemistry and evolution in use over the past years is necessary and does take the morning session.

The hands on portion of the training consumes the afternoon session in both neurotoxins and fillers.  As a student in the training we were told these are medical procedures and should be performed in a manner as with any other type of injections.  Gloves, alcohol swabs, 4x4s, medical waste containors on each table were provided and we were told to put all of our needles in those containers, other waste in baskets provided.  The course that I took had 3 Registered Nurses with experience helping with the hands on portion.  They would give us guidance and answer our questions.

The manual and CD that accompanied the course supplies the student with all the information they will ever need to get started providing these services. There were some photocopied material to update the manual as this industry is changing quickly, however the manual is very professional.  The Instructors also gave us their information for future questions we might have.  As a student I was allowed to come back and monitor the courses at no charge.

I have returned over the years and taken other courses and found them to be extremely informative, professionally done in all manner.  

As a former Trainer for ESI have never seen or would allow what this Physician is stating and am hard pressed to believe Ms. Parker would either. I can tell you that the Instructors did have to remind students both Physicians and Nurses to use Universal Precautions and dispose of needles in sharps containers that were provided.  Many times they would also need reminders to pick up after themselves.

As far as supervision we always had at least two or more instructors to help with the hands on portion.  That would depend on the number in the class.  There were no instructors just wandering around aimlessly and the students new who was and Instructor.

 I have referred dozens of Physicians and Nurses to this program and have never heard a complaint.  I have taught hundreds of students over the years when I was training and received only positive input from those taking the course.

I took the basic dermal fillers and botox courses with this company and had a fantastic experience. The lecture was well prepared, teaching all the landmarks, danger zones, anatomy, and "how-to" plus tips, tricks. There is also info on what to do when things go wrong. PLUS the manual came with a CD loaded with sample chart paperwork, protocols and patient consents (which I printed out and use in my practice). I tried to get the info on the CD before I took this class and was quoted thousands of dollars by attorneys to prepare them. The CD alone saved me a bundle. Plus it has info on it of where to purchase compounded medications for topical anesthesia and other items required. The book and CD are great.

As for the class it was loaded with information and the instructor welcomed questions and went into full length to help me understand when I had a hard time visualizing techniques. We only took the occasional 5 minute break to run to the restroom. The instructor kept on point, shared real life senarios and didn't go off on any tangents like you said. She was professional, approachable, explained things easily. We had an hour lunch.

The hands on part in the afternoon was well worth it. First we watched some instructional how to videos, then the instructor did a live demo model while everyone watched on a live camera the close up action.  I had time to ask questions and could see everything that was going on. Then we had a short discussion with more questions and broke into small groups of only 3-4 students paired with one instructor. My instructor was fanstasic and really knew her stuff! She helped me determine the right depth to inject, how to hold the syringe (not like we do in regular medical procedures), she went through all the different injecting techniques with me and made sure I got them right. She taught me how to do a dental block for pain. She showed me how to determine what filler to use where, gave me practical tips and advice on dealing with problems, setting prices, how to do consultations. I was able to take before and after shots of my models to put in my own portfolio. After I was done injecting I was able to talk with the instructor and learn from her experience, how to evaluate faces, how to determine how many syringes and how much botox each person needs. I had ample time to pick her brain and I did! 

There were no bloody gauze sponges strewn about as you claim. No needles lying around like a crack house the way you portray it. In fact they had multiple sharps containers, garbage cans at each group. It was very clean, well organized. 

Since my class I have encountered problems with clients (like uneven areas, lumps) and I called the school to ask for advice on what to do, where I may have gone wrong and they spent ample time giving me support and boosting my confidence.  Now that was FREE!  They basically took me by the hand and helped me. How awesome is that? The school also let me come back and "audit" a class I took before which basically means take the class again because I was so nervous about injecting. They allowed me the time I needed to become comfortable. 

I have gone back and done the advanced training and had a similiar experience. I've also  done one on one preceptor training to really hone my advanced skills and had a phenominal experience in the owner's spa. The instructors are highly talented with many years experience. Learning from them enabled me to grow my injection business from a few hundred a month to thousands.  I built a business based on the classes I took at ESI, I met other students and stayed in touch so now have a network of people to turn to. They even have a conference yearly I attend with speakers and whats new in the field.  It's a whole community of support. 

Because of my great experience with ESI had to post this rebuttal to what your saying.  I know out of the several classes I took all the students in my class were happy. I have taken almost all of thier classes. I've kept in touch with several who are successfully injecting.

For anyone looking for a school to give you real world experience from experts this is the place. I considered other schools but in talking with people on forums found that most of the other programs you just sit in a boring lecture and watch someone else inject at the end of the day with no hands on experience. How can you learn like that? I would not hesitate to take classes with ESI again and don't regret a minute of it!