Externship Program
Empowering Future Plastic Surgeons: The Aesthetic Foundation's Externship Program
Established in 2022, The Aesthetic Foundation's Externship Program helps make aesthetic education more accessible by providing medical students mentorship opportunities and increased exposure to aesthetic plastic surgery and research.
The Externship Program is a career-shaping opportunity for those who want to learn more about the specialty. It can alter or confirm an extern's decision to pursue aesthetic plastic surgery and increase their chance of getting into a plastic surgery residency program.
This program benefits not only students but the industry as a whole as it introduces aesthetics to a diverse talent pool and creates a more inclusive and knowledgeable community of aesthetic plastic surgeons and researchers.
There are three Externship Program options to choose from. You can apply to all three options if eligible and interested.
1. Externship
This option is for MD or DO medical students interested in plastic surgery but attending a school without a home plastic surgery program. The program focuses on general aesthetic plastic surgery education with potential for aesthetic research opportunities. In this program, we pair accepted externs with a board-certified plastic surgeon and active member of The Aesthetic Society for a yearlong 1:1 mentorship and 5-day observership.
Program Benefits:
1:1 Mentoring
5-day Observership (clinic and operating room)
Potential for aesthetic research opportunities
Complimentary registration for The Aesthetic MEET
2. Externship with Scholarship
This option is for MD or DO medical students attending a school without a plastic surgery program who require financial assistance to participate in the Externship offerings. The program has the same offerings as the Externship (option 1) but includes a scholarship of up to $3,500 to qualifying externs to help them cover program-related costs such as travel, lodging, local transportation, and meals to attend their observership and The Aesthetic MEET. Scholarships are provided based on financial need. The number of scholarships available and scholarship amounts are subject to change each year. The Externship Program Task Force reserves the right to assign students to the closest Mentor to their place of residence in order to allow more broad distribution of the resources available.
Program Benefits:
1:1 Mentoring
5-day Observership (clinic and operating room)
Potential for aesthetic research opportunities
Complimentary registration for The Aesthetic MEET
Scholarship of up to $3,500
APPLY FOR EXTERNSHIP WITH SCHOLARSHIP
3. Cooperative Research Externship
This option is for MD or DO medical students specifically interested in aesthetic research. Medical students who attend a school with or without a plastic surgery program can apply. This program matches medical students with similar interests but diverse abilities into cooperative research teams who assist with active aesthetic research studies. Participation is entirely online and requires no travel. Thus, there is no scholarship option available for this Externship option.
Program Benefits:
Group mentor
Collaborate and network with a team of up to 5 medical students interested in research
Assist with an aesthetic research study
APPLY FOR COOPERATIVE RESEARCH EXTERNSHIP
Mentors and Donors
To successfully run these Externship Programs, The Aesthetic Foundation relies on the generosity of our volunteer mentors and donors. The 2025 Externship Program is currently supported with grants provided by Evolus, Galderma, Mentor Worldwide LLC and MTF Biologics. Please help us support the next generation of aesthetic professionals by supporting this program.