While she was taking the postgraduate program in Aesthetic Biology, we had the chance to interview Dr. Isabela Espasandin, and she has appeared before among the Success Stories here on the blog. This time, we honor her again, no longer from the standpoint of an aesthetic professional in training, but of a very successful specialist who found a promising career in Biology.
And, not by chance, she is one of the winners of the Academic Excellence Award 2022, first place in the category “Influencer's Choice: Journeys That Enchant.”
Biologists can too!
Aesthetic Biology may be a recent specialty, regulated only in 2020, but aesthetic biologists have been working hard and winning a space that was perhaps unimaginable a few years ago. However, Dr. Isabela was already wondering, back in 2010, why her professional group couldn't occupy this space and do work as good as what health professionals from other fields were already doing.
2010 was the year Isabela began her degree and, although at the time she was torn between biomedicine and biology, she ended up choosing the latter, as she saw more possibilities for practice in it at that time.
In parallel, she says she always had a strong interest in aesthetics, including personal care, and a refined aesthetic sense in different respects. So when she graduated in biology and began to notice the boom in aesthetics as a possible specialty for different health fields, she looked at this context without understanding why biologists, with all their competence in health, were left out, even feeling a little resentful for not having chosen biomedicine.
The lack of recognition for an academic career
Once she graduated, Isabela dedicated herself to academia, as she still does today, but despite all her dedication in this regard she recognizes that it is a field lacking recognition, a reality quite common among biologists, since research and teaching are among the most sought-after paths for people with this training, and they end up working a lot but without due return.
By comparison, professionals working in aesthetic biology are better paid and more valued. Beyond her interest in the field itself, in specializing in an area she has a great affinity for, Dr. Isabela was also motivated by the search for a career that more highly values her professional dedication.
The postgraduate experience
While she was working on her doctorate, her moment came: Aesthetic Biology had finally been regulated. And she didn't waste time, seeking a postgraduate program as soon as possible; by 2021 she was already working in the field.
While taking the specialization, Dr. Isabela was able to confirm and deepen her interest in aesthetics in practice. She fondly tells us a little about her experience:
“Of course I got tired, but I didn't even notice the time passing, I was so thirsty to learn everything, to see every detail, to ask questions, to absorb every piece of knowledge, I didn't even notice the time passing; the theory classes were the same, and I had incredible professors, some of whom I still collaborate with on scientific articles to this day”.
A promising career in aesthetic biology
From never having even used a syringe, the biologist became a highly skilled aesthetics professional, one who is very fulfilled by what she is able to do, by the results and the well-being she provides to her patients.
“After the postgraduate program my career changed completely. Before, I had no contact with aesthetics, I always worked in academia, in research (which I still do today, but I balance it with aesthetics). The Isabela of today found herself in a profession that I enjoy doing and studying, and that makes me feel fulfilled.”
Earning a position as a reference
And, besides all the recognition from her patients, it is important to highlight the professional recognition from her peers in biology. As one of the first to believe in the potential of this specialty and prove her own abilities, Dr. Isabela also became a major reference for other biologists.
Today, she is also part of the Aesthetics Working Group of the Regional Council of Biology of Rio de Janeiro (Brazilian professional council), and works to expand biologists' activities and secure the rights of the profession. As one of the first, she takes on the responsibility of opening doors, and is very grateful to be in this position.
Success Stories>Aesthetic Biology|Academic Highlights|Academic Excellence AwardLaís Bianquini
NEPUGA content team — Núcleo de Especializações Ana Carolina Puga.
