Development of a Conceptual Framework for Postgraduate Non-surgical Aesthetic Curriculum

Introduction: Theory and practice are complementary and have mutually reflective relationships supported by a robust feedback mechanism. Therefore, medical educators should ideally be familiar with various learning theories to use the most effective method for providing tailored instruction to learners. Unfortunately, pedagogical theories are not routinely used in designing and delivering medical education curricula. Therefore, the present study will discuss relevant pedagogical theories and construct a consensus-based conceptual framework for an authentic, evidence-based curriculum. Methods: A modified Delphi methodology was used to develop an agreement amongst experts on the relevant educational theories and overarching themes. The expert panel members ( n = 36) were internationally recognised subject matter experts and programme directors with more than 20 years of experience in clinical teaching, curriculum design and delivery across the continents. The questionnaire included a short write-up explaining the main concepts of selected educational theories and was emailed using www.surveymonkey.net. A consensus was defined as an agreement score of ≥80% (mean = 4) and Cronbach’s a = 0.90, as recommended in the literature. Results: Members of the expert panel (Mean ≥4) agreed to include proposed educational theories and overarching themes in the conceptual framework (Cronbach’s a = 0.89 and 0.93), indicating a high internal consistency and reliability. Conclusion: This study proposes an evidence-based conceptual framework anchored on educational theories. This framework will serve as a road map for developing learning objectives, curriculum design, delivery strategies and assessment strategies for postgraduate non-surgical aesthetic education.