I graduated from medical school, specialized in Dermatology, and worked as a doctor of Dermatology for over 20 years in Russia and Lithuania and have over 35 years of total experience in Dermatology, Esthetics and MA teacher in the United States. I also have a Master’s in Educational Psychology and I am licensed Teacher of Esthetics and a Nationally Certified MA.

Currently, I do not practice medicine.  However, when you have a medical degree and are a Medical Doctor you have recognition of your education, regardless of whether you are a licensed doctor or not. I’m a honorary Member of Chicago Dermatology Society and Dermatology Grand rounds attendee.

Who would know skin better than the person specialized in Dermatology?  Everyone I knew was disappointed with the level of Esthetics education. For six months I was an intern at a school, which provided continuing education to licensed Estheticians and I did realize also that the instructors’ level of Esthetics knowledge was superficial.

I observed licensed Estheticians in practice and came to a conclusion that the majority of Estheticians are poorly trained. Although most of them would like to be great professionals and know more, there was no place to go to, to learn and be properly trained.

I wanted to raise a new generation of different and very knowledgeable, thoughtful, and highly professional skin care professionals.By now our Academy has the best reputation as a school of Esthetics and trains the best Estheticians and Medical Assistants!

First of all, the high level and intensity of our program, which no other school can match.  Our curriculum is based on medical information and knowledge of Dermatology and, of course, everything related to skin.

My medical education, knowledge, and experience in conjunction with my knowledge of Esthetics, have helped me innovate commonly-used techniques and bring treatments to an unmatched world standard.

All our techniques are based on the medical knowledge, anatomy, and physiology of skin and body.

Our curriculum is above and beyond both, National and International requirements.

Secondly, we have the most intelligent, ambitious, and passionate about their craft teachers and students. Among our students and graduates are practicing doctors, nurses, massage therapists, cosmetologists, makeup artists, salon and business owners, dedicated stay-at-home moms and professionals, women who have decided to make a career change, or simply change their lives.

Thirdly, our school has the highest ethical, moral, and professional standards! That creates the atmosphere of dedication and passion for skin care! We do not compete with the other schools. We simply succeed!!!

CIDESCO is a European concept preparing employees mostly for the resorts where one person can do facial, massage, and nails on the same client. The USA regulations are different and the concept doesn’t fit as well and is useless for the Esthetician who wants to work on an advanced level in medical practices.

To obtain CIDESCO certification candidates have to complete 3 separate programs:  750 hours of Esthetics, at least 600 hours of Massage therapy, and 250 hours of Nail technology. This could mean years of study, and an enormous financial strain on a student’s budget, especially for someone who wants to be a skin care therapist and dedicate themselves to a medical field!

However, CIDESCO is not officially approved by the States’ regulatory bodies and by itself does not give someone a right to work as an Esthetician, Nail technician, or a Massage Therapist. In order to practice Esthetics, do massages or nails in Illinois, the Illinois Department of Professional and Financial Regulations Regulation requires obtaining a license for each profession.

In addition, CIDESCO diploma is not widely known by employers in the U.S., especially by the doctors. Skin care companies and product manufacturers do not need massage and nail technology training. It is even hard to imagine a medical practice or an international cosmetic company making use of pedicures and manicures.

In contrast, our program is medically-oriented and covers long list of topics in order to prepare our students for the doctors’ practices or medical spas. Our school cover basic and Medical Esthetics* with all advanced topics in only one 750 hour program length.

* Under the Act “ Clinical and Medical courses of the program are not esthetics but constitute medical training that might assist the student in obtaining employment as an unlicensed physician’s assistant in a medical office or clinic”.

Schools themselves cannot provide laser training. However, schools can invite other professionals to provide education. We have an agreement with a medical company (AMMP), which can train students at any facility. AMMP are laser distributors and train physicians, they come to our school with all the equipment. Because they equip medical offices with lasers, they help our students stay abreast of all the new devices and trends. I am a perfectionist and want my students to learn from the best. No dermatologist or plastic surgeon knows lasers better than people who train physicians on the subject. But according to the IDFPR regulations, cosmetologists and Estheticians cannot operate laser under their license.

That makes me smile☺)). Education is not about a table of content (listing) but the content itself (quality). They can call their training anything but it doesn’t make it Medical or Paramedical.

Our school is related to the medicine and the programs are based on medical education and experience.

The combination of Esthetics and Medical Assisting gives any person far superior job prospects and gives them unparalleled preparation for their career.

Medical Assisting can offer graduates job security and a career with more stability in their lives. We are very proud and have great statistics of our students’ job positions! The field of medicine expands every day! More and more doctors open their private practices and medical spas. Over the past several years, there has been a huge demand for Medical Assistants, and it is expected to continue growing. Medical Assisting can guaranty job security and the career gives graduates more stability in their lives.

For the externship site, we partner with the Dermatology department of Rush University, where our students are trained to assist Dermatologists of the highest caliber!

After completing Skin Care and Medical Assisting programs our graduates assist physicians and can be delegated to provide Laser and Injectables procedures.

According to Illinois state regulations, these procedures cannot be carried under Esthetics or Cosmetology license.

I think that competition is a key to progress, development, and improvement. I know quite a few good schools. Although they do not offer as advanced programs as we do, we respect each other and stay connected. The other schools accept our superior position and training.

Our school is focused on clinical esthetics and has the most intense curriculum.

Unfortunately, one of the schools is very unhappy about our great reputation and recognition   as the best school. They place false reviews (it sounds ridiculous and is a bad way to advertise their programs) and send anonymous complaints to the different departments.

Indirectly they are actually promoting us, since now different agencies and organizations recognize the highest level of education we provide.

Our philosophy “what goes around comes around” is the best way to respond to unethical behavior.

We are trying to make world better by changing people’s lives through our education!

We are licensed by the Illinois Department for Professional & Financial Regulation for not only the 750-Hour Esthetics Program, but also for 750-Hour Teacher of Esthetics program.

We are sponsors of Continuing Education Classes for Estheticians, Cosmetologists, Nail Technicians and Esthetics and Cosmetology teachers.

We are also approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education for our Allied Health programs.

ITA also achieved the distinction of becoming an M1 Visa Sponsor, which means that international students can – and they do! – apply to study with us. 

The quality of our education is reflected in the fact that not only does the government trust us with licenses for all available programs in skin care, all our graduates have exceptionally high scores on the State Licensing Test.

Moreover, Federal Government has approved us to train veterans through the GI Bill and Illinois State Agencies have approved us for training unemployed women.

We already stopped counting the countries that have been represented at our school (at last count, it was over 30)! We have the most intelligent and ambitious student who drive from the other states, move from the other states to attend school, and come from the other countries, as well.  Our students and graduates include women from different races, ethnicities, religions, and walks of life!

We have a very strong and popular Student Spa: many of our students build up their clientele at our school. Our clients tell us that they have received the best facials, waxing and procedures of their lives!.

Our students are also incredibly proud that the money earned by the Student Spa goes to different charities. Our mission is to help others, positively impacting not just the lives of our students and clients, but the community at large!