Bridging the gap from old school to new: How Dr. Naomi McCullum embraced social media marketing.

Name: Dr. Naomi McCullum
Clinic: Dr. Naomi
Location: Sydney, Australia
Website: drnaomi.com.au 

Dr. McCullum worked at several of the leading cosmetic/dermatology clinics in Sydney, and after being admitted as an inaugural Fellow of the Faculty of Medicine of the Australian College of Cosmetic Surgery, opened her own botique cosmetic clinic in Paddington in 2002. 

Can you tell us a bit about your career path?

I first had Botox myself as a young resident shortly after graduating from Medicine. On that day, I saw my future in the industry. Being a cosmetic patient and a proceduralist at heart, there was no choice in the matter. I have always been interested in all branches of the aesthetic tree, from design, fashion and architecture to beauty. It is more than a job for me.

I love having just one boutique clinic, as we can really focus on offering the ultimate specialized service to our patients. This attracts a certain type of client, which makes every day fun and interesting.

What is it like practicing cosmetic medicine in Australia in comparison with what you see in other countries?

The practice of cosmetic medicine is quite unregulated in Australia, with many non-doctors like nurses and dentists, involved in the industry. The laser/IPL industry in most states of Australia is also poorly regulated.

Another difference between what we have to deal with in Austrailian and other countries are the legal requirements for online activity in our industry.

In Australia we are not allowed to mention any of the generic or brand names of the injectables that we use on our websites or through social media. For example, we cannot use the words "Botox", "Restylane", "Juvederm" or even "Hyaluronic Acid" or "Botulinum toxin" anywhere online, which as you can imagine, makes it difficult to educate readers / patients. Potential patients have a right to know what products we supply; they also have a right to know comparisons between products that they might be choosing. The regulations also prevent me from having a useful online discussion publicly with colleagues overseas and in Australia about cosmetic treatments. The Australian regulations are paternalistic and harmful to our patients and industry, and need to...