AAOPM Summary

AAOPM, the "American Academy of Procedural Medicine", lists Botox, dermal filler, and other procedural courses on aaopm.com and offers a separate AAOPM Certified Practitioner credential. The table below applies the eight A-T.com Buyer's Guide criteria to the Level 1 Botox and Level 1 Dermal Filler courses listed on aaopm.com. The FAQ below describes how AAOPM course listings relate to Empire Medical Training.

Criterion	Status	Details and Questions to Ask AAOPM Prior to Registration
1. Instructor Transparency	❌	The faculty page lists 53 faculty by name with credentials, including MD, DO, ARNP, FNP, and PA, organized as academy directors, key opinion leaders, and teaching faculty. The published event listings, including the November 7, 2026 Atlanta listing, show the date, start time, and venue but do not name the instructor for that date. The attendee does not know who is teaching any one date. Ask: Who will be the hands-on instructor for my date and location, and what is their license type in this state?
2. Location Transparency	✅*	The November 7, 2026 Atlanta listing names the venue as Atlanta Marriott Marquis. *The street address field on that listing is blank, and an Empire Medical Training listing for the same date and start time in Atlanta names a different hotel, Hilton Garden Inn Buckhead. Ask: What is the confirmed hotel and street address for my date, and is it the same event listed on the Empire Medical Training website?
3. CME Accreditation	❌	Both course pages list 8.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for in-person and livestream formats and state that "AAOPM is accredited by the ACCME." There is no listing for AAOPM found at the ACCME website (https://accme.org/) as of the day of this update. The published statements do not name an accredited provider or joint provider, do not list ANCC contact hours or nursing pharmacology hours, and do not include approval or release dates. The FAQ tells nurses to verify CME/CE credit with their state board. Ask: Which ACCME-accredited or Jointly Accredited organization is the accredited provider for my course, what are the approval dates, and are ANCC contact hours and pharmacology hours included? If these courses share CME joint provider with Empire, what organization name appears on the certificate?
4. Small Groups	❌	Both course pages list "small group sizes (8-12 attendees)." A maximum number of attendees per hands-on instructor was not found. Ask: What is the maximum number of attendees per hands-on instructor for my date? Are multiple hands-on instructors used for some dates?
5. Product Included	✅	The FAQ states that registration includes "all supplies, products, and equipment used during training." The FAQ describes unlimited Botox injection practice and states that students typically inject 1 syringe of filler per class. A number of neurotoxin units per attendee was not found. Ask: How many units of neurotoxin and how much filler will I personally inject on my date?
6. Own Patients, No Paid Models	✅*	The FAQ states that "AAOPM does not provide models" and recommends that attendees bring their own; attendees without a model are paired with another attendee. *The Level 1 Dermal Filler course page separately states that attendees inject "live volunteer models." Ask: If I bring my own patient, what is the deadline to register them, and if I am paired with another attendee, who provides follow-up care?
7. Online Access	➖	Both course pages describe an online didactic prerequisite, by Video on Demand or livestream, completed before the hands-on session, and state the same 8.0 credits for in-person and livestream formats. The filler course page states lifetime access to the member portal for updates and refresher videos. The access period for the online Botox module and the breakdown of credits between the online and live portions were not found. Ask: How long will I have access to the online didactic portion after the course, and are content updates included?
8. A-T.com Core Curriculum	✅*	The Botox course page covers the five FDA-approved neurotoxins and their mechanism of action, facial anatomy, glabellar lines, forehead lines, crow's feet, and platysmal bands, consent requirements, and management of lid ptosis. The Dermal Filler course page covers HA properties, facial arteries and danger zones, nasolabial folds and marionette lines, and vascular occlusion management with hyaluronidase. *The filler page states that lips are not included in Level 1 hands-on and are reviewed in the didactic material, and the Botox course page lists hands-on training as optional. Ask: Is lip filler injected hands-on in the Level 1 Dermal Filler course, and is supervised hands-on neurotoxin training included in my registration or optional?

AAOPM Botox Training: Frequently Asked Questions

What does AAOPM sell?

AAOPM lists two kinds of products on aaopm.com: training courses and the AAOPM Certified Practitioner credential. In the listings reviewed, AAOPM courses correspond to Empire Medical Training courses: the November 7, 2026 Atlanta Botulinum Toxin Training appears on both websites with the same date and 8:00 AM start time, and AAOPM livestream dates are listed under the name "Empire-Virtual-Training." The Certified Practitioner credential is listed at $999 for AAOPM members and $1,499 for non-members, and its requirements include AAOPM membership for at least 3 months, attendance at designated courses, online exams, 2 patient case studies, and a final exam. Attendees can ask whether a course purchased on aaopm.com is the same event as the Empire Medical Training listing for that date, and what the credential adds beyond the course certificate. (Sources: AAOPM website and empiremedicaltraining.com, reviewed October 30, 2026.)

How is AAOPM related to Empire Medical Training?

AAOPM and Empire Medical Training share leadership. The AAOPM faculty page lists Stephen Cosentino, DO, as President and Founder of AAOPM and Lorena Cosentino as Vice-President of AAOPM. The Empire Medical Training website identifies Dr. Cosentino as Empire's founder and states that Lorena Cosentino co-created AAOPM with him. The Empire website also states that Empire programs fulfill the attendance requirements for AAOPM certification, and that Empire faculty may pursue AAOPM certification at no cost after six months of teaching. For the November 7, 2026 Atlanta date, the AAOPM listing names Atlanta Marriott Marquis and the Empire Medical Training listing names Hilton Garden Inn Buckhead. Attendees can ask which organization is the training provider of record for their date and which venue is confirmed. (Sources: AAOPM website and empiremedicaltraining.com, reviewed October 30, 2026.)

Is the AAOPM Certified Practitioner credential a board certification?

AAOPM's certification page names the credential "Certified Practitioner." The AAOPM FAQ also refers to a board exam after a 6-month fellowship, and the Empire Medical Training website describes a "Board Certification Pathway" through AAOPM. AAOPM is not listed on the American Board of Medical Speciaties website. The credential is issued by AAOPM and signed by its Physician Advisory Board, which, as listed on the AAOPM website, includes AAOPM's president, Stephen Cosentino, DO. A statement of recognition by the American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Osteopathic Association, or a state licensing board was not found on the AAOPM website. Attendees can ask which outside organization, if any, recognizes the credential, and who on the advisory board is independent of AAOPM and Empire Medical Training. (Sources: AAOPM website and empiremedicaltraining.com, reviewed October 30, 2026.)

Does AAOPM name the hands-on instructor for each date?

No. The AAOPM faculty page lists 53 faculty members with credentials, and the published event listings include the date, start time, and venue name. The hands-on instructor for a specific date and location was not found on the AAOPM website. Attendees can ask which instructor will supervise their date and in which state that instructor is licensed. (Source: AAOPM website, reviewed October 30, 2026.)

Does AAOPM publish the training venue address before purchase?

AAOPM lists the venue name for in-person dates. The November 7, 2026 Atlanta listing names Atlanta Marriott Marquis, and a street address for that listing was not found on the AAOPM website. Attendees can ask for the venue name and street address for their date before registering. (Source: AAOPM website, reviewed October 30, 2026.)

Is AAOPM Botox training CME accredited?

AAOPM course pages list 8.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for the Level 1 Botox course and the Level 1 Dermal Filler course, and state that AAOPM is accredited by the ACCME. An accreditation statement naming the accredited provider or joint provider, ANCC nursing contact hours, and approval or release dates were not found on the AAOPM website. Attendees can ask which ACCME-accredited or Jointly Accredited organization is the accredited provider for their course, and whether nursing contact hours are included. If these courses share CME joint provider with Empire, what organization name appears on the certificate? (Source: AAOPM website, reviewed October 30, 2026.)

How many attendees are in each AAOPM hands-on group?

AAOPM course pages list small group sizes of 8 to 12 attendees. A maximum number of attendees per hands-on instructor was not found on the AAOPM website. Attendees can ask how many attendees each instructor will supervise on their date. (Source: AAOPM website, reviewed October 30, 2026.)

Is neurotoxin and filler included in AAOPM tuition?

Yes. The AAOPM FAQ states that registration includes all supplies, products, and equipment used during training, and that students typically inject 1 syringe of filler per class. Attendees can ask how much neurotoxin and filler they will personally inject on their date. (Source: AAOPM website, reviewed October 30, 2026.)

Does AAOPM use paid models for hands-on training?

No. The AAOPM FAQ states that AAOPM does not provide models and recommends that attendees bring their own. Attendees without a model are paired with another attendee. Attendees can ask for the deadline to register their own model for their date. (Source: AAOPM website, reviewed October 30, 2026.)

How long is AAOPM online course access?

AAOPM describes self-paced online didactic modules and a Video on Demand prerequisite, and the filler course page states lifetime access to the AAOPM member portal for updates and refresher videos. The access period for the online Botox module was not found on the AAOPM website. Attendees can ask how long they will have access to the online Botox and filler modules and whether updates are included at no cost. (Source: AAOPM website, reviewed October 30, 2026.)

Does the AAOPM curriculum cover the A-T.com Core Curriculum?

AAOPM's published Botox and filler outlines cover the Core Curriculum topics. The Botox course page covers the five FDA-approved neurotoxins, facial anatomy, the FDA-approved toxin indications including platysmal bands, consent, and lid ptosis management, and the Dermal Filler course page covers HA properties, facial arteries and danger zones, nasolabial folds, and vascular occlusion management with hyaluronidase. The filler page states that lips are not included in Level 1 hands-on and are reviewed in the didactic material, and the Botox course page lists hands-on training as optional. Attendees can ask whether lip filler is injected hands-on at Level 1 and whether supervised hands-on neurotoxin training is included in their registration. (Source: AAOPM website, reviewed October 30, 2026.)

How does AAOPM Level 1 training compare to its advanced course?

AAOPM lists its Advanced Botulinum Toxin / Dermal Filler Training (Level II) at 16.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, and the AAOPM FAQ describes it as more lecture-focused, with demonstrations and some hands-on practice. The Level 1 filler page states that cheeks, lips, and tear troughs are not included in Level 1 hands-on and are demonstrated in preparation for advanced training. Attendees can ask which treatment areas they will inject themselves at each level. (Source: AAOPM website, reviewed October 30, 2026.)

How should I use this AAOPM summary in my decision?

All findings on this page are based on the AAOPM public website, aaopm.com, and the Empire Medical Training website where noted, evaluated against the eight published A-T.com Buyer's Guide criteria applied to every training provider. This lets prospective buyers compare the same eight elements across all reviewed training programs and see suggested questions to ask wherever information gaps exist. aesthetic-training.com is owned by AT Holdings, which shares common ownership with PracticalCME. Other factors, such as hands-on training location, cost, available dates, and recommendations from recent attendees, should also be weighed in any decision to attend a particular training program. AAOPM may submit corrections or newly published information, and verified updates are reflected with a new review date. (Sources: AAOPM website and empiremedicaltraining.com, reviewed October 30, 2026.)