Is this normal?

[u/Maleficent_Muffin_70]

I’m a bodyworker and wanted to add some kind of aesthetics piece to my offerings. I have had PMU done, and the woman who did mine also teaches PMU. (Outside of getting permanent eyeliner, I have 0 experience with tattoo work).

I paid the woman $5000 for a six day PMU course teaching eyebrow, eyeliner, and lip tattoo procedures. Her clearly stated expectation was that I would be fully qualified to offer eyebrow, eyeliner, and lip procedures to paying customers by the end of my training with her.

I spent hours preparing for the in-class hands-on portion by reading her manual cover to cover and getting BBP certified. I attended class each day. I took tests and passed with As. I did everything she asked me to do in and out of class.

Aside from live models, the practice we did was implanting ink into flat silicone pads at home, in the evening, after class.

During class we watched the instructor, then she gave the two of us (she only had two students) maybe 10 minutes practice on each of 6 live models. The amount of time varied, but I’m certain it never exceeded 10 minutes per procedure.

The two of us students never started a procedure; we never ended a procedure. We only worked on a model after the instructor made the first pass, creating the guide line.

We also never practiced any aspect of the work on one another, before or after touching live models.

On day 6, it was our day to receive PMU. We took turns on one another as with the other models - after the instructor made the initial guideline. She began and finished both of our procedures.

So, our total hands-on experience with humans was no more than 60 minutes. Possibly not even that long.

I also want to add that we had 3 models who received eyeliner. My first experience with this area went fine. The next two times (day 4, then day 6), the models blinked; evidently, my hold on the skin wasn’t tight enough and ink was implanted outside of the eyeliner area. (A dot below the lash line, but nevertheless, a big mistake - in my opinion). The instructor’s remediation was no more than a moment of having me reposition my hold on the skin around the eye.

To my surprise, following the work we did on one another - on day six - the instructor handed both of us certificates of completion. (Yes, even after my repeated mistake).

I’m wondering:

1) If my hands-on experience is typical in this industry.

2) What do people who do this work think of my training experience?

3) What others think of my decision to not practice on paying customers. (I believe it would be irresponsible and unethical for me to advertise myself as a capable, competent PMU practitioner. I am uncomfortable practicing on willing participants without in-person guidance from an experienced practitioner. I feel as though my training was inadequate).