MER Primary Care Conferences Internal Medicine for Primary Care Derm Geri Ortho Reproductive Jun 04-07, 2026

1. Overview
This is a primary care medical conference organized by Medical Education Resources (MER), a non-profit organization. The conference is titled “Internal Medicine for Primary Care: Dermatology/Geriatrics/Orthopedics/Reproductive Health”. It will take place from June 4-7, 2026, at The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa in Hilton Head, SC.
2. Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this program, participants should be better able to:

Differentiate between the presentations and causes of atopic, contact (irritant and allergic), and nummular dermatitis.

Discriminate the diagnostic principles and treatment options for papulosquamous diseases with red, raised bumps.

Differentiate benign and malignant skin tumors and employ appropriate interoffice procedures.

Detect pre-cancerous and cancerous skin lesions.

Utilize a comprehensive geriatric assessment to identify potential issues in the elderly patient.

Recognize and screen elderly patients for CVD risk factors.

Review common lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) that may progress to urinary incontinence, and initiate treatment options.

Diagnose and treat cognitive impairment, dementias, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Describe the anatomy and function of the knee joint.

Recognize chronic injuries and pain syndromes to the foot and ankle.

Diagnose and treat shoulder injuries.

Diagnose and treat wrist, hand, and finger injuries.

Describe strategies for discussing complex contraceptive options with patients.

Identify preconception interventions that can enhance pregnancy outcomes.

List commonly used medications that could potentially cause complications during pregnancy and lactation.

Describe the pros and cons of available pharmacologic treatment options for major depression during pregnancy.

3. Target Audience
This program is targeted to office-based primary care providers and other health professionals with updates in primary care medicine.
4. Topics
Thursday, June 4, 2026

Dermatology – Dermatitis: Overview of the causes and forms of skin irritants; Contact, atopic, irritant, nummular, seborrheic and exfoliative; Treatment of blistering, oozing, crusting and flaking; Diagnostic principles and management strategies.

Dermatology – Papulosquamous Diseases: Diagnostic principles of skin lesions consisting of red or purple papules; Psoriasis, lichen planus, pityriasis rosea, lupus erythematosus; Discussion of how to tell one scaly rash from another.

Dermatology – Benign Skin Tumors: Proper diagnosis and treatment of common benign tumors; Biopsies and histopathologic examination; Nevi, seborrheic keratosis keloids, hemangiomas and miscellaneous tumors; When to refer.

Geriatrics – Approach to the Geriatric Patient: The demographics of aging and the physiologic changes in the elderly patient; Medication use in the elderly including changes in age-related pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and medication adherence; Review of risky medications often used in elderly patients.

Geriatrics – Vascular Disorders in the Older Adult: Peripheral vascular disease; DVT/thromboembolic disease; abdominal aortic aneurysm and related disorders.

Friday, June 5, 2026

Geriatrics – Urological Disorders in the Older Adult: Review of two very common conditions seen in the elderly population: benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and urinary incontinence; Pathogenesis, clinical symptoms, recommended evaluation and management options for BPH; Review of the anatomy and mechanism of normal urinary function, causes of incontinence, the evaluation and management.

Geriatrics – Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias: Review of normal age-related changes in cognitive function as well as disorders of memory and cognition as part of dementing illness; Mental status exams, including their limitations in evaluating memory; Various types of dementia and the importance of an accurate diagnosis; Current treatment options for various kinds of dementia; Potentially reversible dementias; The responsibilities of healthcare providers in managing patients with dementia.

Dermatology – Premalignant and Malignant Skin Tumors: Recognition of precursors of malignancies; Excisional and punch biopsies; Actinic keratosis, Bowen’s disease, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, melanoma and other selected tumors; Risk reduction education.

Orthopedics – The Knee: Anatomy, Common Injuries, and Exam Techniques: ACL, meniscus, MRI; common sports injuries; osteoarthritis and hyaluronan; bursitis: prepatellar, pesanserine; baker’s cyst; joint injection/X-ray interpretation; pediatrics.

Orthopedics – Ankle and Foot: This presentation will address a series of common acute and chronic injuries and pain syndromes to the foot and ankle as they would present in the primary care setting. The focus will be on developing a working differential diagnosis based on the historical mechanism of injury and exam findings.

Saturday, June 6, 2026

Orthopedics – The Shoulder: Anatomy, Common Injuries, and Exam Techniques: Rotator cuff syndrome; impingement, frozen shoulder; subacromial bursitis; bicipital tendonitis; A-C joint disease.

Orthopedics – Wrist, Hand, and Fingers: Carpal tunnel, CMC arthritis thumb, ganglion cyst, trigger finger, de Quervains disease.

Reproductive Health – Contraception: A Primary Care Review of Best Practice: Coverage of the effectiveness, side effects and non-contraceptive benefits of available contraceptive options in the U.S.; Discussion of contraceptive counseling that is patient-centric including communicating without coercion; Management strategies for medically complex contraceptive decisions (patients with a history of VTE, breast cancer, hypertension).

Reproductive Health – Preconception Counseling: Screening and evaluation prior to a planned pregnancy; Optimization of medical conditions prior to pregnancy such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity; When to refer for specialty consultation.

Sunday, June 7, 2026

Reproductive Health – Guide to Medication Use During Pregnancy and Lactation: Review of the current classification systems; Discussion of medication classes commonly used during pregnancy and lactation; Discussion of commonly used medications that should be avoided during pregnancy and/or lactation.

Reproductive Health – Mental Health in Pregnancy and Postpartum Women: Epidemiology of mood disorders in pregnancy; treatment of major depression during pregnancy; use of psychotropics in pregnancy; treatment of postpartum mood disorders; psychotropics and lactation.