MER Primary Care Conferences Internal Medicine for Primary Care Derm Gyn Rad Rheum Jun 22-25, 2026

1. Overview

Conference Name: Internal Medicine for Primary Care: Dermatology/Gynecology/Radiology/Rheumatology.

Organizer: Medical Education Resources (MER), a non-profit organization.

Date: June 22-25, 2026.

Location: InterContinental Edinburgh the George, Edinburgh, Scotland.

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.

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

Detect pre-cancerous and cancerous skin lesions.

Describe the step-wise approach for the diagnosis and treatment of acne and acneiform eruptions.

Review the risks and benefits of the treatment options for arthritis (non-selective NSAIDs, cox-2 inhibitors, DMARDs, narcotics and tramadol).

Utilize current evidence to design treatment strategies for osteoarthritis.

Describe the differential diagnoses of inflammatory arthritis based on clinical presentation and laboratory workup.

Diagnose and treat gout and pseudogout.

Identify evidence-based tools to determine best practices in incorporating all necessary elements in the annual women’s health visit.

Assess and manage abnormal uterine bleeding.

Describe approaches to counseling patients for making complex contraceptive decisions.

Discuss menopausal transition and the risks/benefits of treatment options.

Describe recent advances in ultrasound technology and rationale for ordering radiologic tests.

Discuss current guidelines for using ultrasound in the management of thyroid nodules.

Utilize imaging in the management of abdominal pathologies.

Manage incidental findings on imaging tests.

3. Target Audience
This program is targeted to office-based primary care providers and other health professionals with updates in primary care medicine. Best for internists, primary care physicians, dermatologists, gynecologists, radiologists, and rheumatologists.
4. Topics
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; Dagnostic principles and management strategies.

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.

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.

Acne and Acneiform Eruptions: Identification of noninflammatory open or closed comedones and inflammatory lesions; Determination of treatment therapies based on acne grading scale; Bacterial folliculitis, drug-induced acne, hidradenitis suppurativa, miliaria, perioral dermatits, pseudofolliculitis barbae, rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis; Topical and systemic therapy.

Rheumatology

Update in Pharmacology for Arthritis: Review risks and benefits of traditional NSAIDs and cox-2 inhibitors; Analgesics (narcotics and tramadol), acetaminophen, conventional-synthetic DMARDs, and bDMARDs.

Osteoarthritis: Pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment.

Differential Diagnosis of Inflammatory Arthritis: Clinical presentation and laboratory work-up and treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, spondyloarthropathies (SPA), infectious arthritis and systemic sclerosis; Treatment of RA with DMARDs; Treatment principles of SLE, Sjogren’s, SPA and PMR.

Crystal Disease: Gout & Pseudogout: Properly diagnosing and treating crystal diseases such as gout and pseudogout.

Gynecology

Annual Exam for Women: Best practices in offering annual pelvic examinations in asymptomatic non-pregnant women; Determination of who should be offered a clinical breast exam as a routine part of the annual women’s health exam; The principal elements of the annual women’s health visit: screening, vaccinations, evaluation of health risks and needs, counseling; Evidence-based tools to guide components of the annual women’s health visit based on age and health needs.

Abnormal Uterine Bleeding: Overview of normal/abnormal menstrual physiology/profile; Menstrual disturbances; Ovulatory and anovulatory uterine bleeding; Other menstrual abnormalities; Diagnosis and appropriate treatment options.

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).

Menopause Transition and Hormone Replacement Therapy: Symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, night sweats, and atrophy; Menopause syndromes, including osteoporosis, breast cancer, cardiac disease, and colon cancer; Estrogen analogs; Counseling patients in options and alternatives to hormone therapy; Designer estrogens; SERMS; HRTs; Discussion of risks and benefits, especially in breast cancer and CHD.

Radiology

Appropriate Ordering of Imaging and Contrast: Guidelines to assist referring providers in ordering the most appropriate and effective imaging studies for routine and acute presentations; Special emphasis given to when to use contrast agents.

Ultrasound of the Thyroid and Superficial Soft Tissue Masses: Review of benign and concerning features of thyroid nodules, as well as management recommendations according to current guidelines and supportive evidence; Discussion of the role of ultrasound in the evaluation of common superficial soft tissue masses (lumps and bumps); Management recommendations.

Imaging of the Acute Abdomen: Primary care focused discussion of the role of imaging and special considerations for imaging in the diagnosis and management of both common and uncommon acute abdominal pathologies.

Managing Common Incidental Findings: Discussion of common incidental findings in radiology; Review of management guidelines according to the American College of Radiology (ACR) and other medical and surgical societies.