MER Primary Care Conferences Internal Medicine for Primary Care Endo Gyn Psych Rheum Aug 02-06, 2026

The “Internal Medicine for Primary Care: Endocrinology/Gynecology/Psychiatry/Rheumatology” conference will take place at The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Kaanapali in Maui, HI, from August 2 to August 6, 2026. Organized by Medical Education Resources (MER), this live continuing medical education program provides interprofessional education for the healthcare team.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this program, participants should be better able to:

Develop patient-specific treatment plans for the management of type 2 diabetes.

Diagnose and tailor treatment strategies for type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Identify the risks and benefits of utilizing bisphosphonates in the treatment of osteoporosis.

Identify the risks of abnormal thyroid function.

Describe treatment options for pituitary disorders.

Compare the benefits and side effect profiles of pharmacologic treatment options for ADHD.

Discuss mood stabilizing psychosocial and pharmacologic treatments of bipolar disorder as well as frequent co-morbid psychiatric disorders.

Review current evidence for the treatment of anxiety disorders.

Describe strategies for identifying and treating substance use disorders.

Assess patients at risk for suicide and violence and intervene to make timely referrals to combat hopelessness.

Describe approaches to counseling patients for making complex contraceptive decisions.

Assess and manage abnormal uterine bleeding.

Describe the management of abnormal pap smears and HPV.

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

Discuss the current evidence and recommendations regarding breast cancer screening.

Compare and contrast inflammatory & non-inflammatory joint pain and their differential diagnoses.

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

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

Utilize current evidence to design treatment strategies for osteoarthritis.

Diagnose and treat gout and pseudogout.

Target Audience
This program is targeted to office-based primary care providers and other health professionals with updates in primary care medicine.
Best for Primary Care Physicians, Endocrinologists, Gynecologists, Psychiatrists, and Rheumatologists.
Topics
Sunday, August 2, 2026

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (Endocrinology): Diagnosis and treatment; lessons from the DCCT; managing diabetic emergencies; screening; pre-diabetes.

Insulin Therapy for Diabetes (Endocrinology): Treating T2DM with insulin; T1DM.

Osteoporosis (Endocrinology): Review the epidemiology and pathophysiology of osteoporosis along with interpretation of DEXA scans and FRAX risk assessment; up-to-date therapeutic options.

The Complexity of Adult ADHD (Psychiatry): ADHD in adults with an emphasis on symptom identification; Co-occurring conditions; Psychiatric and medical differential diagnosis; evidence-based and FDA approved pharmacological treatments.

Bipolar Spectrum Disorders (Psychiatry): Bipolar spectrum disorders in adults as compared to youth; Comprehensive history-taking; Differential diagnosis; Co-occurring psychiatric and medical conditions; Phase specific treatment considerations and interventions.

Monday, August 3, 2026

Anxiety Disorders (Psychiatry): The nature of anxiety; Generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder; etiology and diagnosis; Co-occurring conditions; Treatment options for these disabling conditions.

Disorders of Thyroid Function (Endocrinology): Prevalence, diagnosis and treatment options of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.

Evaluation and Management of Pituitary Disease (Endocrinology): Diagnosis and treatment of pituitary disorders.

Contraception: A Primary Care Review of Best Practice (Gynecology): 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).

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

Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Abnormal Pap Smears and High Risk HPV (Gynecology): Current recommendations for cervical cancer screening; Incorporating the ASCCP consensus guidelines for management of cytologic cervical abnormalities (including ASCUS, LGSIL, HGSIL and atypical glandular cells) into your practice; Algorithm for the appropriate use of HPV testing; History of HPV and effectiveness of its use; Recommendations for missed doses; Storage and administration of HPV vaccines.

Substance Use Disorders (Psychiatry): Substance abuse history-taking to encourage patient honesty; Accurate diagnosis; Use of screening tools; Brief intervention; Recovery and treatment options; Motivational interviewing; Family symptoms and codependency.

Suicide and Violence (Psychiatry): Risk assessment for suicide and violence; the relationship between psychotropic medications and suicide or violent behavior; management of the suicidal and violent patient.

Wednesday, August 5, 2026

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

Differential Diagnosis of Inflammatory Arthritis (Rheumatology): 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.

Evaluating the Patient with Joint Pain (Rheumatology): Differentiating between inflammatory and non-inflammatory joint pain; The utility of joint aspiration and lab work-up with interpretation of synovial fluid analysis; Differential diagnosis of joint pain and inflammatory arthritis.

Menopause Transition and Hormone Replacement Therapy (Gynecology): 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.

Breast Cancer Screening (Gynecology): Comparison of recent breast cancer screening recommendations from U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, ACOG/ACS/NCCN, including a discussion of risks and benefits of screening at various ages; Review of the new USPSTF guideline on BRCA-related cancer: risk assessment, genetic counseling, and genetic testing, including risk assessment tools for women with a personal or family history of breast, ovarian and related cancers.

Thursday, August 6, 2026

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

Osteoarthritis (Rheumatology): Pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment.