UCSF Essentials of Primary Care: A Core Curriculum for Ambulatory Practice 2026 – Videos + PDF

comprehensive medical education program developed by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), designed to strengthen clinical knowledge, diagnostic decision-making, and evidence-based management in outpatient and ambulatory medicine.

This primary care curriculum provides practical updates on preventive medicine, cardiovascular risk reduction, chronic disease management, women’s health, dermatology, neurology, psychiatry, infectious diseases, and clinical nutrition.

Through expert-led lectures, clinical case discussions, and practical educational sessions, the course emphasizes real-world approaches to common medical conditions encountered in daily primary care practice.

Special attention is given to health disparities, patient-centered communication, appropriate diagnostic testing, emerging therapeutic strategies, and interdisciplinary collaboration to improve healthcare quality, safety, and clinical outcomes.

Course Information

• Course Title: Essentials of Primary Care: A Core Curriculum for Ambulatory Practice
• Organizer: University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
• Course Year: 2026
• Original Conference Dates: August 2–7, 2026
• Format: Videos + PDF
• Specialty: Primary Care, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine
• Educational Level: Practicing Clinicians and Advanced Practice Providers

Key Topics Covered

Preventive Medicine and Cardiovascular Health

• Evidence-based preventive medicine and clinical screening
• Cardiovascular disease prevention and risk assessment
• Coronary heart disease and heart failure
• Stroke prevention and management
• Chronic kidney disease in primary care

Metabolic Health and Clinical Nutrition

• Obesity evaluation and treatment
• Contemporary obesity medications
• Lifestyle interventions and weight management
• Clinical nutrition and chronic disease prevention

Women’s Health

• Cervical cancer prevention and screening
• Contraception and reproductive healthcare
• Menopause management
• Osteoporosis evaluation and treatment

Neurology and Behavioral Health

• Headache and migraine management
• Tremor, movement disorders, and neuropathy
• Anxiety and depression
• Suicide risk assessment
• Psychological counseling and shared decision-making

Dermatology and Infectious Diseases

• Skin cancer recognition
• Eczema, acne, and chronic urticaria
• Hair loss and age-related skin disorders
• Drug-related skin eruptions
• Sexually transmitted infections
• Respiratory and skin infections

Clinical Practice and Patient-Centered Care

• Effective history-taking and physical examination
• Common office-based procedures
• Motivational interviewing
• Interprofessional teamwork
• Health disparities and equitable healthcare
• Quality, safety, and value in ambulatory medicine

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the educational activities, participants should be better prepared to:

1. Apply updated preventive care guidelines, including cancer screening and cardiovascular disease prevention.
2. Develop evidence-based management strategies for common ambulatory conditions, including coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, chronic kidney disease, obesity, migraines, and breast cancer.
3. Address important women’s health concerns, including cervical cancer prevention, contraception, menopause, and osteoporosis.
4. Evaluate and manage common neurological conditions, including tremor, movement disorders, peripheral neuropathy, and headaches.
5. Recognize and manage common dermatological conditions, including skin cancer, eczema, acne, hair loss, urticaria, medication-related eruptions, and aging skin.
6. Integrate pharmacologic treatments, surgical options, and lifestyle interventions into obesity management.
7. Improve problem-focused history-taking, physical examination, and procedural skills relevant to dermatology, neurology, and office orthopaedics.
8. Strengthen diagnosis and treatment approaches for sexually transmitted infections, respiratory infections, and skin infections.
9. Apply contemporary approaches to anxiety, depression, suicide risk assessment, and other common behavioral health concerns.
10. Improve patient communication through motivational interviewing, counseling, and shared decision-making.
11. Strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration among healthcare professionals.
12. Promote effective, high-value clinical care.
13. Recognize health disparities and improve equitable, patient-centered primary care.

Target Audience

This course is designed for healthcare professionals involved in outpatient and ambulatory clinical practice, including:

• Family Medicine Physicians
• Internal Medicine Physicians
• Primary Care Physicians
• General Practitioners
• Nurse Practitioners
• Physician Assistants
• Geriatricians
• Preventive Medicine Specialists
• Community Healthcare Providers
• Other healthcare professionals interested in evidence-based primary care

Educational Benefits

The UCSF Essentials of Primary Care 2026 curriculum provides a broad, clinically relevant review of modern outpatient medicine, helping healthcare professionals strengthen diagnostic reasoning, interpret evolving clinical recommendations, and apply practical treatment approaches.

Its multidisciplinary scope makes it particularly valuable for clinicians seeking a structured update on preventive care, chronic disease management, office-based clinical problems, and patient-centered healthcare.

Short Description

UCSF Essentials of Primary Care 2026 – Videos + PDF provides comprehensive primary care education covering preventive medicine, cardiovascular disease, chronic disease management, women’s health, dermatology, neurology, psychiatry, infectious diseases, and evidence-based ambulatory practice. Designed for family physicians, internists, primary care clinicians, and advanced practice providers.