MER Primary Care Conferences Internal Medicine for Primary Care Endo ENT Neuro Sep 04-06, 2026

Endocrinology • ENT / Otolaryngology • Neurology • Internal Medicine • Primary Care

September 4–6, 2026 | Santa Fe, New Mexico

Review practical, evidence-based clinical updates across Endocrinology, Ear, Nose and Throat Medicine, and Neurology with MER Primary Care Conferences Internal Medicine for Primary Care Endo ENT Neuro Sep 04-06, 2026.

Organized by Medical Education Resources (MER), the original live activity was held September 4–6, 2026, at La Fonda on the Plaza in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The official MER course title is:

Internal Medicine for Primary Care: Endo/ENT/Neuro

and the conference was listed for:

• 12 Credit Hours
• 6.50 ANCC Pharmacotherapeutic Contact Hours

The three-day program was designed for office-based primary care providers and other healthcare professionals seeking current, clinically applicable updates in:

• Neurologic evaluation
• Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
• Parkinson’s disease
• Movement disorders
• Headache and migraine
• Type 1 diabetes
• Type 2 diabetes
• Insulin therapy
• Osteoporosis
• Thyroid disease
• Neck masses
• Sinusitis
• Allergic rhinitis
• Sudden hearing loss

The course emphasizes practical diagnostic reasoning, medication selection, appropriate testing, and knowing when specialist referral is necessary.

Course Details

• Course: Internal Medicine for Primary Care: Endo/ENT/Neuro
• Provider: Medical Education Resources – MER
• Year: 2026
• Conference Dates: September 4–6, 2026
• Duration: 3 Days
• Venue: La Fonda on the Plaza
• Address: 100 East San Francisco Street
• Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
• Primary Specialty: Internal Medicine / Primary Care
• Subspecialties: Endocrinology, Otolaryngology, Neurology
• Original MER Listing: 12 Credit Hours
• ANCC Pharmacotherapeutic Contact Hours: 6.50
• Primary Audience: Office-Based Primary Care Providers and Other Healthcare Professionals
• Primary Clinical Focus: Evidence-Based Endocrine, ENT and Neurologic Updates

MER’s official schedule confirms the September 4–6, 2026 Santa Fe meeting at La Fonda on the Plaza.

Who Was the Original Program Designed For?

The official MER target audience is:

Office-based primary care providers and other health professionals seeking updates in primary care medicine.

The course is particularly relevant for:

• Primary Care Physicians
• Internal Medicine Physicians
• Family Medicine Physicians
• Endocrinologists
• Otolaryngologists
• Neurologists
• Nurse Practitioners
• Physician Associates / Physician Assistants
• Clinicians managing diabetes
• Clinicians evaluating thyroid abnormalities
• Clinicians managing osteoporosis
• Clinicians evaluating weakness or movement disorders
• Clinicians treating headaches and migraine
• Clinicians evaluating neck masses
• Clinicians managing sinus and nasal disease
• Clinicians evaluating acute hearing loss

The strongest clinical audience remains:

Primary Care + Internal Medicine

with focused education in:

Endocrinology + ENT / Otolaryngology + Neurology

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this program, participants should be better able to:

• Utilize history and physical examination to distinguish weakness from non-specific symptoms.
• Discuss evidence-based management options for Alzheimer’s disease.
• Evaluate weakness and recognize cardinal features of Parkinson’s disease as well as other movement disorders.
• Describe the differential diagnosis and treatment options for migraine headaches.
• 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.
• Identify when imaging and/or referral to an ENT is necessary for patients presenting with a neck mass.
• Recommend appropriate systemic and/or topical antimicrobial agents for the treatment of sinusitis.
• Review the basic allergic pathways that affect the body, with particular emphasis on the nasal and sinus regions.
• Accurately differentiate between sensorineural and conductive hearing loss.

The same objective set is independently reproduced for the Santa Fe conference listing.

NEUROLOGY FOR PRIMARY CARE

The neurological curriculum begins with common symptoms and progresses toward major chronic neurological disorders.

The primary care approach can be summarized as:

Identify Neurologic Complaint → Localize Problem → Establish Differential → Select Testing → Treat or Refer

Major areas include:

• Weakness
• Dementia
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Parkinson’s disease
• Movement disorders
• Headache
• Migraine

Evaluating Weakness

The first official session is:

Evaluating Weakness

The MER agenda describes this session as using history and physical examination to distinguish true weakness from nonspecific symptoms and reviewing neurological diseases that commonly produce weakness.

Weakness is a challenging complaint because patients may use the word to describe:

• Fatigue
• Pain
• General malaise
• Exercise intolerance
• True loss of muscle power

The first clinical task is therefore determining:

True Motor Weakness or Nonspecific Symptom?

History in the Patient with Weakness

Important historical questions may involve:

• Acute vs. chronic onset
• Symmetric vs. asymmetric symptoms
• Proximal vs. distal weakness
• Fluctuating vs. persistent weakness
• Sensory symptoms
• Bulbar symptoms
• Medication exposure
• Associated neurologic features

The goal is to use history to begin anatomical localization before extensive testing.

Neurologic Examination

Physical examination allows the clinician to assess:

• Muscle strength
• Tone
• Reflexes
• Sensation
• Coordination
• Gait
• Cranial nerves

These findings can help differentiate disorders involving:

• Brain
• Spinal cord
• Peripheral nerve
• Neuromuscular junction
• Muscle

Localization of Weakness

A useful neurologic framework is:

Weakness → Central vs. Peripheral → Distribution → Associated Findings → Differential Diagnosis

Accurate localization can significantly narrow the diagnostic possibilities.

Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias

The second official session is:

Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias

The MER agenda includes:

• Definition
• Epidemiology
• Neurological changes associated with normal aging
• Pathology
• Etiologic theories
• Vascular dementias
• Investigations
• Social issues
• Symptomatic treatment
• Research therapies

Normal Aging vs. Dementia

One of the fundamental clinical challenges is distinguishing:

Normal Cognitive Aging

from:

Pathologic Cognitive Decline

Important considerations may include:

• Memory
• Executive function
• Language
• Orientation
• Daily functioning
• Behavioral change

Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease remains one of the most common causes of dementia.

The clinical pathway may involve:

History → Cognitive Assessment → Laboratory Evaluation → Imaging When Appropriate → Diagnosis → Treatment & Support

Vascular Dementia

The course also includes vascular dementias.

Vascular cognitive impairment may relate to:

• Prior stroke
• Small-vessel disease
• Vascular risk factors
• Multiple cerebral infarcts

The course helps clinicians understand how vascular pathology may contribute to cognitive decline.

Dementia Investigation

Evaluation may require consideration of:

• History from the patient
• Collateral history
• Cognitive testing
• Medication review
• Laboratory assessment
• Neuroimaging
• Functional status

The goal is both to characterize dementia and identify potentially reversible contributors.

Evidence-Based Alzheimer’s Management

One of the stated learning objectives is to:

Discuss evidence-based management options for Alzheimer’s disease.

Management may include:

• Symptomatic treatment
• Management of behavioral symptoms
• Safety planning
• Caregiver support
• Advanced care planning
• Specialist referral when appropriate

Parkinson’s Disease & Other Movement Disorders

The third official neurological lecture is:

Parkinson’s Disease & Other Movement Disorders

The agenda covers:

• Epidemiology
• Cardinal features
• Secondary features
• Pathology
• Neurochemistry
• Differential diagnosis
• Treatment
• Complications
• Other movement disorders
• Neuroleptic-induced movement disorders
• Chorea

Cardinal Features of Parkinson’s Disease

Primary care clinicians should be able to recognize core features of parkinsonism.

These may include:

• Bradykinesia
• Tremor
• Rigidity
• Postural instability

Recognition of the characteristic pattern is important because early symptoms may initially be subtle.

Secondary Features of Parkinsonism

The clinical picture may also involve:

• Gait changes
• Speech changes
• Sleep problems
• Autonomic symptoms
• Mood changes
• Cognitive symptoms

Primary care clinicians should recognize when the pattern warrants specialist evaluation.

Parkinson’s Differential Diagnosis

Not all patients with tremor or slowed movement have Parkinson’s disease.

The differential can include:

• Essential tremor
• Medication-induced movement disorders
• Atypical parkinsonian syndromes
• Other neurologic disease

The course therefore combines pattern recognition with differential diagnosis.

Neuroleptic-Induced Movement Disorders

MER specifically includes neuroleptic-induced movement disorders in the session.

Medication history is therefore an important part of evaluating:

• Tremor
• Rigidity
• Abnormal movements
• Dyskinesias

Chorea

Chorea is also included within the broader movement-disorder review.

Recognition of abnormal movement phenotype is the first step toward determining the underlying diagnosis.

Headaches & Migraines

The official Saturday Neurology session is:

Headaches & Migraines

MER includes:

• Basic headache mechanisms
• Headache history
• Characteristics
• Precipitating factors
• Associated medical conditions
• Migraine
• Tension headache
• Complicated migraine
• Cluster headache
• Sinus headache
• Trigeminal neuralgia
• Giant Cell Arteritis
• Brain tumor
• Subarachnoid hemorrhage
• Emergency treatment

Headache History

A careful headache history is essential.

Key questions include:

• Onset
• Duration
• Frequency
• Location
• Character
• Severity
• Precipitating factors
• Neurologic symptoms
• Systemic symptoms

The objective is to distinguish:

Primary Headache Disorder

from:

Secondary Headache Requiring Investigation

Migraine

The curriculum addresses migraine diagnosis and treatment.

Migraine presentations may vary considerably between patients.

Management requires understanding of:

• Trigger recognition
• Acute therapy
• Preventive therapy
• Frequency
• Functional impairment

Tension-Type Headache

Tension-type headache is another common outpatient presentation.

Correct diagnosis reduces unnecessary imaging and inappropriate treatment.

Cluster Headache

Cluster headache has a distinctive clinical pattern and may require treatment very different from migraine or tension headache.

Trigeminal Neuralgia

The curriculum includes:

Trigeminal Neuralgia

as an important facial-pain diagnosis that can mimic other headache disorders.

Giant Cell Arteritis

Giant Cell Arteritis is included because delayed recognition can have serious consequences.

Clinicians should recognize headache presentations requiring urgent assessment.

Brain Tumor & Headache

Although brain tumors are much less common than benign primary headache disorders, the course reinforces recognition of concerning presentations and secondary causes.

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Subarachnoid hemorrhage is another important secondary headache diagnosis.

The practical lesson is:

Sudden Severe Headache + Concerning Features → Emergency Evaluation

ENDOCRINOLOGY FOR PRIMARY CARE

The endocrine curriculum focuses on three major areas:

• Diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Thyroid disease

The clinical framework is:

Identify Endocrine Disorder → Confirm Diagnosis → Assess Risk → Individualize Treatment → Monitor

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The official Friday session is:

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

MER’s agenda includes:

• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Lessons from the DCCT
• Diabetic emergencies
• Screening
• Prediabetes

Diagnosing Type 2 Diabetes

Accurate diagnosis is the foundation for appropriate treatment.

The course emphasizes recognition of:

• Diabetes
• Prediabetes
• Patients requiring additional evaluation

The clinical pathway is:

Screen → Diagnose → Assess Complications & Risk → Individualize Treatment

Patient-Specific Diabetes Treatment

One of the core learning objectives is to:

Develop patient-specific treatment plans for type 2 diabetes.

Treatment should consider:

• Glycemic control
• Comorbidities
• Cardiovascular risk
• Renal disease
• Hypoglycemia risk
• Weight
• Medication burden
• Patient preference

The goal is individualized management rather than one identical regimen for every patient.

Diabetic Emergencies

MER specifically includes diabetic emergencies within the Type 2 Diabetes lecture.

Primary care clinicians should recognize when hyperglycemic illness requires urgent or emergency management.

Prediabetes

Prediabetes provides an important opportunity for early intervention.

Clinical management may incorporate:

• Lifestyle modification
• Weight management
• Monitoring
• Risk reduction

Insulin Therapy for Diabetes

The second endocrine session on Friday is:

Insulin Therapy for Diabetes

with the official agenda emphasizing:

• Treating T2DM with insulin
• Type 1 diabetes mellitus

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes requires insulin replacement.

Primary care clinicians should understand:

• Insulin principles
• Monitoring
• Hypoglycemia
• Treatment adjustment
• Sick-day management
• When endocrinology support is needed

Insulin in Type 2 Diabetes

Some patients with type 2 diabetes eventually require insulin.

The course supports practical decisions regarding:

• When to initiate insulin
• How insulin fits with existing treatment
• Patient-specific adjustment

Hypoglycemia

Insulin therapy requires clinicians to understand:

• Recognition of hypoglycemia
• Patient education
• Prevention
• Medication adjustment

because treatment benefit must always be balanced against treatment risk.

Osteoporosis

Saturday begins with the official session:

Osteoporosis

MER’s published agenda includes:

• Epidemiology
• Pathophysiology
• DEXA interpretation
• FRAX risk assessment
• Current treatment options

Osteoporosis Risk Assessment

A practical evaluation may integrate:

• Age
• fracture history
• bone density
• clinical risk factors
• medications
• FRAX

The objective is to identify patients at meaningful fracture risk.

DEXA Interpretation

The course reviews interpretation of:

Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry – DEXA

which remains a key diagnostic tool in osteoporosis.

FRAX Risk Assessment

FRAX provides an estimate of future fracture risk by combining clinical risk factors with bone-density information where appropriate.

Treatment decisions should reflect overall fracture risk rather than bone-density values alone.

Bisphosphonate Therapy

One of the official learning objectives is to:

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

Appropriate prescribing requires understanding of:

• Indications
• Expected benefit
• Duration
• Potential adverse effects
• Patient-specific fracture risk

Disorders of Thyroid Function

The second Saturday session is:

Disorders of Thyroid Function

MER’s agenda includes:

• Prevalence
• Diagnosis
• Treatment of hypothyroidism
• Treatment of hyperthyroidism

Hypothyroidism

The curriculum reviews:

• Recognition
• laboratory diagnosis
• treatment

of hypothyroidism.

The clinical pathway is:

Symptoms / Risk → Thyroid Testing → Interpret Results → Treat When Appropriate

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism may present with:

• Cardiovascular symptoms
• Weight change
• heat intolerance
• tremor
• anxiety
• other systemic features

The course emphasizes diagnosis and appropriate treatment strategies.

Risks of Abnormal Thyroid Function

The learning objectives require participants to:

Identify the risks of abnormal thyroid function.

Both excess and deficiency of thyroid hormone can affect multiple organ systems.

ENT / OTOLARYNGOLOGY FOR PRIMARY CARE

The ENT component concentrates on clinical problems frequently encountered before referral to an otolaryngologist.

Major topics include:

• Neck mass
• Sinusitis
• Allergic rhinitis
• Sudden hearing loss

The general clinical framework is:

Evaluate → Identify Red Flags → Begin Appropriate Treatment → Image or Refer When Necessary

Evaluation of the Neck Mass

The official Saturday session is:

Evaluation of the Neck Mass

MER describes the session as addressing:

• Diagnostic evaluation
• Therapeutic approach
• When imaging is indicated
• When immediate ENT referral is appropriate
• When routine ENT referral is appropriate

Neck Mass in Primary Care

A neck mass can represent a wide range of conditions.

Potential categories include:

• Inflammatory
• Infectious
• congenital
• thyroid-related
• benign neoplastic
• malignant

Primary care assessment should therefore be systematic.

History & Examination of Neck Masses

Important clinical considerations may include:

• Duration
• Age
• Pain
• infection symptoms
• smoking history
• location
• consistency
• fixation
• associated ENT symptoms

The goal is to identify patients who require prompt specialist evaluation.

Neck Imaging

A major course objective is understanding:

When Imaging Is Necessary

rather than imaging every patient indiscriminately.

Selection depends on the clinical presentation and level of concern.

ENT Referral

The course specifically differentiates:

• Immediate referral
• Routine referral

helping clinicians recognize neck-mass presentations that warrant expedited evaluation.

Antimicrobial Therapy in Treating Sinusitis

The final Saturday lecture is:

Antimicrobial Therapy in Treating Sinusitis

The official agenda addresses:

• Symptoms
• Signs
• Examination findings
• Systemic therapy
• Topical therapy
• Antimicrobial resistance
• Imaging
• Specialist referral

Diagnosing Sinusitis

Sinus complaints are extremely common in primary care.

The challenge is differentiating:

• Viral disease
• bacterial sinusitis
• allergic disease
• chronic sinus disease
• alternative diagnoses

before prescribing antibiotics.

Systemic Antimicrobial Therapy

The official learning objective includes selecting appropriate systemic antimicrobial agents.

Treatment decisions should consider:

• Clinical likelihood of bacterial disease
• severity
• duration
• prior treatment
• resistance patterns

Topical Therapy

The session also includes appropriate use of topical agents.

Not every patient with sinus symptoms requires systemic antibiotics.

Antimicrobial Resistance

MER specifically discusses emerging resistance to antimicrobial agents in the sinusitis session.

This reinforces the importance of:

Appropriate Diagnosis → Appropriate Antibiotic Selection → Avoid Unnecessary Treatment

Imaging & Referral in Sinusitis

The course also addresses when:

• Imaging
• ENT consultation

may be appropriate.

This is particularly relevant for:

• persistent symptoms
• recurrent disease
• unusual findings
• complicated presentations

Allergic Rhinitis

The published learning objectives include a review of the basic allergic pathways affecting the body with particular emphasis on the nose and sinuses.

MER’s standard 2026 session is titled:

Allergic Rhinitis

and covers:

• Basic allergic pathways
• Nasal and sinus allergy
• Diagnostic testing
• Avoidance
• Pharmacotherapy
• Immunotherapy

MER uses this exact curriculum in its 2026 ENT programs.

Allergic Pathways

Allergic rhinitis results from an immune-mediated response to environmental allergens.

The clinical approach can be summarized as:

Recognize Pattern → Identify Trigger → Reduce Exposure → Treat Symptoms → Consider Allergy Testing / Immunotherapy

Nasal & Sinus Allergy

Symptoms may include:

• Nasal congestion
• rhinorrhea
• sneezing
• itching
• sinus complaints

Correctly identifying allergy can help reduce inappropriate antimicrobial use.

Allergy Testing

The course reviews the role of diagnostic testing in selected patients.

Testing may help identify clinically relevant allergens and guide longer-term management.

Pharmacotherapy

Management can include pharmacologic approaches directed at controlling:

• inflammation
• congestion
• rhinorrhea
• itching

Immunotherapy

MER’s allergic rhinitis curriculum includes immunotherapy as one of the treatment modalities.

This may be considered in appropriately selected patients with persistent allergic disease.

A Primary Care Approach to Sudden Hearing Loss

The final ENT learning objective is to:

Accurately differentiate between sensorineural and conductive hearing loss.

MER’s corresponding standard session is:

A Primary Care Approach to Sudden Hearing Loss

and emphasizes:

• Distinguishing sensorineural from conductive loss
• Office-based testing
• Treatment strategies
• Urgent treatment
• Audiometric testing
• ENT referral

Sudden Hearing Loss

Sudden hearing loss should not automatically be treated as:

• Earwax
• congestion
• routine otitis
• benign age-related hearing change

The first important distinction is:

Conductive vs. Sensorineural

Conductive Hearing Loss

Conductive hearing loss involves impaired transmission of sound through the:

• External ear
• Tympanic membrane
• Middle ear

Identifying a conductive pattern helps direct evaluation toward mechanical or middle-ear causes.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Sensorineural hearing loss reflects dysfunction involving the:

• Cochlea
• Auditory nerve
• Neural pathways

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss can require urgent treatment and ENT evaluation, which is why primary care differentiation is clinically important.

Audiometric Testing

MER’s curriculum explicitly discusses when patients should be referred for:

Audiometric Testing

and when specialist referral is necessary.

THREE-SPECIALTY PRIMARY CARE INTEGRATION

The strength of this conference is the integration of three highly practical specialties.

Neurology

• Weakness
• Dementia
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Parkinson’s disease
• Movement disorders
• Headache
• Migraine

Endocrinology

• Type 1 diabetes
• Type 2 diabetes
• insulin therapy
• osteoporosis
• thyroid disorders

ENT / Otolaryngology

• Neck mass
• sinusitis
• allergic rhinitis
• hearing loss

These topics are particularly useful because primary care clinicians are often the first professionals to evaluate these complaints.

Major Topics Covered

• Internal Medicine
• Primary Care
• Endocrinology
• ENT
• Otolaryngology
• Neurology
• Weakness
• Neurologic Examination
• Neurologic Localization
• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Dementia
• Vascular Dementia
• Cognitive Decline
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Parkinsonism
• Movement Disorders
• Neuroleptic-Induced Movement Disorders
• Chorea
• Headache
• Migraine
• Tension Headache
• Cluster Headache
• Trigeminal Neuralgia
• Giant Cell Arteritis
• Secondary Headache
• Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
• Type 1 Diabetes
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Prediabetes
• Diabetes Screening
• Insulin Therapy
• Diabetic Emergencies
• Hypoglycemia
• Osteoporosis
• DEXA
• FRAX
• Bisphosphonates
• Thyroid Disease
• Hypothyroidism
• Hyperthyroidism
• Neck Mass
• Neck Imaging
• ENT Referral
• Sinusitis
• Antimicrobial Therapy
• Antibiotic Resistance
• Allergic Rhinitis
• Allergy Testing
• Immunotherapy
• Sudden Hearing Loss
• Conductive Hearing Loss
• Sensorineural Hearing Loss
• Audiometry
• Evidence-Based Primary Care

Who Should Take This Course?

MER Primary Care Conferences Internal Medicine for Primary Care Endo ENT Neuro Sep 04-06, 2026 is particularly relevant for:

• Primary Care Physicians
• Internal Medicine Physicians
• Family Medicine Physicians
• Endocrinologists
• Otolaryngologists
• Neurologists
• Nurse Practitioners
• Physician Associates / Physician Assistants
• Clinicians Managing Diabetes
• Clinicians Managing Osteoporosis
• Clinicians Evaluating Thyroid Disease
• Clinicians Evaluating Weakness
• Clinicians Managing Dementia
• Clinicians Evaluating Movement Disorders
• Clinicians Treating Headaches and Migraine
• Clinicians Evaluating Neck Masses
• Clinicians Treating Sinus Disease
• Clinicians Assessing Hearing Loss

The strongest clinical audience remains:

Primary Care + Internal Medicine

with focused updates across:

Endocrinology + ENT + Neurology

Why This Course Is Useful

MER Internal Medicine for Primary Care: Endo/ENT/Neuro 2026 provides a concentrated review of several high-frequency problems encountered in outpatient medicine.

Neurology

• Weakness
• neurologic localization
• dementia
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Parkinson’s disease
• movement disorders
• headache
• migraine

Endocrinology

• Type 2 diabetes
• Type 1 diabetes
• insulin
• osteoporosis
• DEXA and FRAX
• thyroid dysfunction

ENT

• Neck masses
• sinusitis
• allergic rhinitis
• antimicrobial therapy
• sudden hearing loss

The overall clinical pathway can be summarized as:

Recognize Symptoms → Establish Differential → Select Appropriate Testing → Initiate Evidence-Based Treatment → Refer When Necessary

Original MER Credit & Accreditation Information

The official conference page lists:

• 12 Credit Hours
• 6.50 ANCC Pharmacotherapeutic Contact Hours

MER is jointly accredited by:

• Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education – ACCME
• Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education – ACPE
• American Nurses Credentialing Center – ANCC

to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

The official 2026 agenda confirms that:

AAFP reviewed Internal Medicine for Primary Care: Endo/ENT/Neuro and deemed it acceptable for up to 12.00 Live AAFP Prescribed Credits for September 4–6, 2026.

MER’s standard 12-hour interprofessional conference framework also provides eligible original participants with pathways that can include:

• 12 IPCE Credits
• Up to 12 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
• Up to 12 ABIM Part II MOC Points
• 12 AAFP Prescribed Credits
• AOA Category 2-A recognition
• ACEP Category I recognition
• Nursing and other eligible interprofessional credit

depending on credential and completion requirements.

These credits apply only to eligible participation in the original MER educational activity and completion of the provider’s applicable requirements.

An independently distributed MedicalAmboss package should not automatically be represented as providing:

• MER CME Credit
• AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
• ABIM MOC Points
• AAFP Prescribed Credits
• ANCC Contact Hours
• ANCC Pharmacotherapeutic Contact Hours
• AAPA Credit
• ACPE Credit
• Official MER Certificate
• Official MER Conference Registration
• Official MER Account Access

unless those benefits are specifically included with the purchase.

Product Summary

• Product: MER Primary Care Conferences Internal Medicine for Primary Care Endo ENT Neuro Sep 04-06, 2026
• Official Course: Internal Medicine for Primary Care: Endo/ENT/Neuro
• Provider: Medical Education Resources – MER
• Year: 2026
• Conference Dates: September 4–6, 2026
• Duration: 3 Days
• Venue: La Fonda on the Plaza
• Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
• Official Listing: 12 Credit Hours
• ANCC Pharmacotherapeutic Contact Hours: 6.50
• Primary Specialty: Internal Medicine / Primary Care
• Subspecialties: Endocrinology, ENT / Otolaryngology, Neurology
• Major Areas: Diabetes, Osteoporosis, Thyroid Disease, Weakness, Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, Migraine, Neck Mass, Sinusitis, Allergic Rhinitis, Hearing Loss
• Primary Audience: Office-Based Primary Care Providers and Other Healthcare Professionals

Short Description

MER Primary Care Conferences Internal Medicine for Primary Care Endo ENT Neuro Sep 04-06, 2026 provides practical, evidence-based updates in Endocrinology, Otolaryngology, and Neurology for outpatient primary care clinicians.

Held September 4–6, 2026, at La Fonda on the Plaza in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the 12-hour program covers weakness, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, Parkinson’s disease, movement disorders, migraine, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, insulin therapy, osteoporosis, thyroid dysfunction, neck masses, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and sudden hearing loss.

Topics

Friday, September 4, 2026

Evaluating Weakness

7:30 AM – 8:30 AM | Neurology

• Distinguishing true weakness from nonspecific symptoms
• History and neurological examination
• Neurological diseases that produce weakness
• Representative nervous-system disorders

Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM | Neurology

• Definition and epidemiology
• Normal neurological aging
• Alzheimer pathology
• Etiologic theories
• Vascular dementia
• Diagnostic investigation
• Social issues
• Symptomatic treatment
• Research therapies

Parkinson’s Disease & Other Movement Disorders

9:40 AM – 10:40 AM | Neurology

• Epidemiology
• Cardinal Parkinsonian features
• Secondary manifestations
• Pathology and neurochemistry
• Differential diagnosis
• Treatment
• Complications
• Other movement disorders
• Neuroleptic-induced movement disorders
• Chorea

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

10:40 AM – 11:40 AM | Endocrinology

• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• DCCT lessons
• Diabetic emergencies
• Diabetes screening
• Prediabetes
• Individualized diabetes management

Insulin Therapy for Diabetes

11:40 AM – 12:40 PM | Endocrinology

• Insulin treatment in type 2 diabetes
• Type 1 diabetes
• Practical insulin-management principles

The above Friday session titles, times, and content are listed in MER’s official Santa Fe agenda.

Saturday, September 5, 2026

Osteoporosis

7:30 AM – 8:30 AM | Endocrinology

• Epidemiology
• Pathophysiology
• DEXA interpretation
• FRAX risk assessment
• Contemporary therapy
• Benefits and risks of bisphosphonate treatment

Disorders of Thyroid Function

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM | Endocrinology

• Prevalence of thyroid disorders
• Hypothyroidism
• Hyperthyroidism
• Diagnostic strategies
• Treatment options
• Risks of abnormal thyroid function

Headaches & Migraines

9:40 AM – 10:40 AM | Neurology

• Basic headache mechanisms
• Headache history
• Precipitating factors
• Migraine
• Tension headache
• Complicated migraine
• Cluster headache
• Sinus headache
• Trigeminal neuralgia
• Giant Cell Arteritis
• Brain tumor
• Subarachnoid hemorrhage
• Emergency treatment

Evaluation of the Neck Mass

10:40 AM – 11:40 AM | ENT

• Diagnostic evaluation of neck masses
• Clinical examination
• Imaging indications
• Immediate ENT referral
• Routine ENT referral
• Therapeutic approach

Antimicrobial Therapy in Treating Sinusitis

11:40 AM – 12:40 PM | ENT

• Symptoms and clinical signs
• Examination findings
• Diagnosis of sinusitis
• Systemic antimicrobial therapy
• Topical therapy
• Emerging antimicrobial resistance
• Imaging
• Specialist referral

The above Saturday schedule and session descriptions are directly listed in the MER Santa Fe agenda.

Sunday, September 6, 2026

Allergic Rhinitis

ENT

• Basic allergic pathways
• Nasal allergy
• Sinus allergy
• Diagnostic testing
• Allergen avoidance
• Pharmacotherapy
• Immunotherapy

A Primary Care Approach to Sudden Hearing Loss

ENT

• Conductive hearing loss
• Sensorineural hearing loss
• Clinical differentiation
• Office-based assessment
• Treatment strategies
• Urgent treatment
• Audiometric testing
• ENT referral

These two subjects correspond to the final published learning objectives for the Santa Fe course, and MER uses the above standardized session titles and curriculum in its 2026 ENT programs.

Topics

• Evaluating Weakness: Using the history and physical examination to distinguish weakness from non-specific symptoms; characteristics of neurological diseases that produce weakness; presentations of representative diseases of the nervous system.

• Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias: Definition; statistics; neurological changes of normal aging; pathology; etiological theories; vascular dementias; investigations; social issues; symptomatic treatment; research therapies.

• Parkinson’s Disease & Other Movement Disorders: Epidemiology; cardinal features; secondary features; pathology; neurochemistry; differential diagnosis; treatment; complication; other movement disorders; neuroleptic-induced movement disorders; chorea.

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

• Insulin Therapy for Diabetes: Treating T2DM with insulin; T1DM.

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

• Disorders of Thyroid Function: Prevalence, diagnosis and treatment options of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.

• Headaches & Migraines: Basic headache mechanisms; headache history: characteristics, precipitating factors, medical conditions; migraine: common tension, classic, treatment, complicated, cluster, sinus; trigeminal neuralgia; Giant Cell Arteritis; brain tumor; subarachnoid hemorrhage; emergency room treatment.

• Evaluation of the Neck Mass: Patients presenting with masses in the neck are challenging and worrisome. The diagnostic and therapeutic process is described. A method for evaluating the mass, guidance on when imaging studies are indicated, and when immediate or routine referral to ENT becomes appropriate is discussed.

• Antimicrobial Therapy in Treating Sinusitis: Symptoms, signs and examination findings helpful in diagnosing sinusitis are outlined. When to use systemic and topical agents as well as emerging resistance to these agents is discussed. Imaging studies and proper referral to specialists is described with clarity.

• Allergic Rhinitis: The lecture will focus on a review of the basic allergic pathways that affect the body. Special emphasis will be given to the nasal and sinus regions, with discussion to include diagnostic testing and modes of treatment, including avoidance, pharmacotherapy and immunotherapy.

• A Primary Care Approach to Sudden Hearing Loss: When a patient presents with sudden hearing loss, accurate differentiation of sensorineural versus conductive loss is essential. Techniques to make that differentiation, testing and treatment strategies will be discussed; Urgent treatment and when to render for audiometric testing and ENT referral will be outlined.