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

This MER primary care program brings together endocrine disorders, neurologic symptoms and common ENT presentations. The original meeting took place September 4–6, 2026 at La Fonda on the Plaza in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Neurology topics range from weakness and dementia to movement disorders and headaches, while endocrine sessions cover diabetes, insulin therapy, osteoporosis and thyroid function. The ENT component addresses neck masses, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis and sudden hearing loss. For clinicians working across these specialties in outpatient practice, the material reviews assessment, treatment choices and referral decisions. The original learning objectives and detailed topic list appear below in their existing order.

Package scope: The listed curriculum does not confirm which recordings are supplied. The final ENT topics were linked in the existing listing to the course objectives and broader MER curricula; exact September session coverage remains unverified. MER registration, live attendance and publisher account access are not included.

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.

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.