MER Primary Care Conferences Internal Medicine for Primary Care: Gastroenterology, Neurology & Psychiatry 2026

Comprehensive Updates in Gastroenterology, Neurology, Psychiatry, and Evidence-Based Primary Care

MER Primary Care Conferences – Internal Medicine for Primary Care: Gastroenterology/Neurology/Psychiatry 2026 is a comprehensive continuing medical education (CME) program designed to provide office-based clinicians with practical, evidence-based updates across three essential specialties frequently encountered in everyday practice. Hosted by Medical Education Resources (MER), this multidisciplinary conference combines expert-led lectures, case-based discussions, and guideline-focused education to help healthcare professionals confidently diagnose and manage common gastrointestinal, neurologic, and psychiatric conditions.

Scheduled for March 27–29, 2026, at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, the conference delivers clinically relevant education that bridges specialty expertise with real-world primary care practice. Participants will review the latest recommendations in gastrointestinal disease management, cerebrovascular prevention, sleep medicine, headache disorders, behavioral health, and substance use treatment while learning practical strategies that can be immediately applied in outpatient care.

Course Overview

Primary care providers are often the first clinicians to evaluate patients with gastrointestinal complaints, neurological symptoms, mental health disorders, and chronic medical conditions requiring coordinated care. This conference offers concise, evidence-based updates that emphasize accurate diagnosis, individualized treatment, preventive care, and multidisciplinary management.

Through interactive presentations and clinical case reviews, nationally recognized faculty discuss current guidelines, emerging therapies, and best practices that help clinicians improve patient outcomes while enhancing confidence in managing complex medical problems within the primary care setting.

Gastroenterology Updates

The gastroenterology sessions provide practical guidance for diagnosing and managing common digestive disorders encountered in outpatient medicine.

Topics include:

• Lower gastrointestinal bleeding
• Colorectal cancer screening and surveillance
• Colonoscopy guideline updates
• Recurrent pancreatitis prevention
• Pancreatic cancer risk assessment
• Evaluation of gastrointestinal symptoms
• Evidence-based digestive disease management

Participants will learn current recommendations for colorectal cancer prevention, appropriate diagnostic evaluation, and strategies for identifying patients at increased risk for serious gastrointestinal disease.

Neurology Updates

Neurology presentations focus on common neurological conditions frequently evaluated in primary care.

Major topics include:

• Evaluation of muscle weakness
• Neurological history and physical examination
• Stroke prevention
• Cerebrovascular disease management
• Sleep disorders
• Headache evaluation
• Migraine diagnosis and treatment

Faculty emphasize systematic clinical approaches that improve diagnostic accuracy while helping clinicians recognize patients who require urgent referral or advanced neurological evaluation.

Psychiatry Updates

Behavioral health sessions provide practical tools for managing common psychiatric disorders within primary care.

Topics include:

• Depression diagnosis and treatment
• Suicide risk recognition
• ADHD pharmacologic therapy
• Substance use disorders
• Behavioral health assessment
• Evidence-based psychiatric medications
• Non-pharmacologic treatment strategies

Participants will strengthen their ability to identify mental health disorders early and implement comprehensive treatment plans using current evidence-based recommendations.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Utilize history and physical examination findings to distinguish true neurologic weakness from nonspecific symptoms.
• Apply prevention and treatment strategies for cerebrovascular disorders.
• Recognize the spectrum of sleep disorders and implement appropriate management strategies.
• Differentiate common headache disorders and migraine syndromes.
• Apply current recommendations for the diagnosis and management of lower gastrointestinal bleeding.
• Implement updated colorectal cancer screening and colonoscopy surveillance guidelines.
• Develop evidence-based strategies to reduce recurrent pancreatitis.
• Identify patients at increased risk for pancreatic cancer.
• Compare the benefits and adverse effects of available pharmacologic therapies for ADHD.
• Recognize and treat substance use disorders using current clinical recommendations.
• Identify warning signs indicating progression from depression to suicidal ideation.
• Recommend appropriate pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment options for depression.

Educational Features

• Evidence-based clinical updates
• Interactive case-based learning
• Practical outpatient management strategies
• Guideline-driven recommendations
• Multidisciplinary faculty
• Primary care-focused education
• Comprehensive specialty reviews
• Clinical decision-making pearls

Who Should Attend

This conference is designed for:

• Internists
• Primary Care Physicians
• Family Medicine Physicians
• Gastroenterologists
• Neurologists
• Psychiatrists
• General Practitioners
• Nurse Practitioners
• Physician Assistants
• Residents and Fellows
• Other healthcare professionals seeking updates in primary care medicine

Why Take This Course?

Managing patients in primary care requires staying current across multiple specialties while delivering efficient, evidence-based care. This conference provides clinically relevant updates in gastroenterology, neurology, and psychiatry through practical lectures and case-based discussions that focus on improving diagnostic confidence, optimizing treatment decisions, and enhancing long-term patient outcomes.

Whether evaluating headaches, preventing stroke, diagnosing gastrointestinal disease, treating depression, or managing substance use disorders, participants will leave with practical knowledge that can be immediately incorporated into daily clinical practice.

Course Highlights

• Comprehensive updates in Gastroenterology, Neurology, and Psychiatry
• Evidence-based management of common outpatient conditions
• Current colorectal cancer screening recommendations
• Stroke prevention and cerebrovascular disease updates
• Sleep medicine and headache management
• Depression, ADHD, and substance use disorder treatment
• Interactive clinical case discussions
• Practical primary care-focused education

4. Topics

Friday, March 27, 2026

• Neurology – 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.

• Neurology – Cerebrovascular Disorders: Epidemiology; identifying the high-risk patient; treatment effects; transient neurological deficit: carotid, vertebrobasilar; non-specific cerebral symptoms; migraines vs. TIA; treatment options.

• Neurology – Sleep Disorders: Epidemiology; assessing sleep patterns; causes and treatment of insomnia; causes, evaluation and treatment of sleep apnea; symptoms and treatment of narcolepsy.

• Gastroenterology – Management of Lower GI Bleeding- From Occult to Massive: The correct use and interpretation of tests for occult blood in the stool will be discussed in relation to lower GI bleeding; focus on the utility of different diagnostic and management approached to the spectrum of patients presenting with hematochezia.

• Gastroenterology – Colorectal Cancer Screening and Surveillance: Reviews the most recent recommendations for CRC screening in the general population at average risk for CRC.

Saturday, March 28, 2026

• Gastroenterology – Acute Pancreatitis: Etiology and Management: Recognition of acute and chronic pancreatitis; The etiology of pancreatitis and determination of next steps in management; Discussion of complications of pancreatitis and how to counsel patients on how to prevent recurrence of pancreatitis.

• Gastroenterology – Pancreas Cancer Screening: Determination of who qualifies for pancreas cancer screening and how to refer for pancreas cancer screening; Discussion of the importance of the family history and genetic counseling; Discussion of how pancreas screening is accomplished.

• Neurology – 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.

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

• Psychiatry – Substance Use Disorders: 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.

Sunday, March 29, 2026

• Psychiatry – Depression and Suicide: Assessment of depressive symptoms in adults; Assessment and mitigation of suicide risk; Treatment of depression.

• Psychiatry – Psychopharmacology for Major Depression: History taking, diagnosis and treatment of depression across the lifespan; pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment options; rational polypharmacy.