Ranked among the highest-rated Harvard Medical School CME courses, past participants consistently report that this program has inspired and improved their clinical practice. Here is a sampling of comments from recent attendees:
“Where do I begin? To be honest, in my 18 years of practice, this is by far the best, most thorough, and comprehensive Primary Care CME conference I have attended! Complex topics broken down into practical lectures w/ pearls of wisdom. Chef's kiss!”
“The lecturers were uniformly excellent. I felt like it hit topics that were ALL important in my day-to-day practice.”
"During the course, I messaged a patient's family asking to speak with him about management of his CHF. I plan on doing the same with another patient about his diabetic peripheral neuropathy after assessing his renal function, as he is s/p transplant. I have several other patients whose conditions will be managed differently as a result of this course. I am so grateful. I am instantly a better practitioner of medicine."
"There are so many changes inspired by this course: changes in my antibiotic Rx choices, new anticoagulants, updates in my hep C management, updates in STI / UTI management, changes in my workup and referrals for neuro and rheumatology….I could go on and on."
"This has raised my expectations of what a CME activity should be! I cannot see myself attending any other conference going forward."
"The emphasis on equity was very enlightening."
"Among the many changes to my practice: I’m implementing new information related to preoperative assessment, use of obesity meds, immunization, use of PrEP in HIV, managing complications in CKD, allergy management, derm meds, mechanism of sleep testing and management, and of course buprenorphine use. I’m revising protocols for hyperlipidemia, CHD, COPD, IBS, NAFL, antibiotic use, dementia management, asthma."
“One of the best CME courses that I have attended in the last 5-10 years.”
"This course has influenced my use of new and better treatment for obesity, changed my thinking in regard to diabetic treatment, taught me better use of medications for asthma and COPD."
"I walked away with an increased appreciation for the science of obesity and how alterations in metabolism go beyond just excess calories. The expanding indications of GLP1 agonists have helped tackle metabolic barriers to weight loss in this challenging population."
"I am in awe of the quality of the presentations and the outstanding commitment to the highest level of patient care exhibited by the presenters. I value all of the clinical pearls offered in the case-based presentation approach. The level of dedication and passion for the topics that the presenters had was fabulous. For example, 'I love that question.' You can tell that most of the presenters love what they do and are so interested in sharing their wisdom and knowledge with others."
"This course has led to many updates in my own practice and significantly improved management of patients with HTN, DM, skin disorders, COPD, BPH, GERD, PUD, pneumonia, bronchitis, STDs, UTIs, asthma, chronic pain, etc."
“They thoroughly covered complex and diverse aspects relevant to everyday clinic practice and were perfectly designed for primary care practice. The speakers were exceptional: knowledgeable, passionate, articulate, deeply engaging and committed to their area of expertise.”
"I have updated my practice in many ways, including UTI treatment, antibiotic use, travel recommendations, and PreP for high-risk patients."
"In just the week following this course, I had already changed HTN management on several patients, recognized suboptimal lipid management in several others, and changed how I field questions on breast cancer screening."
"Quality speakers, great topics, timely...Makes me energized with medicine again. Makes medicine so fun."
"Every lecture gave me at least one take-home point to change in my practice."
"I have created a list of protocol changes for our office to implement to incorporate some of the changes in recommendations. (Also, I am a little embarrassed I have so many changes to make.)"
"I learned some key points about 'not to miss' diagnoses in areas I do not have as much experience in, such as ENT and GYN, due to the small group sessions which were really helpful."
"My management of anticoagulation, DM, HTN, lipids, opioids, anxiety/depression, and neuropathic pain have all been modified."
"As a practicing physician, I am looking for the worst-case scenario and the common scenario. The lectures met my mark: lots of evidence-based, smart summaries from specialists to support our decision-making."
"The review of bread-and-butter topics such as HTN and hyperlipidemia was eye opening—very helpful for me to update my practice."
"The speakers were exceptional: articulate, passionate, interesting, engaging and deeply committed to their area of expertise."
"I learned a great deal on pre op cardiac and pulmonary evaluations. Was introduced to the NSQIP calculator which I had never used before--will be using that going forward to help risk-stratify patients based on the scores it provides."
"Motivational interviewing is now at the forefront of my clinical practice. I treat afib more aggressively, and changed hypertensive regimens based on population, to name just a few."
"There are some world class instructors in the course. The breadth of material is fantastic and appropriate for primary care. The pace is fast, but well laid out. The ability to go back and watch recorded lectures after is also really fantastic."
"The way I manage my diabetic and hypertensive patients has already changed based on recommendations given in this course."
"Specifically, updates in management of type 2 diabetes with the newest medications was most helpful, and I'll incorporate these into my treatment protocols. In addition, current management of CAD, including some of the new imaging modalities now available to help with non-invasive risk stratification, was highly applicable to my patient base, and I'll be working with our local radiology group to make use of these advances."
“All the presenters were highly skilled in each of their respective fields and provided up to-date, evidence-based management or guidelines that are useful for everyday practice for primary care physicians. Thank you!”
"What is so wonderful about this course is that it leads directly to practice improvements!"
“The speakers and the choice of topics were outstanding. I am recommending the course to everyone! Much better than any board review course I have taken. I also learned a lot from the questions from the audience.
"The information on novel agents presented throughout, including for CHF, diabetes, dermatology, hyperlipidemia, was helpful in keeping me updated and allowing me to be a better teacher for the residents I precept in the outpatient setting."
"The incredible wealth of up-to-date, sometimes hot-off-the-press information that was delivered was truly outstanding."
"I am a family practitioner that works full time in a rural emergency department (ED) and am also medical director of a hospice organization. I do 80% primary care in the ED, and this course quickly brought me up to date on current best practices and evidence-based medicine."
"The focus of almost every talk is perfect. The inclusion of new and relevant information is beyond helpful. And the focus on disparities in health care is excellent (not just the history/present but what we can each do to address these disparities). I have told all of my colleagues and PCP friends about this conference."
"I learned a tremendous amount during this conference. I learned about treating obesity, particularly planning to use phentermine. I learned the new guidelines for hypertension. I will now feel more comfortable dealing with dizziness and vertigo. I learned about the new diabetic medications and will now plan to use the GLP-1 inhibitors. I feel much more confident with the NOACs."
"The recommendations on lung cancer screening, treatment of nightmares, looser DM control in elderly have led to significant changes in my practice."
"AMAZING speakers who are knowledgeable and providing evidence-based information. They were able to fit concise updates including the recent studies into 40 minutes with time for questions. TAILORED toward primary care practices, even when the talks were given by specialists -- they understand the limitations in primary care and when we should be referring to specialists."
"I have expanded my knowledge base on several areas including how to determine when step-up therapy is indicated and how to expand treatment in several chronic conditions such as AFib, CAD, CHF, COPD and Asthma. I also have better understanding on how to manage patients with chronic pain as well as those already on opioids and develop strategies to identify alternative modalities of treatment in the latter."
“Thanks again for the amazing program! great reviews and updates on so many important medical conditions and issues we as primary care physicians deal with on a daily basis.”
"I have led several teaching sessions with my NPs with discussions based on this course—and I have strongly encouraged them to attend the course next year!"
"For my patients with non-malignancy chronic pain, I have begun to avoid moving towards long-acting opioids."
"My comfort level with pharmacologic management of obesity has increased based on the information presented in this CME. I am more comfortable adjusting levothyroxine dosing now without changing the mg dose based on information presented. I will consider prescribing SGLT2 meds and GLP1 receptor agonists for management of DM based on the information I learned in this conference. I also feel more comfortable diagnosing and interpreting Lyme testing and pharmacologic management of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses."
"MANY of the talks, including the hematology talk and dizziness talk, were EXCELLENT and led to immediate changes in my practice."
"Based upon what I learned at this conference, I modified my approach for the treatment of psoriasis, workup of hep C, and assessment of movement disorders."
"I learned a tremendous amount of clinically relevant material. I will recommend professionally directed lifestyle programs for weight loss. I will be more confident evaluating central versus peripheral vertigo….I'm going to utilize glp-1 agonists more often. I will be reducing my alpha one reductase dose to three times a week versus stopping it completely in patients w/ side effects. I'm going to start using fluconazole weekly for onychomycosis. I won't be repeating rheumatoid factors after one is documented."
"I am now more up-to-date on the utilization of new anticoagulation medications, have increased confidence in wound care management, and have begun implementing meditation and integrative medicine options for patients."
"The sessions on Obesity, Dermatology, Antibiotics, Hematology, Asthma, Thyroid disorders, Depression, GERD/PUD, Hospice, and Cognitive decline were all exceptional."
"There were many faculty who actually gave their email addresses and encouraged questions! I practice in a 'specialist desert' and truly appreciated this!"
"Among the many changes I have made to my practice from attending this course: I consider ACEI for migraine; I check vitamin D for patients with dementia or statin-related myalgias; I have changed my HRT rx habits to lower-risk choices; I have a higher index of suspicion for hemochromatosis, GCA, mumps, B12 deficiency and Lyme disease… and many more."
"I picked up many pointers from this program that help me provide better care to my rural, underserved primary care population. I have specialists 90 miles away, but many of my pts struggle to travel due to cost or medical illness issues. The more I can do on my own, the better … I learned a lot that has helped me be both more efficient in my practice and more current with the care I provide."
"I gained new thinking about CAD, and have altered med use (less HCTZ, beta blockers)."
"There was so much great information that I learned, much of it new information and/or expansion of my current fund of knowledge. I feel much more comfortable, for example, with the treatment of Obesity and Diabetes, and plan to start prescribing, when appropriate, SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 agonists much more than I do now."
"The quality of the main presentations was above anything I have previously experienced. Worth every penny (and I do not have CME funds available to me)!"
"I found the content to be extremely evidence based with an exceptional amount of data presented, especially for the cardiology and pulmonary talks. I most appreciated the HTN guidelines, lipid guidelines, NOACs."
“The presenters were amazing! They were all very organized and all seemed to be excited about the topics they were discussing! The course was filled with so much valuable up-to-date information that I will be able to share with my patients on a daily basis. I appreciate the time and effort that went into making this excellent program—thank you.”
"The assessment tools and new guidelines presented in this course have been very useful in my work."
"The presentation on motivational interviewing for obese patients resonated deeply with me and I feel I can reach my patients by asking them these questions."
"I have changed the prescribing of some antibiotics, am doing more motivational interviewing, have modified my screening of breast cancer, and follow immunization more closely."
"This is the third year in a row that I have attended this conference. I feel strongly that each of these conferences has helped me to be a more focused, higher quality and evidence-based primary care provider."
"There were many presentations of real-life clinical situations in this course. How these were managed, reviewing what went wrong, and the pitfalls to look out for were all very instructive."
"I don't order as many nonspecific tests for possible rheumatologic disorders; I have changed the way I manage chronic nonmalignant pain; I am firmer about not giving antibiotics for viral illnesses; I send patients to rheumatology more often—rather than ortho—for certain complaints; and I have a better handle on headache management and no longer prescribe certain medications."
"In my functional assessments of older patients, I now have a more comprehensive approach."
"This course as always has been an essential tool in keeping my practice up to date. Some topics were so rich that raised my interest in pursuing further education, as menopause for instance."
"Obesity: I will do a more focused diet history/24 hours diet recall. I will pay attention to other medications that can worsen weight gain. Hypertension: I now have a greater appreciation for the flat dose response curve of ARB's."
"I was inspired by the ability of many lecturers to learn from their patients—I am going to rededicate myself to learning more from my patients."
"Recommendations I have adopted from this course include: using the 30-second blurb for prostate cancer screening; using a stepwise, 3-month approach to obesity; using spirometry more for my asthmatic/COPD patients."
"The education and materials you receive are resources you can come back to over and over again throughout the year."
"Just to mention a few of the modifications to my practice: I gained valuable perspectives for HRT in early menopause in low-risk women; I focus more concern on LDL than triglycerides; I use spironolactone in resistant HTN."
"The phenomenal speakers are why I return year after year!"
"This course has led me to consider medication side effects in seemingly unrelated problems of a patient. I also offer my patients the web-based resources that were recommended by course instructors."
"I have become more confident in medical treatment of weight loss and with new anticoagulation agents. I am also using more new oral and injectable agents for diabetes."
"For my patients with resistant HTN, the protocol I learned at this course has proven quite useful."
"I learned new updates in DM meds / new insulin preparations. I feel more comfortable in prescribing these new meds."
"Several sessions provided information that I have taken back to work in areas such as diabetic management, blood pressure targets, vertigo assessment, CKD assessment and management, testosterone assessment and treatment, etc. "
"After participating in this program, I am more comfortable with orthopedic evaluations and management (ankle foot/hand/elbow)."
"I am now more involved in the treatment of obesity, particularly with lifestyle changes and use of medication."
"This course provided me with many practice modifications. To name a few: new approaches for the back exam, medicines for chronic pain other than narcotics, and breast cancer screening."
"I have made multiple changes: I treat onychomycoses with diflucan, use prazosin for nightmares, and plan to try obesity drugs. I am also more relaxed on elderly diabetics."
"This course has altered my approach to Pap smears, mammograms and prostate screening to align with new guidelines."
"The speakers were bright, entertaining and focused their talks on what PCPs need to know to deliver value-based care."
"I am now equipped for better evaluation of hematological abnormalities, movement disorders, as well as STI screening and treatment. I can better select between the new anticoagulants and offer them to the appropriate patients. I have made changes in applying guidelines for the cholesterol risk calculator. I have increased consideration of nonstress-test cardiac evaluation in my patients. I gained confidence in knowing which SSRI to prefer in specific patients. I came out of nearly every lecture with some extra knowledge that could be applied to my work."
"The talks about the things we do most--Hypertension, Diabetes, and Hyperlipidemia--remove the noise we get from the pharmaceutical companies and bring it down to what works."
"This is one of the best multi-day conferences I have attended. You have consistently high-quality presenters and well-chosen topics."
"Apart from the educational activity's pivotal role in exposure to the latest medical findings and networking, this course has given me an excellent opportunity to relate and discuss the possible improvements in conventional treatment methods directly with the top experts in different medical fields."
"I am much better able to manage dizziness, LBP, PVD, obesity, urinary incontinence, allergy problems—all of these great topics [from the course] definitely impact the quality of my practice."
"This course was phenomenal. It covered diverse topics that are perfectly relevant to what I see every day as a primary care physician."