Release Date August 8th 2025
Essentials of Primary Care: A Core Curriculum for Ambulatory Practice 2025
Overview
Primary care clinicians must be highly skilled in preventive medicine, cardiovascular risk factors, day-to-day clinical problems, chronic disease management, communication skills, and optimal use of diagnostic tests and new medications. Health disparities and the care of vulnerable patients are a central part of our daily practice as we try to maximize quality, safety, equity, and value. Close collaboration with other specialists, inpatient colleagues, and diverse teams of health professionals is essential for the care of our complex patients.
In addition to a full discussion of common problems in primary care and preventive medicine, this course will also focus on clinical skills and problem-solving in dermatology, women’s health, clinical nutrition, neurology, oncology, infectious diseases, and interprofessional collaboration. The course will utilize formal lectures, case discussions, practical workshops, an audience response system, questions and answers, a detailed syllabus, and on-demand access to course recordings. Remote learning opportunities will also be available.
Target Audience
This course, chaired by Dr. Robert B. Baron and taught by some of UCSF’s best teachers, is designed for practicing internists, family practitioners, advance practice providers, and all other health professionals interested in providing high quality primary care.
Objectives
The purpose of this course is to increase competence and improve clinician practice in primary care. We specifically anticipate improvements in skills and strategies to:
- Implement new guidelines in office-based preventive medicine including cancer prevention and screening, immunizations, and prevention of cardiovascular disease;
- Develop up-to-date strategies for common office problems including lipid disorders, diabetes, coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, chronic kidney disease, obesity, and STI’s.
- Understand the impact that COVID-19 has had on primary care practice and use best practices to treat patients with COVID, influenza, RSV and other respiratory infections;
- Manage common problems in women’s health including prevention of cervical cancer, menopause, and osteoporosis;
- Treat common disorders in dermatology including skin cancer, eczema, acne, hair loss, chronic urticaria, drug eruptions, skin infections, and disorders of aging skin
- Understand and treat obesity and use the new obesity medications, surgery, and lifestyle interventions;
- Perform an effective problem-based history, physical examination, and common procedures in dermatology and office orthopaedics.
- Understand the best initial management strategies for common cancers, current uses of new cancer medications, and best practices for giving prognostic advice.
- Expand diagnostic and therapeutic skills for common infectious diseases;
- Understand best practices in assessment and treatment of common mental health disorders;
- Use best evidence and optimize patient communication and shared-decision making;
- Improve interprofessional teamwork and collaboration;
- Enhance value in medical practice;
- Become a better clinician and advocate with a deeper understanding of health disparities and the central role of primary care clinicians in providing equitable, patient-centered care.
Course Outline
SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2025
3:00 pm Registration and Check-In
Moderator: Robert B. Baron, MD, MS
5:00 Welcome and Course Overview
Robert B. Baron, MD, MS
5:10 RxG Controversies in Cancer Screening 2025
Judith M. E. Walsh, MD, MPH
6:00 RxG Management of Sexually Transmitted Infections
Paul Nadler, MD
6:50 pm Adjourn
MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 2025
7:00 am Continental Breakfast
Moderator: Robert B. Baron, MD, MS
7:30 Management of Diabetes Mellitus: Implementing the 2025 Guidelines
Robert B. Baron, MD, MS
8:20 RxG Chronic Kidney Disease: Integrating New Tests, New Guidelines, and New Medications
Michael G. Shlipak, MD, MPH
9:10 Break
9:30 RxG Management of Depression and Suicidality in Primary Care
Emma Samelson-Jones, MD
10:20 RxG Sunscreens, “Spots” and Skin Cancer
Lindy P. Fox, MD
11:10 am Adjourn
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2025
7:00 am Continental Breakfast
Moderator: Sam Brondfield, MD, MAEd
7:30 RxG Cancer Treatment Today: Distinguishing Among Cancer Therapies and Anticipating Their Side Effects
Sam Brondfield, MD, MAEd
8:20 RxG Best Practices in Immunization: Keeping Up With New Vaccines and New Practice Guidelines
Peter Chin-Hong, MD
9:10 RxG Heart Failure: New Strategies for Diagnosis and Treatment
Michael G. Shlipak, MD, MPH
10:00 Break
10:20 Concurrent Workshops (select one)
A: RxG Management of Obesity in Office Practice: How Do We Best Utilize the New Medications?
Robert B. Baron, MD, MS
B: RxG Dermatologic Procedures in Primary Care*
Lindy P. Fox, MD
11:30 am Adjourn
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2025
7:00 am Continental Breakfast
Moderator: Judith M. E. Walsh, MD, MPH
7:30 RxG Current and Emerging Strategies for Osteoporosis
Judith M.E. Walsh, MD, MPH
8:20 RxG Advances in Prevention and Treatment of Stroke: What Every Primary Care Clinician Should Know
Kenneth A. Fox, MD
9:10 RxG Covid-19, Flu, and RSV: Where Do We Stand with Common Respiratory Infections
Peter Chin-Hong, MD
10:00 Break
10:20 Concurrent Workshops (select one)
A: RxG No Longer a Death Sentence: Distinguishing Curable from Incurable Cancer and Improving Prognostication
Sam Brondfield, MD, MAEd
B: RxG Assessment and Initial Treatment of Orthopedic Problems Commonly in Primary Care*
Paul Nadler, MD
11:30 am Adjourn
THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2025
7:00 am Continental Breakfast
Moderator: Paul Nadler, MD
7:30 RxG Best Practices in Urgent Care: Managing Common Acute Disorders in Office Practice
Paul Nadler, MD
8:20 RxG Common Dermatologic Disorders: Tips for Diagnosis and Management
Lindy P. Fox
9:10 RxG What’s New in Management of Menopause and Peri-menopausal Symptoms?
Judith M.E. Walsh, MD, MPH
10:00 Break
10:20 Concurrent Workshops (select one)
A: RxG Top 10 Infectious Disease Topics That Will Likely Change Your Practice
Peter Chin-Hong, MD
B: G Mental Health Dilemmas in Primary Care: Diagnosing Bipolar, Treating Insomnia, and Deprescribing
Emma Samelson-Jones, MD
11:30 am Adjourn
FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2025
7:00 am Continental Breakfast
Moderator: Michael G. Shlipak, MD, MPH
7:30 RxG Management of Coronary Artery Disease: How Should the New Guidelines Change Our Practice?
Michael G. Shlipak, MD, MPH
8:20 RxG Medications and Psychotherapy for Managing Anxiety
Emma Samelson-Jones, MD
9:10 Break
9:30 RxG Management of Lipid Disorders in 2025: Integrating New Diagnostics and New Medications Robert B. Baron, MD, MD
10:20 RxG Novel Cancer Diagnostics: Demystifying Commonly Used Molecular and Genetic Testing in Oncology
Sam Brondfield, MD, MAEd
11:10 am Adjourn
G = Geriatric Credit
Rx = Meets Requirements for Pharmacotherapeutics CEUs for NPs/Nurses
* = In-person only
