Harvard Primary Care Medicine 2025

Harvard Primary Care Medicine 2025

A Comprehensive Update for State-of-the-Art Primary Care Updates Are Provided Across All Major Areas of Primary Care Practice

Held online, using live streaming, electronic Q&A, and other remote learning technologies.

OVERVIEW

Primary Care Medicine, previously called Primary Care Internal Medicine, provides a comprehensive update of the most important changes and advances impacting primary care clinicians of all specialties. It is led by Harvard Medical School’s leading clinical faculty and internationally esteemed guest faculty— representing more than 80 hours of clinical instruction.

Participants can rely on this program for education and skills advancement workshops covering:

• Advanced techniques for in-office procedures and examination skills
• Applications of artificial intelligence in primary care
• Comprehensive updates for state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment
• Disease prevention: screening and vaccination updates
• Guidance for care of the patient with complex medical needs
• Innovations and strategies for the most frequent clinical challenges
• Risk management CME credits for opioids and pain management

► All updates are coupled with guidance to incorporate new knowledge and skills into everyday clinical practice.

2025 Highlights

State-of-the-Art Approaches to Frequent Clinical Challenges

• Anemia: straightforward approaches for abnormal results
• Arthritis: effective management of articular inflammation
• Artificial intelligence: applications in primary care
• Asthma: SMART (single maintenance and reliever therapy) and more
• Cancer screening updates
• Cardiovascular disease: setting and achieving goals specific to patient risk
• Contraception: current state of the art
• Depression and anxiety: practical stepwise approaches for primary care
• Diabetes: new paradigms of care
• Dyspepsia and dysphagia
• Gender-affirming care; compassionate care in gender transitioning
• Headaches: established and innovative options
• Hypercholesterolemia: how low to go (and how to get there)
• Hypertension: new targets, new treatment options
• LGBTQIA+ health: special considerations
• Obesity: prescribing GLP-1 agonists and more
• Osteoporosis and bone health: reducing fracture risk
• Smoking cessation
• Thyroid disorders
• Women’s health: menopause and prescribing hormone therapy

Guidance for the Care of Patients with Complex Medical Needs

• Alcohol use disorder: diverse approaches that expand your repertoire of options
• Anticoagulation: expanding the use of the new targeted agents
• Atrial fibrillation: pharmacologic and ablation strategies
• Biomodulators: must-know information for primary care clinicians
• Cognitive decline: what can we do based on the evidence?
• Female sexual health
• Heart failure: improving patient functional capacity with combined therapies
• Kidney health: improved strategies for nephron protection
• Liver diseases: treatment strategies that preserve function
• Medication interactions: avoiding unintended adverse outcomes
• Motivational interviewing for weight loss
• Neurology: cannot-miss presentations in primary care
• Opioid use disorder: what you need to know about medication-assisted treatment
• Opioids: dosing, patient selection, addiction, and weaning
• Our aging demographic: supporting independence and autonomy
• Peripheral vascular disease
• Pulmonology: management of inflammatory conditions

Knowledge Advancement and Skills Development Workshops

You can choose from over 50 live streaming workshops, or attend them all, to tailor the program to your specific practice needs. These workshops will all be recorded, allowing you to (re)view them online, at your convenience, for up to 11 months following the conclusion of this program. CME will be given for all viewing and evaluations completed within 30 days. These include:

The Art and Science of Medicine:

• Complementary and Alternative Medicine Options for Type 2 DM General Health
• Using AI to Optimize the EHR Experience for Clinicians
• Social Determinants of Health
• Supplement Safety: Exploring the Risks of the ‘High-Risk’ Supplements Your Patients Are Using Without Telling You
• Narrative Medicine and Storytelling
• PCP Competencies on the Health Effects of Climate Change
• Working with Patients Who Challenge Us
• Immunotherapy 101
• The Roles of AI in Primary Care

Dermatology:

• Updates in Dermatology for the Primary Care Physician
• Alopecia for the PCP: How to Manage with Confidence and Know When to Refer

Endocrinology, Hypertension, Nephrology and more: 

• Review and Updates in Hypertension Management
• Case Studies in Office Endocrinology
• Fluid and Electrolyte Abnormalities
• Thyroid Disease

Gastroenterology:

• Management of IBD, Crohn’s, UC, Other Colitis
• Persistent Heartburn, Dysphagia, and Dyspepsia: Practical Cost-Effective Approach
• Unraveling the Mysteries of Abnormal “Liver Function Tests”

Infectious Diseases: 

• Management of Urinary Tract Infections
• STI Prevention and Treatment
• Tick-Borne Diseases
• Vaccine Updates

Mental Health, Substance Use, and Pain:

• Challenges in Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain
• Lifelong Management of Adult Attention Deficit Disorder
• Managing Alcohol Use Disorder in Primary Care Practice
• Opioid Use Disorder and Buprenorphine Management
• Patients Who Use Marijuana: Guidance for Clinical Practice
• Stress Management in Everyday Practice

Neurology: 

• Can’t-Miss Neurology Cases
• Case Studies in Movement Disorders
• Concussions: On the Field and in the Office
• Update on Detection and Treatment of Mild Neurocognitive Disorders
• Updates in Headaches: Assessment and Treatment

 Older Adults: 

• Palliative Care and Hospice
• Supporting the Independence and Autonomy of Older Patients
• The Prostate and Its Challenges: “LUTS” in the Aging Male

Prevention and Screening: 

• Breast and Ovarian Cancer: Risk Assessment and Prevention
• Cancer Screening Updates

Population-Specific Health 

• Care of Trans Men and Women
• Connecting Patients Who Have Experienced Trauma to Services
• LGBTQIA+ Terminology
• Trauma-Informed Approach and Physical Exam

Surgical Specialties for the PCP: Orthopedics, Vascular Medicine, Ophthalmology and ENT 

• Common Hand and Wrist Complaints
• Evaluation and Management of Common Knee Disorders
• Evaluation and Treatment of the Painful Shoulder in the Primary Care Setting
• Therapeutic Approaches to Foot and Ankle Problems
• Lower Back Pain
• Otolaryngology for the PCP
• Ophthalmology in Primary Care
• Peripheral Vascular Disease for Office Practice

Women’s Health 

• Beyond Birth: A More Comprehensive Approach to Postpartum Care and Cardiometabolic Health
• Case Studies in Hormone Replacement Therapy
• Comprehensive Women’s Healthcare: Why Sex and Gender Matter
• Contraceptive Update and Practical Prescribing
• Gynecologic Cancers
• Sexual Health
• Primary Care of the Pregnant Patient

Women’s Health

• Women’s Heart Health
• Menopause Updates 2025
• Beyond Birth: A More Comprehensive Approach to Postpartum Care and Cardiometabolic Health
• Case Studies in Hormone Replacement Therapy
• Comprehensive Women’s Healthcare: Why Sex and Gender Matter
• Contraceptive Update and Practical Prescribing
• Gynecologic Cancers
• Sexual Health
• Primary Care of the Pregnant Patient

Practical, Comprehensive Education

Optimized for Remote Learning

The 2025 program has been enhanced for distance learning. In addition to live-streamed content, all sessions and Q&A discussions will be recorded and made available to participants for online viewing starting one day after the session’s live broadcast and for 11 months after the course.

Questions in the chat not covered live by the speakers will be responded to either immediately afterwards or within a month; this bonus Q&A will be posted in the course archive for participants to review. This on-demand archive will permit those in different time zones or who have scheduling conflicts to avoid missing out on any sessions that are important to them. In addition, participants can review sessions to reinforce key learning points.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Delineate new guidelines in the care of patients in primary care concerning COPD, CHF, Asthma, Hypertension, Osteoporosis, Obesity, and Menopause.
• Develop new and innovative skills in clinical reasoning and problem solving.
• Assess the clinical value of specific diagnostic tests used in general internal medicine and specialty practices, including test sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values.
• Broaden understanding of how to provide the best personalized care possible, regardless of sex or gender identification.
• Recognize the side effects and interactions among medications prescribed by primary care clinicians and their consultants.
• Discuss the expected results of therapies and summarize current treatment strategies for cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurologic/neurovascular, endocrine, reproductive, gastrointestinal, geriatric, psychiatric, diabetic, and infectious disease conditions.
• Integrate lifestyle messages for patient and personal self-care into daily practice.
• Identify the disease prevention and health promotion priorities used in primary care.
• Design practical and effective approaches to behavioral health challenges, including smoking, alcohol use disorder, marijuana misuse, and opioid addiction.
• Apply evidence-based geriatric and palliative-care strategies to support the autonomy and independence of elderly and end-of-life patients.
• Confidently examine and assess patients with common orthopedic complaints.

+ Topics:

Monday, October 27, 2025

• 8:00am to 8:55am AI in Medicine: Promises and Pitfalls Ami Bhatt, MD, FACC
• 8:55am to 9:00am Break
• 9:00am to 9:55am Advanced Treatment Choices for Ischemic Heart Disease Eric M. Isselbacher, MD, MSc
• 9:55am to 10:00am Break
• 10:00am to 10:55am What My Mistakes Taught Me Paul Sax, MD
• 10:55am to 11:10am Break
• 11:10am to 12:05pm Case-Based Workshop Sessions A1 – A4 Workshop Sessions A
  • A1 Evaluation and Management of Common Knee Disorders Arun J. Ramappa, MD
  • A2 Peripheral Vascular Disease for Office Practice Christopher J. Kwolek, MD, MBA, FACS, DFSVS
  • A3 Persistent Heartburn, Dysphagia, and Dyspepsia: Practical Cost-Effective Approach V. Alin Botoman, MD
  • A4 Ophthalmology in Primary Care Mina Farahani, MD, MS
• 12:05pm to 12:20pm Break
• 12:20pm to 1:15pm Updates in Allergy: What to Know in 2025 Anna R. Wolfson, MD
• 1:15pm to 1:45pm Break
• 1:45pm to 2:40pm Case-Based Workshop Sessions B1 – B4 Workshop Sessions B
  • B1 Evaluation and Treatment of the Painful Shoulder in the Primary Care Setting C. Christopher Smith, MD
  • B2 Testosterone for Men and Women Mohit Khera, MD, MBA, MPH
  • B3 Beyond Birth: A More Comprehensive Approach to Postpartum Care and Cardiometabolic Health Ann C. Celi, MD, MPH
  • B4 Alopecia for the PCP: How to Manage with Confidence and Know When to Refer Maryanne Senna, MD
• 2:40pm to 2:45pm Break
• 2:45pm to 3:40pm Lessons Learned from My Time as Director of the CDC Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH
• 3:40pm to 3:55pm Break
• 3:55pm to 4:50pm Women’s Heart Health: What Does a PCP Need to Know? Emily Lau, MD, MPH
• 4:50pm to 5:05pm Break
• 5:05pm to 6:00pm Case-Based Workshop Sessions C1 – C4 Workshop Sessions C
  • C1 Contraceptive Update and Practical Prescribing Pelin Batur, MD, FACP, MSCP, CCD
  • C2 Palliative Care and Hospice: A Primer for Primary Care Clinicians Elizabeth C. Lindenberger, MD Meets criteria for Risk Management credit and End-of-Life Care Education in Massachusetts
  • C3 Breast and Ovarian Cancer: Risk Assessment and Prevention Nadine M. Tung, MD
  • C4 Using AI to Optimize the EHR Experience for Clinicians David Ting, MD
• 6:00pm Special Interest Lectures Time for self-paced study of these two pre-recorded special interest lectures. Special Interest Lectures
  • 2025-26: Top Evidence-Based Medicine Updates from the Medical Literature Frank Domino, MD
  • Complimentary and Alternative Medicines for Weight Loss, Diabetes, and Life Frank Domino, MD

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

• 8:00am to 8:55am Active Management of Chronic Kidney Disease Melanie P. Hoenig, MD
• 8:55am to 9:00am Break
• 9:00am to 9:55am Update on Anticoagulation and Venous Thromboembolism: What Is New in 2025 Rachel P. Rosovsky, MD, MPH
• 9:55am to 10:00am Break
• 10:00am to 10:55am Memory Loss, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Dementia: Update Fall 2025 Andrew E. Budson, MD Meets criteria for Risk Management credit and End-of-Life Care Education in Massachusetts
• 10:55am to 11:10am Break
• 11:10am to 12:05pm Case-Based Workshop Sessions D1 – D4 Workshop Sessions D
  • D1 Supplement Safety: Exploring the Risks of the ‘High-Risk’ Supplements Your Patients Are Using Pieter Cohen, MD
  • D2 Unraveling the Mysteries of Abnormal “Liver Function Tests” Lawrence S. Friedman, MD
  • D3 Fluid and Electrolytes: Navigating the Chem-7 Jeffrey H. William, MD
  • D4 Case Studies in Movement Disorders Albert Hung, MD, PhD
• 12:05pm to 12:20pm Break
• 12:20pm to 1:15pm Updates in Lipid Management Jorge Plutzky, MD
• 1:15pm to 1:45pm Break
• 1:45pm to 2:40pm Case-Based Workshop Sessions E1 – E4 Workshop Sessions E
  • E1 Review and Updates in Hypertension Management Ksenia Blinnikova, MD, MPH, diplABOM, dipABLM, MSCP
  • E2 Primary Care of the Pregnant Patient Meghan L. Rudder, MD
  • E3 Immune Toxicity: A New Paradigm. A New Challenge Leyre Zubiri Oteiza, MD, PhD
  • E4 Climate Change and Primary Care Gaurab Basu, MD, MPH
• 2:40pm to 2:45pm Break
• 2:45pm to 3:40pm Diabetes Workshop: Challenging Diabetes Cases and Questions—Management Strategies 2025 Deborah J. Wexler, MD, MSc
• 3:40pm to 3:55pm Break
• 3:55pm to 4:50pm Current Approaches to Anemia Lisa B. Weissmann, MD
• 4:50pm to 5:05pm Break
• 5:05pm to 6:00pm Case-Based Workshop Sessions F1 – F4 Workshop Sessions F
  • F1 Concussions: On the Field and in the Office Patricia A. Gibbons, MD
  • F2 Opioid Use Disorder and Buprenorphine Management Ellie Grossman, MD, MPH Meets criteria for Risk Management credit and Opioid Education and Pain Management Training in Massachusetts
  • F3 Management of Urinary Tract Infections Jacob Lazarus, MD, PhD
  • F4 Otolaryngology and Sleep Apnea Evaluation for the PCP John Dobrowski, MD, FACS
• 6:00pm Self-Paced Study of Previous Day’s Session/Workshop Recordings View recordings of Monday’s live streamed presentations and workshops in the online course library for self-paced learning or review, along with Monday’s and today’s pre-recorded special interest lectures. Special Interest Lecture
  • Human Trafficking: What Clinicians Need to Know Andrea Reilly, MD

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

• 8:00am to 8:55am Liver Diseases of Primary Care Practice Raymond T. Chung, MD
• 8:55am to 9:00am Break
• 9:00am to 9:55am Menopause Updates 2025 Deborah Gomez Kwolek, MD, FACP, FAMWA, MSCP
• 9:55am to 10:00am Break
• 10:00am to 10:55am Atrial Fibrillation E. Kevin Heist, MD, PhD
• 10:55am to 11:10am Break
• 11:10am to 12:05pm Case-Based Workshop Sessions G1 – G4 Workshop Sessions G
  • G1 Challenging Patient Interactions: Responding with Balance and Poise Jennifer E. Potter, MD
  • G2 Supporting the Independence and Autonomy of Older Patients Amanda H. Berling, MD Meets criteria for Risk Management credit and End-of-Life Care Education in Massachusetts
  • G3 Patients Who Use Marijuana: Guidance for Clinical Practice David Shein, MD Meets criteria for Risk Management credit and Medical Marijuana Training in Massachusetts
  • G4 Lifelong Management of Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Donald J. Meyer, MD
• 12:05pm to 12:20pm Break
• 12:20pm to 1:15pm Tobacco Use, Smoking, and Vaping Cessation Nancy A. Rigotti, MD
• 1:15pm to 1:45pm Break
• 1:45pm to 2:40pm Case-Based Workshop Sessions H1 – H4 Workshop Sessions H
  • H1 Thyroid Disease Douglas S. Ross, MD
  • H2 Common Foot and Ankle Problems George H. Theodore, MD
  • H3 Connecting Patients Who Have Experienced Trauma to Services Nomi Levy-Carrick, MD, MPhil
  • H4 Incorporating Writing and Other Storytelling Forms into Your Career Suzanne Koven, MD, MFA
• 2:40pm to 2:45pm Break
• 2:45pm to 3:40pm Evaluation of Polyarthritis Eli Miloslavsky, MD
• 3:40pm to 3:55pm Break
• 3:55pm to 4:50pm Heart Failure Updates 2025 Pablo A. Quintero Pinzon, MD
• 4:50pm to 5:05pm Break
• 5:05pm to 6:00pm Case-Based Workshop Sessions I1 – I4 Workshop Sessions I
  • I1 Case Studies in Office Endocrinology Michael S. Irwig, MD
  • I2 Mild Neurocognitive Disorder: Evaluation and Decision-Making at the Gateway to Dementia James M. Ellison, MD, MPH
  • I3 The Prostate and Its Challenges: “LUTS” in the Aging Male Heidi Rayala, MD, PhD
  • I4 Challenges in Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Richard J. Pels, MD Meets criteria for Risk Management credit and Opioid Education and Pain Management Training in Massachusetts
• 6:00pm Self-Paced Study of Previous Days’ Session/Workshop Recordings Special Interest Lecture
  • Promoting Equity in Clinical Care and Medical Education Aisha James, MD, MEd

Thursday, October 30, 2025

• 8:00am to 8:55am Reclaiming Joy in Primary Care Mahmooda Qureshi, MD, MSCP, DipABLM
• 8:55am to 9:00am Break
• 9:00am to 9:55am COPD and Interstitial Lung Disease: Update 2025 Walter J. O’Donnell, MD
• 9:55am to 10:00am Break
• 10:00am to 10:55am Optimizing Treatment and Care of Your Patients with Diabetes David M. Nathan, MD
• 10:55am to 11:10am Break
• 11:10am to 12:05pm Case-Based Workshop Sessions J1 – J4 Workshop Sessions J
  • J1 An Approach to Addressing Sexual Problems in Women: Female Sexual Health 101 Juliana (Jewel) Kling, MD, MPH, MSCP, FACP
  • J2 Nonspecific Low Back Pain: Evaluation and Treatment Approaches Dana H. Kotler, MD
  • J3 Can’t-Miss Neurology Cases Alexandra Hovaguimian, MD
  • J4 STI Prevention and Treatment Kevin Ard, MD, MPH
• 12:05pm to 12:20pm Break
• 12:20pm to 1:15pm Primary Care Updates 2025 Melissa McNeil, MD, MPH
• 1:15pm to 1:45pm Break
• 1:45pm to 2:40pm Case-Based Workshop Sessions K1 – K4 Workshop Sessions K
  • K1 Updates in Headaches: Assessment and Treatment Angelika Vgontzas, MD
  • K2 Gynecologic Cancer Amy Bregar, MD
  • K3 The Roles of AI in Primary Care David W. Bates, MD, MSc
  • K4 LGBTQIA+ Health Concepts and Terminology Alex Keuroghlian, MD, MPH
• 2:40pm to 2:45pm Break
• 2:45pm to 3:40pm An Organized Approach to the Broad Range of Bowel Complaints Kyle Staller, MD, MPH
• 3:40pm to 3:55pm Break
• 3:55pm to 4:50pm Obesity Treatment in Primary Care Chika V. Anekwe, MD, MPH
• 4:50pm to 5:05pm Break
• 5:05pm to 6:00pm Case-Based Workshop Sessions L1 – L4 Workshop Sessions L
  • L1 Tick-Borne Diseases Lou Ann Bruno-Murtha, DO
  • L2 Common Hand and Wrist Complaints Carl M. Harper, MD, FAAOS
  • L3 Managing Alcohol Use Disorder in Primary Care Practice Ellie Grossman, MD, MPH Meets criteria for Risk Management credit and Opioid Education and Pain Management Training in Massachusetts
  • L4 Care of Trans Men and Women Michael S. Irwig, MD
• 6:00pm Self-Paced Study of Previous Days’ Session/Workshop Recordings

Friday, October 31, 2025

• 8:00am to 8:55am Asthma Update Nancy Lange-Vaidya, MD, MPH
• 8:55am to 9:00am Break
• 9:00am to 9:55am Overview of Sleep Medicine James E. Mojica, MD
• 9:55am to 10:00am Break
• 10:00am to 10:55am Updates in the Treatment of Depression and Anxiety, 2025 Anne D. Emmerich, MD
• 10:55am to 11:10am Break
• 11:10am to 12:05pm Case-Based Workshop Sessions M1 – M4 Workshop Sessions M
  • M1 Updates in Dermatology for the Primary Care Physician Evelyn Lilly, MD
  • M2 Case Studies in Hormone Replacement Therapy Deborah Gomez Kwolek, MD, FACP, FAMWA, MSCP
  • M3 Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Other Colitides Bharati Kochar, MD, MS
  • M4 A Trauma-Informed Approach to Physical Examination Sadie Elisseou, MD
• 12:05pm to 12:20pm Break
• 12:20pm to 1:15pm Breast Cancer: Current Approaches to Diagnosis and Treatment Michelle Specht, MD
• 1:15pm to 1:45pm Break
  1:45pm to 2:40pm Case-Based Workshop Sessions N1 – N4 Workshop Sessions N
  • N1 Vaccine Updates Jodian Pinkey, MBBS, DM, MPH
  • N2 Evidence-Based Cancer Screening Recommendations from the US Preventive Services Task Force Michael Barry, MD
  • N3 Stress Management in Everyday Practice Mahmooda Qureshi, MD, MSCP, DipABLM
  • N4 Female Sexual Dysfunction: High-Yield Algorithms for Common Cases Mallika Anand, MD
• 2:40pm to 2:45pm Break
• 2:45pm to 3:40pm Osteoporosis Updates Joy N. Tsai, MD
• 3:40pm to 3:55pm Break
• 3:55pm to 4:50pm Healthy Lifestyles for Patients and Their Clinicians Elizabeth P. Frates, MD
• 4:50pm Self-Paced Study of Previous Days’ Session/Workshop Recordings