This course will present a comprehensive review of new developments in outpatient medicine, controversies in primary care practice, and up-to-the-minute updates in care of patients with COVID-19. The course will focus on the skills and strategies needed in day-to-day office practice. The curriculum will feature in-depth discussion of challenging cases in preventive medicine, common problems in ambulatory care, and a broad selection of acute and chronic illnesses. This course will also be an excellent opportunity to update office-based skills in dermatology, neurology, pulmonary medicine, infectious disease, clinical oncology, and care of patients with mental health disorders.  An audience response system will facilitate discussion of challenging clinical cases. The course is presented by the UCSF Division of General Internal Medicine of the Department of Medicine and is sponsored by the Office of Continuing Medical Education, University of California, San Francisco.

Target Audience
This course, chaired by Dr. Robert B. Baron and taught by 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 and ambulatory practice. We specifically anticipate improvements in skills and strategies to:

• Implement new guidelines in office-based preventive medicine including new strategies for cancer prevention and screening, immunizations, and prevention of coronary heart disease and stroke;
• Manage common and complex office problems including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, asthma, COPD, TIAs, diabetes, common cancers, and common infections
• Understand the impact that COVID-19 has had on primary care practice and use best evidence to treat patients with COVID-related conditions and concerns, including long-covid
• Treat common disorders in dermatology including skin cancer, eczema, acne, hair loss, chronic urticaria, drug eruptions, skin infections, and disorders of aging skin;
• Diagnose and treat common and less common disorders of the lung;
• Master common problems in neurology including the clinical exam, headaches, back pain, dementia, delirium, and stroke.
• Treat patients with common mental health disorders including depression, anxiety, and somatoform disorders.
• Detect and manage oncologic emergencies;
• Understand and treat obesity and use the new obesity medications;
• Select the best diagnostic tests and enhance value in medical practice;
• Use best evidence and optimize patient communication and shared-decision making;
• 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