MER Primary Care Conferences Dermatology for Primary Care Jul 31 – Aug 02, 2026

MER Dermatology for Primary Care 2026

Dermatology • Skin Infections • Skin Cancer • Office Procedures • Primary Care

July 31 – August 2, 2026 | Walt Disney World® Resort, Florida

MER Dermatology for Primary Care 2026 reviews skin disease, infections, tumors and office procedures for primary care clinicians.

Organized by Medical Education Resources (MER), the original Dermatology for Primary Care conference was held July 31 through August 2, 2026, at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa at Walt Disney World® Resort, Florida. The official MER program provided a focused three-day review of dermatologic conditions commonly encountered by office-based primary care clinicians.

The curriculum combines recognition of common skin diseases with practical management strategies, including benign and malignant skin tumors, acne and acneiform eruptions, papulosquamous diseases, dermatitis, bacterial skin infections, fungal skin and nail infections, viral skin disease, and dermatologic office procedures.

The broader educational objectives also emphasize parasitic skin infections, cutaneous manifestations of systemic disease, skin cancer recognition, melanoma and pigmented lesions, and basic skin surgery applicable to primary care practice.

Course Details

• Course: Dermatology for Primary Care
• Provider: Medical Education Resources – MER
• Year: 2026
• Original Conference Dates: July 31 – August 2, 2026
• Duration: 3 Days
• Venue: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
• Location: Walt Disney World® Resort, Florida
• Primary Specialty: Dermatology
• Related Specialty: Primary Care
• Original MER Listing: 12 Credit Hours
• ANCC Pharmacotherapeutic Contact Hours: 5.00
• Primary Audience: Office-Based Primary Care Providers and Other Health Professionals
• Educational Focus: Practical Diagnosis and Management of Common Dermatologic Conditions
• Clinical Setting: Primary Care / Outpatient Medicine

The MER event page lists 12 credit hours and 5.00 ANCC pharmacotherapeutic hours, while its October 2025 agenda PDF lists 5.25 pharmacotherapeutic hours. These are original-event details, not credits included with this purchase.

Who Was the Original Program Designed For?

MER describes the primary target audience for its Primary Care Conferences as:

Office-based primary care providers and other health professionals seeking updates in primary care medicine.

This program is particularly relevant for:

• Primary Care Physicians
• Family Medicine Physicians
• Internal Medicine Physicians
• Dermatologists
• Emergency Medicine Physicians
• Nurse Practitioners
• Physician Associates / Physician Assistants
• Clinicians managing common dermatologic problems
• Healthcare professionals working in outpatient medicine

The strongest clinical audience remains:

Primary Care + Family Medicine + Internal Medicine + Dermatology

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this program, participants should be better able to:

• Differentiate between the presentations and causes of atopic, contact (irritant and allergic), and nummular dermatitis.
• Discriminate the diagnostic principles and treatment options for papulosquamous diseases with red, raised bumps.
• Discriminate between various viral skin infections and treatment strategies.
• Compare the different treatment options for fungal skin infections and nail infections.
• Perform a differential diagnosis of common bacterial skin infections and recommend appropriate treatment.
• Identify cutaneous findings that serve as surrogates of internal diseases.
• Identify clinical presentations of various parasitic skin infections including scabies, lice, ticks, and bedbugs.
• Describe the step-wise approach for the diagnosis and treatment of acne and acneiform eruptions.
• Employ proper diagnostic principles to monitor and manage patients at risk for skin cancer.
• Detect pre-cancerous and cancerous skin lesions.
• Perform comprehensive and effective treatment of melanomas and other pigmented lesions.
• Review basic skin surgeries typically conducted in the primary care office.

DERMATOLOGY FOR PRIMARY CARE

Dermatologic problems are among the most frequent complaints encountered in outpatient medicine.

Primary care clinicians regularly evaluate patients with:

• Rashes
• Dermatitis
• Acne
• Skin infections
• Pigmented lesions
• Benign skin growths
• Suspicious lesions
• Nail abnormalities
• Skin manifestations of systemic disease

The goal of this MER program is to improve practical dermatologic recognition and help clinicians determine:

Recognize → Differentiate → Diagnose → Treat → Biopsy or Refer When Appropriate

Benign Skin Tumors

The published agenda includes Benign Skin Tumors.

MER’s agenda covers:

• Proper diagnosis of common benign tumors
• Treatment of common benign tumors
• Biopsies
• Histopathologic examination
• Nevi
• Seborrheic keratoses
• Keloids
• Hemangiomas
• Miscellaneous tumors
• Determining when referral is appropriate

This topic is particularly useful in primary care because benign lesions must often be distinguished from suspicious or malignant processes.

Benign vs. Malignant Skin Lesions

A fundamental dermatologic skill is distinguishing lesions that appear clinically benign from those requiring:

• Further examination
• Biopsy
• Histopathologic evaluation
• Dermatology consultation
• Definitive treatment

The program reinforces practical lesion recognition within the outpatient setting.

Premalignant & Malignant Skin Tumors

The published agenda includes Premalignant and Malignant Skin Tumors.

Confirmed content includes:

• Recognition of precursors of malignancy
• Excisional biopsy
• Punch biopsy
• Actinic keratosis
• Bowen’s disease
• Squamous cell carcinoma
• Basal cell carcinoma
• Melanoma
• Other selected tumors
• Risk-reduction education

Skin Cancer Detection

Early recognition of potentially malignant lesions is a central responsibility in dermatologic primary care.

The learning objectives emphasize the ability to:

• Identify patients at risk for skin cancer
• Monitor high-risk patients
• Detect precancerous lesions
• Detect cancerous lesions
• Evaluate pigmented lesions
• Recognize possible melanoma

The clinical pathway is:

Identify Risk → Examine → Recognize Suspicious Features → Biopsy or Refer → Manage Appropriately

Actinic Keratosis

The official agenda specifically includes actinic keratosis among premalignant skin lesions.

Recognition is important because these lesions occur within the broader continuum of sun-related skin damage and require appropriate evaluation and management.

Bowen’s Disease

Bowen’s disease is also specifically included in the malignancy-focused session.

The program places it within the broader review of precancerous and malignant lesions relevant to office-based clinicians.

Basal Cell Carcinoma

The curriculum includes recognition of basal cell carcinoma, one of the malignant skin tumors primary care clinicians may encounter during routine examinations.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinoma is another confirmed malignancy covered in the official agenda.

Recognition and appropriate biopsy or referral decisions are emphasized within the broader skin-cancer curriculum.

Melanoma & Pigmented Lesions

The learning objectives specifically emphasize effective management of:

• Melanomas
• Pigmented lesions

The broader educational goal is to help clinicians distinguish benign pigmented findings from lesions that warrant more urgent evaluation.

Skin Surgery for Primary Care

A major practical component of the conference is:

Skin Surgery for Primary Care

The official agenda includes:

• Common office dermatology procedures
• Shave biopsy
• Punch biopsy
• Excisional biopsy
• Local anesthesia
• Cryosurgery
• Appropriate procedural setting
• Best-practice procedural techniques

Shave Biopsy

Shave biopsy is one of the specific techniques reviewed.

The course places it within a broader framework of selecting an appropriate biopsy technique according to the lesion being evaluated.

Punch Biopsy

Punch biopsy is also included among the office-based techniques covered.

Understanding appropriate biopsy selection can help clinicians obtain suitable diagnostic tissue while recognizing when a procedure should instead be performed by dermatology.

Excisional Biopsy

The program includes excisional biopsy in both its procedural and skin-tumor content.

This reinforces the connection between:

Lesion Assessment → Procedure Selection → Histopathology → Management

Local Anesthesia in Dermatologic Procedures

MER’s official agenda specifically includes instruction and best practices for local anesthesia as part of Skin Surgery for Primary Care.

This supports safer performance of appropriate office-based dermatologic procedures.

Cryosurgery

The procedural curriculum also reviews:

• Cryosurgery
• Appropriate indications
• Appropriate clinical setting

Cryotherapy represents a common procedure relevant to both primary care and dermatology practices.

Acne & Acneiform Eruptions

The official agenda includes a dedicated session:

Acne and Acneiform Eruptions

Confirmed areas include:

• Noninflammatory open comedones
• Closed comedones
• Inflammatory lesions
• Acne grading
• Treatment selection
• Bacterial folliculitis
• Drug-induced acne
• Hidradenitis suppurativa
• Miliaria
• Perioral dermatitis
• Pseudofolliculitis barbae
• Rosacea
• Seborrheic dermatitis
• Topical therapy
• Systemic therapy

Acne Diagnosis

An important goal is to distinguish different patterns of acne and acneiform eruptions.

Assessment may consider:

• Lesion morphology
• Inflammatory versus noninflammatory disease
• Distribution
• Severity
• Medication exposure
• Associated dermatologic findings

Acne Grading & Treatment

The official MER agenda specifically connects acne grading with treatment selection.

The clinical pathway can be summarized as:

Identify Lesion Type → Grade Severity → Select Therapy → Monitor Response

Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Hidradenitis suppurativa is included among the acneiform and inflammatory conditions addressed within this session.

Its recognition is important because its clinical course and management differ from conventional acne.

Rosacea

The official curriculum also includes rosacea, allowing clinicians to distinguish it from acne and other inflammatory facial eruptions.

Perioral Dermatitis

Perioral dermatitis is another confirmed acneiform condition included in the course agenda.

Papulosquamous Diseases

The first day also includes:

Papulosquamous Diseases

MER describes the session as focusing on diagnostic principles for skin lesions characterized by red or purple papules and scaly eruptions.

Confirmed conditions include:

• Psoriasis
• Lichen planus
• Pityriasis rosea
• Lupus erythematosus

The objective is practical differentiation of one scaly rash from another.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis represents one of the major papulosquamous disorders covered.

Clinicians must distinguish its characteristic presentation from other scaly inflammatory conditions.

Lichen Planus

The curriculum includes lichen planus, allowing comparison with other papulosquamous eruptions.

Pityriasis Rosea

Pityriasis rosea is also included in the confirmed official agenda.

Lupus Erythematosus

Cutaneous manifestations of lupus erythematosus are included within the papulosquamous differential.

This also illustrates the important relationship between dermatologic findings and systemic disease.

Dermatitis

The published agenda includes a dedicated session on:

Dermatitis

Confirmed areas include:

• Contact dermatitis
• Atopic dermatitis
• Irritant dermatitis
• Nummular dermatitis
• Seborrheic dermatitis
• Exfoliative dermatitis
• Blistering
• Oozing
• Crusting
• Flaking
• Diagnostic principles
• Management strategies

Atopic Dermatitis

The learning objectives specifically emphasize differentiation of atopic dermatitis from other eczematous disorders.

Evaluation may include:

• Distribution
• Morphology
• Chronicity
• Associated atopy
• Symptoms
• Trigger patterns

Contact Dermatitis

The course addresses both:

• Irritant contact dermatitis
• Allergic contact dermatitis

An important clinical distinction is determining whether a skin reaction is caused by direct irritation or an allergic response.

Nummular Dermatitis

Nummular dermatitis is specifically included among the dermatitis patterns participants should be able to distinguish.

Seborrheic & Exfoliative Dermatitis

The official session also includes:

• Seborrheic dermatitis
• Exfoliative dermatitis

providing a broader review of inflammatory skin presentations seen in outpatient medicine.

Dermatology Cases

The October 2025 agenda version includes a Dermatology Cases session.

Case-based learning helps clinicians integrate:

Presentation → Morphology → Differential Diagnosis → Testing → Treatment → Referral

rather than reviewing dermatologic diseases only in isolation.

Bacterial Infections of the Skin

A dedicated session covers:

Bacterial Infections of the Skin

Confirmed conditions and concepts include:

• Impetigo
• Ecthyma
• Folliculitis
• Furunculosis
• Necrotizing fasciitis
• Lyme disease
• Syphilis
• Diagnosis
• Management
• Antibiotic-treatment guidelines
• Management of special populations

Impetigo

Impetigo is included as one of the common bacterial infections primary care clinicians should recognize and manage appropriately.

Folliculitis & Furunculosis

The program includes both:

• Folliculitis
• Furunculosis

within the broader bacterial differential.

Necrotizing Fasciitis

The inclusion of necrotizing fasciitis highlights the need to recognize potentially severe skin and soft-tissue infections requiring urgent escalation.

Lyme Disease & Syphilis

Both Lyme disease and syphilis appear in the bacterial skin-infection session, emphasizing that dermatologic findings can provide important clues to systemic infectious disease.

Fungal Infections of the Skin

The official program includes:

Fungal Infections of the Skin

Topics include:

• Dermatophytes
• Tinea versicolor
• Candidiasis
• Selected deep fungal infections
• Fungal diagnosis
• Management
• Antifungal treatment options

Nail Disorders & Fungal Nail Infection

The same session incorporates several nail-related problems, including:

• Onycholysis
• Drug-induced nail changes
• Paronychia
• Koilonychia
• Nail discoloration
• Nail tumors

alongside fungal infection diagnosis and treatment.

Antifungal Therapy

A specific learning objective is to compare treatment options for:

• Fungal skin infections
• Nail infections

The official agenda likewise includes an overview and comparison of antifungal treatment options.

Viral Infections of the Skin

The published agenda includes a dedicated session:

Viral Infections of the Skin

Confirmed content includes:

• Herpes simplex
• Varicella-zoster
• Viral exanthems
• Molluscum contagiosum
• Warts
• Post-herpetic neuralgia
• Symptom management
• Dermatology referral

Herpes Simplex

The program reviews recognition and differentiation of herpes simplex as part of the viral skin-infection curriculum.

Varicella-Zoster

Varicella-zoster is another confirmed viral disease discussed in the course.

The curriculum also addresses persistent post-herpetic neuralgia.

Molluscum & Warts

The viral dermatology section includes:

• Molluscum
• Warts

along with principles of diagnosis, symptom management, and appropriate referral.

Parasitic Skin Infections

The supplied learning objectives include recognition of several parasitic skin conditions:

• Scabies
• Lice
• Ticks
• Bedbugs

These conditions are also part of MER’s established Dermatology for Primary Care curriculum. MER’s dermatology program brochure lists Parasitic Infections of the Skin among the course’s dermatology topics.

Scabies

Recognition of scabies requires attention to characteristic symptoms, lesion distribution, exposure history, and household transmission.

Lice

The broader parasitic curriculum includes lice, another common outpatient dermatology presentation.

Ticks & Bedbugs

Tick- and bedbug-related skin findings are also included within the learning objectives for parasitic disease recognition.

These topics reinforce the importance of:

Exposure History + Morphology + Distribution + Associated Symptoms

in dermatologic diagnosis.

Skin Manifestations of Systemic Disease

One of the supplied learning objectives is to identify cutaneous findings that serve as surrogates of internal diseases.

This concept is an established component of MER’s Dermatology for Primary Care curriculum and is also listed in MER’s broader dermatology program topics.

Skin findings may sometimes provide the first indication of disease involving other organ systems.

Dermatology & Internal Medicine

The relationship between the skin and systemic disease illustrates why dermatologic knowledge is important for internists and family physicians.

The clinical framework is:

Skin Finding → Recognize Pattern → Consider Systemic Association → Evaluate Patient → Refer or Treat

Primary Care Dermatology

One of the major strengths of the program is its emphasis on practical office dermatology.

The curriculum combines:

Recognition

• Rashes
• Tumors
• Pigmented lesions
• Infections
• Acne

Diagnosis

• Morphology
• Differential diagnosis
• Clinical patterns
• Biopsy

Treatment

• Topical therapies
• Systemic therapies
• Antimicrobials
• Antifungals

Procedures

• Shave biopsy
• Punch biopsy
• Excision
• Cryosurgery
• Local anesthesia

Referral

• Suspicious lesions
• Complex disease
• Severe infection
• Potential malignancy

Why This Course Is Useful

MER Dermatology for Primary Care 2026 provides a focused review of dermatologic conditions that clinicians frequently encounter in everyday outpatient practice.

The curriculum connects several major areas:

Inflammatory Skin Disease

• Dermatitis
• Psoriasis
• Lichen planus
• Pityriasis rosea
• Acne
• Rosacea

Infectious Dermatology

• Bacterial infections
• Viral infections
• Fungal infections
• Parasitic infections

Skin Cancer

• Precancerous lesions
• Basal cell carcinoma
• Squamous cell carcinoma
• Melanoma
• Pigmented lesions

Office Dermatology

• Shave biopsy
• Punch biopsy
• Excision
• Local anesthesia
• Cryosurgery

Systemic Disease

• Cutaneous manifestations of internal illness
• Infectious disease manifestations
• Lupus-associated skin disease

Case-Based Learning

• Challenging dermatology cases
• Differential diagnosis
• Treatment selection
• Referral decisions

The overall clinical pathway can be summarized as:

Recognize → Differentiate → Diagnose → Treat → Perform Office Procedure or Refer When Appropriate

Original MER Credit & Accreditation Information

MER’s current listing for this specific conference shows:

12 Credit Hours

and:

5.00 ANCC Pharmacotherapeutic Contact Hours.

Medical Education Resources is jointly accredited by:

• Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education – ACCME
• Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education – ACPE
• American Nurses Credentialing Center – ANCC

to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. MER’s accreditation information also covers eligible physician, nursing, physician associate, and pharmacist credit pathways for its live activities.

These credits and accreditations apply to eligible participation in the original MER educational activity and completion of the provider’s applicable requirements.

This MedicalAmboss purchase does not include:

• MER CME Credit
• AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
• ANCC Contact Hours
• ACPE Credit
• AAPA Credit
• ABIM MOC Points
• Official MER Certificate
• Official MER Account Access

The purchase is not registration for the original MER activity.

Published Agenda Reference

The summary below follows the MER agenda version dated October 8, 2025. Earlier agenda versions differ. This is a conference-program reference, not a verified inventory of delivered recordings.

• July 31: dermatitis, papulosquamous conditions, viral and bacterial skin infections, and skin findings in systemic disease.
• August 1: parasitic infections, acne, fungal skin disease, benign tumors, and precancerous or malignant lesions.
• August 2: office skin surgery and case discussions.