Main Lecture Series – At a Glance
Optional Learning Sessions – At a Glance
Monday, Nov. 23 | Tuesday, Nov. 24 | Wednesday, Nov. 25 |
An Introduction to Practical Dermoscopy Workshop In-Person 08:00 – 17:00 | Lunch Session: Narrative Medicine In-Person 12:15 – 13:15 | |
Lunch Session: A Toolbox for Challenging Patient Encounters In-Person 12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch Session: Cultivating Compassion in Medico-Legal Stress In-Person 12:15 – 13:15 |
Main Lecture Series
Day 1 – Tuesday, November 24 | Location | ||||
06:30 | Morning Seawall Jog | Fairmont Waterfront Lobby | |||
07:15 | Registration Opens | West Ballroom Foyer | |||
07:15 | Exhibit Hall Opens | Grab & Go Breakfast (available until 08:45) | West Ballroom CD | |||
07:30 | Seating for Main Lecture Series | West Ballroom AB | |||
08:00 | Virtual Login Open | ||||
08:15 | Indigenous Welcome & Land Acknowledgement by Elder Dennis Joseph | West Ballroom AB | |||
08:30 | Opening Remarks • Dr. Daniel Ngui, Conference Organizing Committee Co-Chair • Dr. Tinus Wasserfall, Conference Organizing Committee Co-Chair • Dr. Jiwei Li, Department Head, Family Medicine, Providence Health Care | West Ballroom AB | |||
CARDIOLOGY & DIABETES Moderator: Dr. Christopher Ryan | ‘NO PAIN, NO GAIN’ - RHEUMATOLOGY, SPORTS MEDICINE & PAIN Moderator: Dr. Niloofer Baria | ||||
08:45 | Hypertension - Combining Drugs - Yes, No, Maybe • Dr. Krishnan Ramanathan | 13:30 | Approach This Joint Carefully - It Might Be Hot and Angry • Dr. Kam Shojania | ||
09:00 | Atrial Fibrillation - Primary Care Management • Dr. Jason Andrade | 13:50 | Lupus in Sheep’s Clothing - The Great Pretender • Dr. Kun Huang | ||
09:15 | HFnrEF - Diagnosis and Management • Dr. Michael Luong | 14:05 | Common Upper Extremity Tendinopathies - “Pickleball Anyone?” • Dr. Tym Frank | ||
09:30 | De-escalation Post MI and Medications • Dr. Graham Wong | ||||
09:45 | Q & A | 14:25 | Q & A | ||
10:00 | Secrets to Achieving CAD Regression • Dr. Victor Huckell | 14:40 | Low Dose Naltrexone for Pain Management • Dr. Ric Arseneau | ||
10:15 | Lp(a) - Research and New Treatment • Dr. Liam Brunham | 14:55 | Discovering Novel Approaches for Chronic Pain Management • Dr. Vishal Varshney | ||
10:25 | Pericarditis Diagnosis and Management • Dr. Rudy Chow | ||||
10:35 | Q & A | 15:10 | Q & A | ||
10:45 | Nutrition Break | 15:25 | Nutrition Break | ||
11:05 | Starting Insulin • Dr. Akshay Jain | 15:45 | Sharp Relief - What’s the Point? The Ins and Outs of Trigger Point Injections • Dr. Kaila Holtz | ||
11:20 | Diabetes - Diet, Culture, FADS and Junk • Dr. Tom Elliott | 16:00 | Hip Hip “Hoorouch” - An Approach to Hip Injuries • Dr. Parth Lodhia | ||
11:35 | GLP1 - Comprehensive Review of Uses in CKM • Dr. Jordanna Kapeluto | 16:20 | Tendon It Like Beckham - Can Achilles Heal His Tendon? Common Lower Extremity Tendinopathies • Dr. Navin Prasad | ||
12:00 | Q & A | 16:40 | Q & A | ||
12:15 | Lunch Break – Delegates on their own for lunch | 17:00 | Adjourn | ||
17:00 | Networking Mixer - for pre-registered delegates West Ballroom Foyer | ||||
Day 2 – Wednesday, November 25 | Location | ||||
06:30 | Morning Seawall Jog | Fairmont Waterfront Lobby | |||
07:15 | Exhibit Hall Opens | West Ballroom CD | |||
07:15 | Registration Opens | West Ballroom Foyer | |||
07:15 | Grab & Go Breakfast (available until 08:45) | West Ballroom CD | |||
07:30 | Doors Open for Lecture Hall | West Ballroom AB | |||
07:30 | Virtual Login Open | ||||
08:25 | Welcome | West Ballroom AB | |||
INTERNAL MEDICINE Moderators: Dr. Kimberly Rutherford / Dr. Anthony Villaruel | GERIATRICS & NEUROLOGY Moderators: Dr. Howard Chang / Dr. Colin Siu | ||||
08:30 | Three Articles That Changed My Practice in 2026 • Dr. Steve Wong | 13:30 | CGA in Primary Care - Who, Why, and How? • Dr. Natasha Lane | ||
08:50 | Post Viral Cough • Dr. Clarus Leung | 13:45 | Care Based Management of BPSD • Dr. Mafalda Musacchio | ||
09:05 | SLIT - Sublingual Immunotherapy • Dr. Joanne Yeung | 14:00 | Five Drugs to Reconsider in the Elderly • Dr. Janet Kow | ||
09:20 | Q & A | 14:15 | Q & A | ||
09:35 | Updates - New Hepatitis B Treatment Guidelines • Dr. Natasha Press | 14:30 | Three Bells Not to Miss • Dr. Danielle Murray | ||
09:50 | Review of Barrett's Esophagus for Primary Care • Dr. Sarvee Moosavi | 14:45 | Breaking the Cycle - Managing Chronic Daily Headache • Dr. Nikkie Randhawa | ||
10:05 | COPD 2026 Update • Dr. Don Sin | 15:00 | Essential vs. Parkinsonian - Mastering Tremor Assessment and Management • Dr. Diya Shi | ||
10:20 | Q & A | 15:15 | Q & A | ||
10:35 | Nutrition Break | 15:30 | Nutrition Break | ||
10:55 | The Health Impacts of Ultra-processed Foods • Dr. Jasmine Kler | 15:50 | The Science of Aging Well - Practical Strategies for Primary Care • Dr. Wendy Cook | ||
11:10 | CKD - Who Needs Treatment, When, and What • Dr. Daniel Schwartz | 16:05 | To Treat or Not to Treat? Navigating the Major Dementia Subtypes • Dr. Philip Lee | ||
11:25 | Updates on UTI Classification and Treatment • Dr. William Connors | 16:25 | Fit to Drive? A Primary Care Approach After Stroke • Dr. Evan Kwong | ||
11:40 | Q & A | 16:45 | Q & A | ||
12:00 | Lunch Break – Delegates on their own for lunch | 17:00 | Adjourn | ||
17:30 | Fitness Class The Fairmont Waterfront, Malaspina Room | ||||
Day 3 – Thursday, November 26 | Location | ||||
06:30 | Morning Seawall Jog | Fairmont Waterfront Lobby | |||
07:15 | Exhibit Hall Opens | West Ballroom CD | |||
07:15 | Registration Opens | West Ballroom Foyer | |||
07:15 | Grab & Go Breakfast (available until 08:45) | West Ballroom CD | |||
07:30 | Doors Open for Lecture Hall | West Ballroom AB | |||
08:15 | Virtual Login Open | ||||
08:25 | Welcome | West Ballroom AB | |||
THERAPEUTICS & INVESTIGATIONS Moderators: Dr. Nirvair Levitt / Dr. Johnny Chang | BRAIN & BEHAVIOUR Moderator: Dr. Laura Knebel | ||||
08:30 | Point of Care Ultrasound in the Office - Part 2 • Dr. Oron Frenkel | 13:45 | PTSD and CPTSD - Navigating Diagnosis, Treatment, and Social Media Pitfalls • Dr. Robert Comey | ||
08:45 | Moral Injury and System Change - Case Examples • Dr. Nadia Khan | 14:05 | Love Me, Love Me Not - Identifying Borderline Personality Disorder in Primary Care • Dr. Kyle Burns | ||
09:00 | How to Incorporate AI for Meaningful Change • Dr. Rohit Singla | ||||
09:15 | Q & A | 14:25 | Q & A | ||
09:35 | Planet Healthy Diets • Dr. Anne Nguyen | 14:40 | Taking A Deeper Look at the Many Presentations of Anxiety in Kids and Teens • Ms. Sharon Selby | ||
09:50 | PSA Testing - A Paradigm Shift? • Dr. Martin Gleave | 15:00 | Somatic Symptom Disorder in Primary Care • Dr. Debra Hamer | ||
10:05 | Osteoporosis Review • Dr. May Kazem | ||||
10:20 | Q & A | 15:20 | Q & A | ||
10:35 | Nutrition Break | 15:35 | Nutrition Break | ||
10:55 | Pharmacogenetics in Primary Care • Ms. Dawn Siciliano | 15:55 | Medico-Legal Pearls and Pitfalls for Family Physicians • Dr. Keleigh James | ||
11:10 | Later Breaker | 16:15 | GLP-1 Agonist and Substance Use Disorders - Current Applications and Future Horizons • Dr. Paxton Bach | ||
11:25 | Iron Infusions - Who, What, Where? • Dr. Adam Davidson | 16:30 | Cannabis Use Disorder in Primary Care - A Case Based Approach • Dr. Launette Rieb | ||
11:40 | Q & A | 16:45 | Q & A | ||
12:00 | Traditional “Luncheon” - Featuring Dr. Robert Thirsk, Former Canadian Space Agency Astronaut, Retired Engineer & Physician (for pre-registered delegates) | 17:00 | Adjourn | ||
17:30 | Fitness Class The Fairmont Waterfront, Malaspina Room | ||||
Day 4 – Friday, November 27 | Location | ||||
06:30 | Morning Seawall Jog | Fairmont Waterfront Lobby | |||
07:15 | Exhibit Hall Opens | West Ballroom CD | |||
07:15 | Grab & Go Breakfast (available until 08:45) | West Ballroom CD | |||
07:30 | Registration Opens | West Ballroom Foyer | |||
07:30 | Doors Open for Lecture Hall | West Ballroom AB | |||
08:15 | Virtual Login Open | ||||
08:25 | Welcome | West Ballroom AB | |||
PAEDIATRICS & GYNAECOLOGY Moderator: Dr. Fiona Petigara | DERMATOLOGY Moderator: Dr. Clara Iturra | ||||
08:30 | Approach to Poor Weight Gain in School-Age Children • Dr. Megan Kilvert | 13:30 | Acne - Management and Treatment with Clinical Cases • Dr. Alex Kuritzky | ||
08:45 | Well Child Visit - Identifying Autism Red Flags Across Development • Dr. Keyvan Hadad | 13:50 | Rosacea - Management Through Clinical Cases • Dr. Vincent Richer | ||
09:00 | Infant Food Introduction and Allergy Risk • Dr. Tiffany Wong | 14:10 | Psoriasis - Case Management • Dr. Chih-ho Hong | ||
09:15 | Q & A | 14:30 | Q & A | ||
09:30 | HPV Vaccination Updates • Dr. Gina Ogilvie | 14:45 | Viral Exanthemas - When to Worry • Dr. James Bergman | ||
09:45 | Opportunistic Salpingectomy for Ovarian Cancer Prevention • Dr. Gillian Hanley | 15:00 | Potpourri - Hemangiomas, Pyogenic Granulomas and Keloids • Dr. Allison Cinats | ||
10:00 | Assessing and Managing Breast Cancer Risk • Dr. Nathalie Levasseur | 15:15 | Melanocytic Lesions - Assessment and Management • Dr. Janet Ip | ||
10:15 | Q & A | 15:35 | Q & A | ||
10:30 | Nutrition Break | 15:50 | Nutrition Break | ||
10:50 | Assessment and Management of Perimenopausal Bleeding • Dr. Nicole Todd | 16:10 | Dermatology in Skin of Colour • Dr. Monica Li | ||
11:05 | Recurrent Vaginitis in Premenopausal Women • Dr. Chelsea Elwood | 16:30 | Androgenetic Hair Loss in Men and Women • Dr. Vincent Valdrez | ||
11:25 | Hypertension in Pregnancy - Implications for Long Term Cardiovascular Health • Dr. Tessa Chaworth-Musters | ||||
11:40 | Q & A | 16:45 | Q & A | ||
12:00 | Lunch Break – Delegates on their own for lunch | 17:00 | Closing Remarks and Adjournment | ||
Optional Learning Sessions
Monday In-Person Workshop
An Introduction to Practical Dermoscopy
Dr. David Swanson
Professor of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona
Honorary Executive Board Member International Dermoscopy Society
Optional full-day, In-Person workshop that precedes the Main Lecture Series
LEARNING NEEDS: With increasing rates of malignant melanoma worldwide and increased awareness by the public to monitor new and changing moles, Dermoscopy is proven to be a very useful adjunct to in-office screening of melanocytic and non-melanocytic lesions. Participants will develop/enhance their practical assessment skills of patients with atypical skin lesions. You will learn how to apply pattern analysis and simple algorithms for the identification of skin lesions, and to assess the need to biopsy based on dermoscopic findings. You will learn to identify and understand the differing histological characteristics for specialized skin areas of the body and also learn the new UV light application to dermoscopy.
SKILL SET: Aimed at all levels: for novices, it’ll get you up and offer a good review to solidify learning for intermediates and new concepts for those who are advanced (it’s a fast-moving field). There will be plenty of time for questions.
DATE: Monday, November 23, 2026
TIME: 08:00 – 17:00
LOCATION: Vancouver Convention Centre West, West Meeting Rooms 109/110
COST: $450 (includes breakfast, lunch, and refreshments)
CREDIT: 8 Mainpro+® Credits
*Maximum 180 registrants (First come, first served)
Optional Small Group Lunch Learning Workshops
A Toolbox for Challenging Patient Encounters
*available to In-Person MLS registrants only
Dr. Debra Hamer
Assistant Professor and Shared-Care Psychiatrist at Queen’s University
Too often in primary care practice, good intentions to provide quality care are thwarted by challenging patient behaviours that put a strain on both physicians and their office staff. What transpires is growing frustrations that impact physician burnout and can lead to compromised care. In this 60-minute workshop, Dr. Hamer will use tools from attachment theory, trauma-informed care, and dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) to help participants better understand what drives these behaviours. Through this workshop, participants will acquire added insights and a greater ability to navigate these challenging patient encounters.
DATE: Tuesday, November 24, 2026
TIME: 12:30 – 13:30
LOCATION: Vancouver Convention Centre West, West Meeting Rooms 107/108
COST: $40 (Lunch is included)
CREDIT: 1 Mainpro+® Certified Activity Credit
*Maximum 50 registrants (First come, first served)
-
Add lunch workshop when registering for the MLS
Narrative Medicine
*available to In-Person MLS registrants only
Dr. Debra Hamer
Assistant Professor and Shared-Care Psychiatrist at Queen’s University
In this workshop, Dr. Hamer will explore how narrative medicine can be used in health care to build narrative competence and reflective practice. Narrative medicine is now used in many leading medical schools and hospitals across North America as a powerful way for physicians to build agency and compassion. In this 60-minute workshop, participants will have an opportunity to be creative, write and explore in a supportive environment. There will be opportunities to learn and practice narrative skills, such as analysis of visual texts and poetry, as well as writing with prompts. Participants will gain valuable new insights and tools for their personal growth and professional practice.
DATE: Wednesday, November 25, 2026
TIME: 12:15 – 13:15
LOCATION: Vancouver Convention Centre West, West Meeting Rooms 107/108
COST: $40 (Lunch is included)
CREDIT: 1 Mainpro+® Certified Activity Credit
*Maximum 50 registrants (First come, first served)
-
Add lunch workshop when registering for the MLS
Cultivating Compassion in Medico-Legal Stress*
*available to In-Person MLS registrants only
Dr. Keleigh James
Family Physician, Medical Educator & Special Advisor in Physician Wellness at the CMPA
This session explores how deeply medico legal events and patient safety incidents can affect physicians, regardless of outcome. Shame and stigma around errors remain common in medicine, even though making mistakes is a universal human experience. Drawing on medico-legal data and physician support literature, this session offers practical strategies for navigating the emotional and professional impact of these events. It also considers how compassionate support among colleagues can reduce isolation and contribute to meaningful culture change.
DATE: Wednesday, November 25, 2026
TIME: 12:15 – 13:15
LOCATION: Vancouver Convention Centre West, West Meeting Rooms 105/106
COST: $40 (Lunch is included)
CREDIT: 1 Mainpro+® Certified Activity Credit
*Maximum 50 registrants (First come, first served)
-
Add lunch workshop when registering for the MLS