November 3-4, 2018

Wyndham Hamilton Park Hotel and Conference Center
175 Park Avenue, Florham Park, NJ 07932

Are patients still at the center of our profession? In our work, we focus on accurate diagnosis, treatment plans, technology, and finances. How can the patient still be the impetus of our work? In our quest for perfect solutions, we may find ourselves disregarding or even loathing the limits of today’s biomedical science and of our patients’ life course. We may become too aggressive and try hard to escape failure at all cost. Conversely, in the face of possible failure, we may take it upon ourselves to decide if the life of a patient with a very severe condition is worth living; we give up on them too early or choose to accelerate their end.

Have you seen your patient? This year’s theme asks a question that connects many facets of patient care. Have we performed a thorough physical? Have we paid enough attention to lab tests? Have we reviewed the relevant and current literature to guide our diagnosis and treatment? Have we been unassuming enough to discuss any unusual cases with other colleagues and then considered their suggestions? Have we taken the time to understand and consider patients’ fears and concerns; do we know what their desires and goals are? Do we know enough about their families, jobs, and social situation?

All these questions point to an often overlooked query:

Are we open to letting our patients guide us in designing a plan of care that accounts for all that they are – from their genetic make-up to their environment; from social situations to their desires and expectations? 

The 2018 MedConference aims to address all of these questions over two days of meetings and presentations from national and international speakers.