Scientific program and educational objectives
Cape Town, South Africa
November 11 to 15, 2026
Multi-specialty update : cardiology, pain management, nutrition, dermatology and microbiology
Target audience: English-speaking family physicians and specialists
Scientific registration fee
- Physicians and other professionals : 495 $
- Resident : 195 $
This fee is payable only by the person requesting the attendance certificate. Spouses and accompanying persons may attend the talks at no additional cost. Accommodation must be booked through Cameleo CME.
While we don’t expect the scientific program to change, we reserve the right to modify it as needed.
General learning objectives
By the end of this program, participants will be able to :
- Analyze dermatology urgencies, recognize common and confusing skin rashes, and evaluate skin cancers and cutaneous neoplasms to guide accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.
- Apply current evidence on chest pain, cardiovascular disease in women, and new-onset heart failure to make informed diagnostic and management decisions in clinical practice.
- Apply current evidence on eating habits on cancer risk, emerging health trends, and updates in the renal diet to provide practical, patient-centered nutrition guidance.
- Analyze how outbreak management strategies from a measles outbreak in Canada, community laboratory test utilization practices, and medical leadership approaches in South Africa interact to influence healthcare system effectiveness and population health outcomes.
- Apply evidence-based strategies to assess and manage chronic back pain and integrate ultrasound-guided injection techniques in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain.
Wednesday, November 11
2:30 pm to 2:45 pm
Word of welcome
2:45 pm to 3:45pm
Dermatology urgencies (including a 15-minute period question)
Eiman Nasseri, MD
Dermatologist, New Westminster, British Columbia
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to :
- Recognize the existence of several important dermatological urgencies.
- Identify diagnostic clues that should prompt an urgent referral to the dermatologist.
- Apply evidence-based knowledge to perform the appropriate work-up and manage these conditions.
3:45 pm to 4:45 pm
Common and confusing skin rashes (including a 15-minute period question)
Eiman Nasseri, MD
Dermatologist, New Westminster, British Columbia
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to :
- Review the accurate descriptions of skin lesions.
- Review several common skin rashes including eczemas and acne, and their mimics.
- Apply evidence-based knowledge to perform the appropriate work-up and manage these conditions.
4:45 pm to 5:00 pm Break
5:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Skin cancer and cutaneous neoplasms (including a 15-minute period question)
Eiman Nasseri, MD
Dermatologist, New Westminster, British Columbia
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to :
- Identify and differentiate the most common types of skin cancer.
- Apply evidence-based knowledge to perform the appropriate work-up and manage these conditions.
Thursday, November 12
8:45 am to 10:15 am
Management of chronic back pain (including a 22-minute period question)
Adesanya Tolu Alugo, MD
Anesthesiologist, Saint John Regional Hospital, New Brunswick
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to :
- Describe the anatomy of the lower back.
- Explain pathologic causes of low back pain.
- Identify appropriate investigations for patients with low back pain and outline basic management options.
- Recognize when interventional management may be considered for patients with low back pain.
10:15 am to 10:30 am Break
10:30 am to 11:30 am
Impact of eating habits on cancer diagnosis (including a 15-minute period question)
Jacqueline Wells
Registered Dietitian (Ontario), Waterloo Regional Health Network
Kitchener, Ontario
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to :
- Analyze and critically appraise the most current evidence regarding diet as a modifiable risk factor for specific types of cancer, with particular focus on major cancers diagnosed in Canada.
- Apply and translate evidence-based nutrition research into practical dietary recommendations for patients, distinguishing interventions for primary and secondary cancer prevention from dietary trends or fads lacking demonstrated impact on cancer risk.
11:30 am to 12:30 pm
New integrative diet health trends (including a 15-minute period question)
Jacqueline Wells
Registered Dietitian (Ontario), Waterloo Regional Health Network
Kitchener, Ontario
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to :
- Identify and analyse current common health and diet trends promoted in social media and popular culture.
- Evaluate the strength and quality of evidence supporting or refuting the health claims associated with specific health and diet trends.
- Apply evidence-based knowledge to counsel patients in navigating health and diet trends and making informed decisions.
12:30 pm to 1:45 pm Group lunch (included for everyone)
1:45 pm to 2:45 pm
Updates on the renal diet (including a 15-minute period question)
Jacqueline Wells
Registered Dietitian (Ontario), Waterloo Regional Health Network
Kitchener, Ontario
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to :
- Review nutritional management across all stages of CKD.
- Analyze the major shifts in renal nutrition management over the past 50 years.
- Analyze the complexity of the renal diet and the challenges experienced by patients with CKD and end-stage renal disease.
2:45 pm to 3:00 pm Break
3:00 pm to 4:30 pm
Ultrasound injection of musculoskeletal pain (including a 22-minute period question)
Adesanya Tolu Alugo, MD
Anesthesiologist, Saint John Regional Hospital, New Brunswick
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to :
- Identify common musculoskeletal sources of pain.
- Demonstrate appropriate techniques for ultrasound-guided injections of joints, tendons, and fascia.
Saturday, November 14
2:30 pm to 3:30 pm
Contemporary Approach to Chest Pain (including a 15-minute period question)
Heather Warren, MD
Clinical Cardiologist
Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine (Adjunct) Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Waterloo Regional Campus
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to :
- Analyze contemporary evidence-based risk stratification strategies (including high-sensitivity troponin algorithms and clinical decision tools) to differentiate high-risk from low-risk causes of chest pain in acute and ambulatory care settings.
- Analyze key clinical features, ECG findings, and biomarker patterns to distinguish cardiac, non-cardiac, and life-threatening causes of chest pain, including atypical presentations across sex and age groups.
- Apply updated guideline-based pathways into clinical practice to optimize diagnostic testing, reduce unnecessary investigations, and improve patient-centred outcomes in patients presenting with chest pain.
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Cardiovascular Disease in Women (including a 15-minute period question)
Heather Warren, MD
Clinical Cardiologist
Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine (Adjunct) Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Waterloo Regional Campus
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to :
- Analyze sex-specific differences in the epidemiology, risk factors, and clinical presentation of cardiovascular disease in women, including non-traditional and under-recognized risk factors.
- Analyze common diagnostic challenges and biases that contribute to delayed or missed diagnosis of cardiovascular disease in women, and interpret sex-specific considerations in investigations such as ECGs, biomarkers, and stress testing.
- Apply evidence-based, guideline-informed strategies for the prevention, diagnosis, and management of cardiovascular disease in women to improve clinical outcomes and reduce inequities in care.
4:30 pm to 4:45 pm Break
4:45 pm to 5:45 pm
Approach to New-onset Heart Failure (including a 15-minute period question)
Heather Warren, MD
Clinical Cardiologist
Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine (Adjunct) Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Waterloo Regional Campus
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to :
- Analyze key clinical features, investigations, and reversible causes of new onset heart failure, including distinctions between HFrEF, HFmrEF, and HFpEF;
- Analyze diagnostic data (history, physical exam findings, biomarkers, ECG, and cardiac imaging) to determine heart failure phenotype, severity, and underlying etiology;
- Apply contemporary, guideline-directed medical therapy and care pathways to the initial management and early optimization of patients with newly diagnosed heart failure across inpatient and outpatient settings.
Sunday, November 15
1:30 pm to 2:30 pm
Measles outbreak in Canada (including a 15-minute period question)
Johan Delport, MD
Microbiologist, London Health Sciences Centre, Ontario
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to :
- Explain the concept of herd immunity and its threshold in preventing measles transmission.
- Describe the critical role of community-related epidemiology.
- Outline the responsibilities of public health agencies during a measles outbreak in Canada.
- Summarize key interventions used to manage measles outbreaks.
- Identify short- and long-term health outcomes associated with measles infection.
2:30 pm to 3:30 pm
Community utilization of laboratory tests (including a 15-minute period question)
Johan Delport, MD
Microbiologist, London Health Sciences Centre, Ontario
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to :
- Explain the principles of appropriate utilization of laboratory testing.
- Identify key factors influencing laboratory test utilization.
- List common laboratory tests effectively utilized in community settings.
3:30 pm to 3:45 pm Break
3:45 pm to 4:45 pm
Medical Leadership in South African Healthcare (including a 15-minute period question)
Johan Delport, MD
Microbiologist, London Health Sciences Centre, Ontario
By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to :
- Define key leadership styles in healthcare settings.
- Explain how these leadership models influence healthcare delivery and system performance.
- Analyze interesting findings in the leadership journey of physician leaders in South Africa.
Members of the scientific committee and collaborators
- Gilles Brousseau, family physician, Gatineau – scientific director
- Maxime Britt-Côté, family physician, Ottawa
- Dimitrios Divaris, anatomopathology, Waterloo
- Jacinthe Lampron, general surgeon, University of Ottawa
- Monica Rusu, family physician, Port Coquitlam
- Louise Vitou, Nephrology, Kitchener