The Institute for Functional Medicine hosts an annual International Symposium on Functional Medicine. Drawing healthcare practitioners from dozens of states and many countries, the multi-day Symposium presents a comprehensive exploration of emerging research and clinical perspectives on an important healthcare topic.

Recent Symposium themes have included 21st Century Endocrinology: Thyroid and Adrenal as Sentinel Organs (2007); Managing Biotransformation: The Metabolic, Genomic, and Detoxification Balance Points (2006); The Immune System under Siege: New Clinical Approaches to Immunological Imbalances in the 21st Century (2005); The Coming Storm: Reversing the Rising Pandemic of Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome (2004); The Heart on Fire: Modifiable Factors Beyond Cholesterol (2003); and Disorders of the Brain: Emerging Therapies in Complex Neurologic and Psychiatric Conditions (2002). The theme for 2008 will be The Many Faces of Pain: Functional Models for Assessment and Treatment.

This premier event in the continuing medical education field attracts outstanding faculty – leading researchers, clinicians, and thought leaders – and a stimulating cross-section of practitioners, educators, and scientists from virtually every health profession. The Symposium closes each year with the presentation of the Linus Pauling Award to an individual whose research or clinical expertise has contributed substantially to the advancement of knowledge in functional medicine.

Did you know there are 11 million journal articles in PubMed (4200 journals), and 7300 citations are added weekly? Do you have the time to read and extract the relevant data – furthermore, have you been able to integrate emerging data into a systematic approach that addresses the causes and mediators of complex, chronic disease? If not, consider taking this six-day course – it is designed to teach practitioners how to apply the principles and science of functional medicine to enhance patient outcomes. Grounded in the emerging science and directed at clinicians who want to improve their management of complex, chronic disease, this remarkable educational activity provides a unique combination of lectures, small group case-based breakouts, and exceptional faculty. The course is designed to help you achieve enduring results with your patients’ most challenging conditions: Alzheimer’s and other dementias, asthma, CAD and atherosclerosis, chronic fatigue, depression, insulin resistance and diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease, menopause, rheumatoid arthritis, allergies, and more. Our next AFMCP session will be November 27 to December 2, 2006 in Ft Lauderdale, Florida.
There are three scheduled for 2007: February 5-10 in Pasadena, CA, September 23-28 in Bellevue, WA, and November 26-December 1 in Atlanta, GA.