Bioidentical HRT Optimization – Part II Clinical Conversations Course Description

Course Credits: Earn up to 16 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ and AAFP Prescribed Credits.

Course Price: $1,495

Bioidentical HRT Optimization - Part II Clinical Conversations is a two-day course.

This course is the second part of the NPI BHRT lecture series, utilizing didactic as well as a case-based approach designed to help physicians and other health care providers successfully and knowledgeably treat BHRT management patients. The focus on case-centered learning and group discussions has been validated at top educational institutions. Participation in the part 1 course is highly recommended before participating in part II. 

This two-day course will review everything you should know about bioidentical hormones, desired levels, and dosing strategies to get your patient to an optimum range. In this course, we will commence by exploring some of the societal and professional forces driving today’s forward-thinking practitioners to develop new strategies and new tools. The line of demarcation between what is appropriate and inappropriate expectations will be discussed. The risk of depression and suicide in physicians and other health professionals will be discussed. 

We will then dive into a hormone review, with supporting references, and review the various types of hormones, both good and bad, problematic, and life-preserving. Because this is an advanced class and the topic of bioidentical vs. synthetic was covered in part 1, we will focus almost exclusively on all bioidentical hormones: which one(s), how much, what order, and in what combination. Through dynamic, interactive clinical conversation with patient-based learning and real-life examples, participants will gain more confidence in their knowledge base and ability to meet the needs of their patients at the point of care. We will integrate concepts of peer-reviewed literature-based integrative health throughout the course. Participants will review monitoring and adjusting HRT through didactic lectures focusing on a scrupulous and up-to-date literature review. A simplified dosing strategy for all hormones will be covered. Learning will be facilitated by participant “show and tell” (which is optional) as well as patient-based learning exercises, didactic presentations, case studies, and open discussions. During the course, we will have the ability to review lab tests for various patient types. Participants are asked to bring their own lab printouts (or pictures of screenshots). Participants can also present cases if they desire. Bring your most complicated ones! We will re-emphasize the difference between normal and optimal levels of hormones based on the medical literature and actual patient examples. 

Day one will begin with ethical considerations of how we can best take care of our patients and ourselves. We will review key concepts of the material previously presented, with updated references. New topics will also be presented, including more about adrenal insufficiency, and the possible hormonal origins of “long COVID” syndrome in terms of adrenal stress. We will also have an extensive review of thyroid hormones, plus cases that involve laboratory evaluation, prescribing, adjusting, troubleshooting, and discussing various hormone therapies for different scenarios for both men and women. There will also be a module entitled “Getting to Know You; Getting to Know All About You” – for an anonymous review of any personal labs you may want to bring to class, or if you prefer to remain private, labs of some of your patients that you have questions about, or both! Socratic review and class discussion will help us become enlightened about “what’s going on and what to do next”. Doing this on day 1 makes the hormones we will review far more penetrating. There will be an ongoing emphasis on “patient-centered learning” exercises. 

On day 2, more cases will be reviewed as well as “can you spot the cancer?” lab issues. The need to demand that patients have appropriate screenings (rectal exams in males; pelvic/Pap/breast/mammogram exams in women) will be discussed. There will also be more cases that involve laboratory evaluation, prescribing, adjusting, troubleshooting, and reviewing various hormone therapies for both men and women.

We will cover even more this time and again review that the medical literature demonstrating that optimization of hormones results in relief of symptoms, improvement in well-being, and a decrease in morbidity and mortality by attaining levels in the upper range of normal. Practitioners must understand both the need and benefit for optimization, what levels are considered to be optimal, as well as have command of the literature that supports it. 

New topics which are added to this course include:

  • PCOS – Epidemic in our society
  • Assessing abnormal uterine bleeding 
  • State of the art review of prostate cancer, testosterone risk, and even the use of testosterone during prostate cancer. 
  • What to do when a breast cancer survivor is being considered for BHRT? Is there a “safe estrogen”?
  • There is also a new module specifically on staying within safe practices and legal realms. 


Answers to seemingly straightforward questions will be covered, and the material presented in depth:

  • “How can I avoid having men and women patients have needlessly invasive, surgical procedures based on an elevated breast lump or elevated PSA?”
  • “Should I use vitamin supplements with my patients? And, if so, why? What is the peer-reviewed literature’s opinion?”