We’re looking forward to kicking off the 2025 Medical Management Masterclass in just a few weeks! In preparation, some of our FEMM medical providers shared highlights from last year’s course.
What is the most valuable part of the training?
Dr. Karen Poehailos: I’ve taken the Medical Management Masterclass four times (every spring since 2021). Each time I learn something new, or have concepts strengthened; so, I always come away as a stronger clinician in this area. I found a lot of notes on the importance of allopregnanolone (which comes from progesterone) in neuron health—so when women are on Depo-Provera shots, their allopregnanolone is inhibited—and this is going to affect how the neurons function in the brain.
Julie Baltz, MHS, PA-C: I do the medical management course every year because I learn something new every year, and it continues to feed me in a way that no other medical conference or education has. Last year, I remember learning more about the hints that the skin was telling us. I learned to really look at my patient and look at what her skin was telling me about the underlying function of her body.
Sarah Yskes, CNP: I learned about hyperprolactinemia, its causes, and its aftermath if not treated.
What was your main takeaway from last year?
Dr. Poehailos: It was our “go-to” message: Ovulation is a sign of health . . . Our work as clinicians in restorative reproductive medicine should be to optimize ovulatory function as much as possible. It isn’t just about our menstrual cycles, but about our overall health in the brain, heart, bones, and more!
Sarah Yskes, CNP: I learned about the importance of addressing suboptimal conditions, because they can so greatly affect health and fertility.
Would you recommend the Masterclass to other providers?
Sarah Yskes, CNP: ABSOLUTELY. It’s been practice-changing to learn and implement FEMM. My patients have obtained much better health.
Dr. Poehailos: Definitely! I do it every year, because even for the material I’ve seen before, I’m always reinforcing my knowledge, or finding some nuance that I missed before to add to my skill set. And as new papers are published, we have that information brought to us also during the Medical Management course when applicable.
Julie Baltz, MHS, PA-C: I can honestly say that this class changed my life. It gave me my love of the body back again. Dr. Vigil’s teaching really helps you think deeply and understand the function of the body, and therefore it helps you determine what’s going wrong so that you can fix it.
