95th Annual Educational Conference

September 10-12, 2026 | Phoenix, AZ

 
In the twenty-first century, “wounded humanity” is experiencing uniquely difficult challenges. Despite significant advances in science, technology, medicine, and philosophy this century is marked by a psycho-spiritual void with profound crises of meaning and identity. War, hostilities, moral and personal disintegration also contribute to extensive traumatic suffering throughout our world.

There is strong and growing evidence in literature that trauma of all types adversely affects the whole person and even subsequent generations.

In the meantime, our healthcare system has a laser focus on a disease model that prioritizes technology and standardized treatment protocols toward managing symptoms while ignoring the person, the family and the intergenerational effects of trauma. This unbalanced view of “person” promotes optimization of biological functions and an avoidance of death (as seen with the emergence of longevity medicine).  Simultaneously, there is a rise in physician assisted death in efforts to avoid all suffering. 

The desert Fathers (ascetics) understood the human person to be mind, body and soul.  For the ancient Fathers, Christian anthropology was central to the concept of the human person, and salvation was intimately connected with the notion of healing:  a return to humanity’s original creation in the image and likeness of God.  The Fathers saw an intimate connection between healing and sharing in Christ’s passion, death and resurrection.

We need to promote a much more complete understanding of health, a more consistent recognition of the complexity of the human person (we are not just human bodies) and insist on more respect for the mysteries of health and disease.

Come to the 2026 CMA Annual Educational Conference to explore these and other mysteries and miracles!

Sponsors

Student Reflections

“The CMA conference: forging new friendships and igniting fires in souls for over 85 years! I feel encouraged to brings Christ with me as I step back into the world. He will be my Lamp, and I will be His hands.”
– Anne-Marie Carpenter

“This conference affirmed my vocation as a Catholic PA by inspiring a sense of urgency to join with my fellow healthcare professionals to serve, heal, learn, and evangelize, but I also felt Jesus knock at the door of my heart to remind me that within this larger call, I am still a unique and beloved daughter of the King meant to love and be loved by Christ.”
– Hannah Wilson

“The CMA conference gave me the beautiful stories and advice of passionate Catholic physicians, many new friends and reunions with old friends, and a deepening of faith which strengthens me for the challenges of each day.”
– Martin Brown

“I do not practice the Catholic faith, but I wanted to reflect by saying I left the conference with eyes a little wider, open to alternative viewpoints and perspectives present in the health care field that I am eager to carry with me into my journey to being a future physician. I was touched by the loving and enriching atmosphere and really appreciated the opportunity to attend, though only for an hour!“
– Tejasvi Peesay

“The conference inspires, challenges, and motivates me anew to grow in my faith and strive for professional excellence.”
– Anna Purzycka

“’Look Mother, I make all things new.’ Walking into the hospital early Monday morning with the first hints of the sun’s rays on the far horizon, I was tired and drowsy and behind on articles I needed to read over the weekend. That softening of the horizon, however, was reflective of the hope cultivated in my heart from my weekend at the Educational Conference of the Catholic Medical Association. This was no surprise when for the past five days I was blessed with time with the Real Presence of the Lord in Eucharistic adoration, meals and conversations with genuine physicians living the Gospel, and presentations throughout the days drawing me closer to practicing medicine in the manner of the Divine Physician. Even in the darkness of the night that seems ever present in the practice of modern medicine, the Lord worked through my time at the conference to nurture in me that saving hope, those rays of the sun, that reminder that He is indeed, in me and in the world, making all things new. Thank you to the Catholic Medical Association.”
– Michael Barkowski