The position of the American Academy of Family Physicians is that the best training in the knowledge, skills and attitudes of family medicine is provided through family medicine residency education.
To be considered a family physician and/or a physician practicing family medicine by the AAFP, physicians who were licensed or trained outside of the United States must retrain through an ACGME - acredited family medicine residency training program, have maintained eleigibility requirements for active membership in the AAFP since before December 31, 1988, or be certified by a recongnized certifying board in the specialty of family medicine. (1999) (October 2025 COD)