Post-submission information

Once you’ve applied for AAFP credit, you can continue to use your login to check on application status and further communicate with AAFP staff. See what you can do after submitting your application.

Application status

To check the status of an application:

  1. Access the CME Provider Dashboard.

  2. Locate the application number by sorting or using the “Search” box.

  3. Click on the hyperlinked activity title to open the Activity Summary page.

  4. The “Activity Status” box is located on the top right-hand side of the page.

Please note that the standard turnaround time is 15 business days for the credit determination. Reviews can take longer if additional information is requested.

Requests for additional information

At times, the AAFP Credit System needs additional information on credit applications in order to better understand the content or ensure that the content in question aligns with the AAFP Credit System’s eligibility requirements. These requests may focus on learning objectives, slide decks (a copy of the presentation), a session overview description, a connection to patient care, etc.

Please know these requests are part of our standard process and do not indicate that content is not eligible for credit. As always, we strongly encourage the use of the eligibility requirements as a guide when creating CME. Additionally, the decision tree is a good resource if it is unclear whether an activity is eligible for CME credit through the AAFP Credit System.

Credit determination

CME providers will receive an email with their credit determination letter once the review is complete.

  • Activity Approvals: If a CME activity is approved, this letter will include the official credit statement which must be used as provided by the AAFP Credit System.

  • Activity Denials: If a CME activity is denied, CME providers may not use the AAFP name, credit statements, seal or logo(s) in association with their activity in any way. AAFP pending credit statement must be removed immediately following notification.

  • Session Denials: If a lecture or topic is denied in the overarching activity, this will be noted in the credit determination letter under the credit statement.

For Advanced Pathway Only, Post-Activity Approval Sessions, credit determination letters are only issued for the overall CME activity. This approval does not imply approval for any sessions added after official activity approval. The provider will not be notified via email of session approvals/denials after the official activity approval has been sent. CME providers can find the status of sessions submitted post-approval on the credit application's Activity Summary page under the Sessions section.

Marketing

After an activity receives official AAFP credit approval, "Save the Date" announcements and advertisements may indicate that the activity was approved for AAFP credit without using the full, official AAFP credit statement. View all credit statements.

Marketing opportunities

  • Market your AAFP approved CME activity for free on the Search All AAFP Certified CME page for more than 124,500 AAFP members to review. In a 2018 survey, 80% of members surveyed responded that this is the #1 search tool they use to find CME.

  • AFP Journal Advertising: To pay to advertise your AAFP approved CME activity in the journal American Family Physician, please contact publisher Darren Sextro at dsextro@aafp.org or (913)906-6279.

  • Satellite CME Symposium at the Family Medicine Experience (FMX): Access the online media kit to maximize your investment, increase brand visibility, and drive attendees to your event with these high-yield sponsorship and advertising opportunities.

  • AAFP Mailing List: You may purchase access to the AAFP member mailing lists for advertising purposes.

  • AAFP Partner Program: As an AAFP partner, you can empower family physicians and shape initiatives that make a real difference in patient care.

Activity changes and re-review

Please notify AAFP Credit System staff if the following changes are made to the activity after it has been approved.

  • Change in the dates of the CME activity
  • Change in the CME credit amount*
  • Change in the educational content*

*A re-review of an application is necessary when changes to the educational content and/or credit amount are made after the application is approved. There is a processing fee for each re-review.

CME providers can change the following fields within the credit application at any time:

  • Location information
  • Marketing information

The Credit System does not need to be notified of these changes.

Credit determination appeals

All CME providers have the option to appeal CME credit denials. An appeal must be made within 90 days from the date of the original credit determination email. The CME provider may submit up to 500 words of comment or information pertinent to the reason for the denial. Appeal correspondence should be uploaded via the “Send Additional Information” button located on the Activity Summary page of the relevant credit application. CME providers will receive an appeal determination within 30 business days from the date the appeal notification, and receipt of supporting appeal documents, is received.

Appeals only apply to CME credit determinations and/or organizational eligibility determinations. Final determination rests with the AAFP. All appeal decisions are final.

Letters/certificates of participation

CME providers are not required to distribute letters or certificates of participation to physicians who attend their activity. AAFP members may report their CME credit to the AAFP without documentation, either online or by phone. However, you must provide documentation or proof of the credits earned to the learner. The AAFP’s Resources for CME Providers include a certificate of participation template.

AAFP members may report CME credits in the following ways:

American Academy of Family Physicians
Attn: AAFP Member Resource Center
11400 Tomahawk Creek Parkway
Leawood, KS 66211

Records retention

Retain all documentation associated with CME activity development, including records verifying learner participation, for a minimum of three years after the activity ends. It is recommended to retain evidence of learner participation for up to ten years in the event a learner is audited by a medical regulator.

FAQ after completing a credit application

Once a credit application is submitted, CME providers can only edit the marketing information and, if applicable, the location information from the application’s Activity Summary page that’s accessible through the CME Provider Dashboard. ALSO providers can edit the course coordinator and course director at any time. Providers can also send in additional information, such as slide decks, after an application has been submitted by using the Send Additional Information button from the Activity Summary page.

For any other changes, please notify the AAFP Credit System via email at cmecredit@aafp.org. It’s important to note that if the wrong credit application pathway is submitted, the CME provider will be asked to submit a new application on the correct pathway.

  1. Log in to your CME provider dashboard.
  2. Locate the activity you want to get the invoice for and click on the activity name within the dashboard. (This will open the Activity Summary page for the associated activity.)
  3. Once on the Activity Summary page, scroll down to the Payment History section.
  4. Click on the down arrow, or carrot, next to the invoice number.
  5. Click “View” next to Invoice/Receipt to download a PDF copy of your receipt or invoice.

If you submitted an advanced pathway credit application for a medical journal, blended learning, or enduring material CME activity then you’re receiving this error message because you have exceeded the maximum number of credits you originally purchased. If you wish to add more credits to your CME activity application, then you will have to pay the difference in the next pricing tier in order to add more credits to your application. Please call the AAFP Credit System at tel:+18002742237 in order to pay the difference in review fees.

There are three different options available to CME providers if one of their CME sessions or activities is denied:

  1. CME provider can move forward with the education without offering AAFP credit for that CME session/activity.
  2. CME provider can appeal the credit determination.
  3. CME provider can revise the content to meet our eligibility requirements to make it eligible. Note, this option is only available if the activity/session has not already occurred. This type of change would constitute a re-review fee.

The AAFP requires the CME provider to retain all documentation associated with the CME activity for at least three years after the activity ends. It is recommended to retain evidence of learner participation for up to ten years in the event a learner is audited by a medical regulator.

Family physicians or others seeking CME credit activities can search our Search All AAFP Certified CME page. You have the option to allow your CME activity to be visible on this page for free, which would allow our more than 124,500 members to view it when searching for activities to attend. Your marketing description of the activity that is included in the application for AAFP CME credit will be listed on the website and can impact how learners are able to find it.