The organization (CME provider) primarily involved in planning, developing, and hosting the educational activity should be the one to apply for AAFP credit.
No.
No. The organization that is primarily involved with the planning, creating, and hosting of the education is the CME provider of the activity and should be the one to apply for AAFP credit. Organizations that do not have an existing CME provider account can complete a request form and follow the new organization request process.
The AAFP has an easy to follow online application process. If you already have an account, you can submit your credit application. Your application can be paused at any time, so you do not need to complete the entire application at once. If you don’t have an account, see the FAQ below, “How do I create an account in order to submit a credit application?”
Individuals who wish to apply for credit must have an individual AAFP account that is linked to a CME provider organization account. If you do not have an individual and/or CME provider organization account, follow the steps outlined to create an account.
Be sure to first create an individual account for yourself. Then email the AAFP Credit System to notify us that you are taking over the application submission responsibilities for your organization. We’ll need the following information to process your request:
If you’re seeing this error message, it’s because your individual AAFP account has not been successfully linked to an organizational account. To assist with this, please email us the following information:
Staff will either link your individual account to the organizational account in our system to resolve the issue. Or, if an active organizational account does not exist yet, then you’ll need follow the steps to submit an organizational request form.
The AAFP Credit System charges fees on a per-application basis. The fees vary depending on the type of CME activity. Learn more about the AAFP Credit System application review fees.
New CME providers must pay to have their organizations evaluated for eligibility prior to applying for credit. More information is available in the Organizational Eligibility Policy. Once approved to apply as an organization, there are no annual fees or maintenance costs associated with AAFP credit.
Standard application turnaround time is 15 business days from the date payment is received to process. Once payment for a complete application is submitted, you are able to track and monitor the status of it on your CME Provider Dashboard, so you are always informed.
Yes, two rush review options are available. Same-day reviews cost an additional $1,995 and are subject to availability. Three-five business day reviews are also available for an additional fee of $695. Both rush requests must go through a preliminary review in order for Credit System staff to determine whether the CME activity qualifies for a rush review. Rush requests can be made when submitting and paying for your credit application via the online system. Note the rush fee will not be charged until the request has been approved by Credit System staff. If you have already submitted and paid for your application and determine you would like to request a rush review, please contact the AAFP Credit System by emailing cmecredit@aafp.org or by calling (800) 274-2237.
The eligibility of CME topics varies therefore Credit System staff cannot advise on the credit determination on a specific activity without reviewing the educational content during the application process. Staff can discuss our eligibility requirements, which we encourage CME providers to read prior to creating education, and beginning the application process to ensure that you have a complete understanding prior to applying for AAFP credit. Learn more about our eligibility requirements.
Yes. The AAFP encourages CME providers to apply for AAFP credit before the activity occurs to ensure learners can earn credit in a timely fashion. You may still apply for AAFP credit for CME activities that have occurred within the past 12 months. These activities still must have been developed in full compliance with the AAFP’s eligibility requirements. CME activities that have occurred over a year ago are not eligible for AAFP credit.
A CME provider is the person, institute, or organization responsible for all aspects of the CME activity.
An activity is eligible for AAFP Prescribed credit when it is designed primarily for physicians and a family physician who is an AAFP active or life member must be directly involved in the planning or development of the activity to ensure the content is relevant to the specialty of family medicine.
An activity is eligible for AAFP Elective credit when it is primarily designed for health care professionals other than physicians. Direct involvement of an AAFP active or life member in the planning of the activity is not required.
A series is a preplanned set of regularly scheduled conferences that occur at one location/institution and relate to a unifying theme under an umbrella title. The intended audience remains the same, and a single learner can attend all sessions within the series. Examples include grand rounds, tumor boards, and noon conferences. An application must be submitted once a year for each series activity. There is no limit to the number of sessions occurring within the term of approval.
A multi-site/date activity is when an activity is presented at multiple sites and/or on multiple dates. The overall credit amount and the educational content must remain the same for each session.
CME providers must add at least one session when initially submitting an advanced pathway credit application. The remainder of the sessions must be entered, as the information becomes available, in order to gain approval for each session. If a session is added it needs to be final and ready for review. Placeholder sessions should not be submitted for the provider to come back to edit at a later date.
CME providers may add additional sessions and check their statuses by logging into the CME provider dashboard online and accessing the Activity Summary page of an application. Please note when completing an advanced pathway credit application for a blended learning activity all sessions must be entered during the original credit application submission in order to receive approval of the overall application.
The AAFP’s Commission on Continuing Professional Development (COCPD) issued a Call for Comment on Functional Medicine in September 2017. As a result of the call, a summarized report was provided to the COCPD. This report, in conjunction with several literature reviews and the results of an AAFP member survey, helped inform the COCPD’s decision to lift the moratorium on Functional Medicine. The AAFP Credit System will begin approving Functional Medicine topics in alignment with the AAFP Credit System’s eligibility requirements, and the additional guidance provided by the COCPD, effective immediately.
When a CME activity is approved for AAFP Prescribed credit, it means that an application and supporting materials were reviewed and approved by the AAFP Credit System. An AAFP active or life member was involved in the planning of the activity, and the content is primarily designed for physicians and is relevant to the scope of family medicine.
When a CME activity is designated for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, the CME activity is directly, or jointly provided, by CME providers who are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), an authorized state medical society, or the American Medical Association (AMA). View AAFP's credit equivalency agreement with the AMA.
The individual who submitted the application will be notified of the AAFP credit determination by email. Please retain a copy of the official AAFP credit determination letter for your files.
No. CME providers are not required to distribute letters or certificates of participation. However, learners find this documentation helpful, as many learners need a letter or certificate of participation for state licensing or credentialing. View Tools for CME Providers that includes a certificate of participation template that CME providers can use or modify to fit their needs. AAFP members may self-report CME credits in the following ways:
Online
By phone: (800) 274-2237
By mail:
American Academy of Family Physicians
Attn: AAFP Member Resource Center
11400 Tomahawk Creek Pkwy
Leawood, KS 66211-2672
While it’s not required that CME providers report credit on their learner’s behalf, the AAFP Credit System understands that some CME providers want to assist in reporting learners CME credit to AAFP on the behalf of their learners as a benefit.
The AAFP CME Credit Reporting Sheet was created as a convenient tool for CME Providers whose CME activities have been certified for AAFP CME credit, so that they can report their learner’s AAFP CME credits on their behalf. Once downloaded, this tool can be utilized by filling in the appropriate learner data and then emailing it as an attachment to the email address listed within the tool. The AAFP Member Resource Center will then verify the education and log the CME credits into the member’s transcript on your behalf.
The following organizations have written credit conversion agreements with the AAFP:
AAFP Prescribed credit is accepted by the following organizations. This acceptance is confirmed each year, though no written agreement exists. Participants should contact these organizations directly to find out how to report credit:
Providers are welcome to apply for all education that meets AAFP Credit System’s eligibility requirements. Please note, in order for the Credit System to review the education, all information must be submitted in English, including but not limited to topics, agendas, and learning objectives.
CME providers do not need to partner with the AAFP in order to offer AAFP credit on their activities. CME providers may apply directly to the AAFP Credit System.
Providers, physicians, staff, or learners have not considered utilizing AAFP CME credit for family physician attendees, and other members of the healthcare team, often because they are not fully aware of the benefits that AAFP credit provides. For example, AAFP Prescribed credit is equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, so other non-family physician members can still benefit from activities approved for AAFP Prescribed credit. Additionally, other members of the healthcare team, such as nurses and physician assistants, can benefit from AAFP Prescribed credit with our healthcare professional organization credit recognition agreements.