AAFP Physician Membership

Active membership in the AAFP is reserved for physicians licensed to practice medicine in the state in which they are currently practicing/working or in another state if the physician’s employer does not require the physician to hold a license in the state in which they are practicing/working.

Active members may hold floor at the AAFP Congress of Delegates, vote on organizational matters and hold leadership positions within the AAFP.

Eligibility for Active Membership

To be eligible for Active membership, a physician must have completed one of the following:

• An Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-approved three-year family medicine residency program; or
• An American Osteopathic Association (AOA)-approved one-year rotating general or family medicine internship, plus two years of an AOA-approved general or family medicine residency program; or
• An AOA-approved three-year general or family medicine residency program; or
• A College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC)-approved family medicine residency program. Physicians who meet this requirement also must be board certified by the CFPC and practice exclusively within the United States

Physicians who are board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) through a reciprocity agreement between the ABFM and a foreign college of family medicine or general practice are also eligible for active AAFP membership.

CME Requirements for Active Membership

New applicants for Active membership who have held active family physician membership within the past two years must provide evidence of 100 approved continuing medical education (CME) credits completed during the two years immediately preceding application. CME records should be submitted to:

AAFP Member Resource Center
11400 Tomahawk Creek Parkway
Leawood, KS 66211-2680
aafp@aafp.org | Fax: (913) 906-6075

Active members with a CME requirement must accrue and report, within each AAFP re-election term, a minimum of 150 credits of approved CME of which at least 75 credits must be AAFP Prescribed credit.

While teaching and/or practicing family medicine outside the United States, an International membership in the AAFP helps physicians stay connected to the specialty with quality education and a direct network of colleagues.

International members have a voice in AAFP reference committees but are not entitled to hold AAFP office. 

Eligibility for International Membership

• Family physicians outside the United States engaged in practicing and/or teaching family medicine or working in medical administration who are licensed to practice in countries or territories outside the U.S. in which no constituent chapter exists and who are not eligible for membership in the Uniformed Services Chapter; or
• Physicians in training in countries and territories outside the U.S. in which no constituent chapter exists and who are not eligible for membership in the Uniformed Services chapter may be international members

Supporting members of the AAFP are physicians who are residency trained in a specialty other than Family Medicine and supportive of the mission and goals of the AAFP.

Supporting members may hold floor at the AAFP Congress of Delegates, but they may not hold national office or committee appointment or vote in national affairs. Privileges in chapters are determined under the bylaws of individual chapters.

Eligibility for Supporting Membership

• Physicians residing and practicing in the U.S. (or its territories or possessions) who completed an ACGME- or AOA-accredited residency program in a specialty other than family medicine and who are not otherwise eligible for some other category of AAFP membership; or
• Physicians who previously held supporting membership prior to September 30, 2016

Physicians no longer practicing due to illness, retirement or other circumstances can stay connected to the AAFP with an Inactive membership. Inactive members may hold floor at the AAFP Congress of Delegates but may not vote or hold office.

Eligibility for Inactive Membership

• Members who are incapacitated by reason of illness, accident or infirmity; or
• Members who are totally retired and not eligible for Life membership; or
• Active, Resident and Supporting members who interrupt their practice or residency training due to extenuating circumstances

Transfers from one classification to another must be approved by the chapter. For more information on transferring into this category, please contact the AAFP Member Resource Center at (800) 274-2237 or aafp@aafp.org.