Become an Active Member of 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 membership.

Licensure

In addition, applicants must be licensed to practice medicine either:

In the state in which they are practicing/working currently; or
In another state, if the applicant’s employer does not require physicians to hold a license in the state in which they are practicing/working

CME

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:

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

Privileges

May have floor at Congress of Delegates
May vote on organizational matters
May hold leadership office

General Membership Information

Applications are approved at the national level, subject to AAFP Bylaws.
National headquarters completes enrollment. Transfers from one classification to another must be approved by the chapter.
If all membership requirements are met, membership is continued on an annual basis, unless notification is received from the member.

About Chapter Membership

AAFP membership is unified, which means that members are required to belong to the national AAFP and to their appropriate chapter. The AAFP has a chapter for each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Uniformed Services, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Members are also required to belong to a local chapter, if one exists in their area.

Chapter membership makes it convenient for AAFP members to access relevant information and focused resources right where they live and work. Chapters offer local and regional opportunities to network, mentor, volunteer, take a leadership role, and get involved in the AAFP.

Application Requirements

If applicant has not held Active membership within the last two years, CME credits are not required. If the applicant has held Active membership within the last two years, the applicant must provide evidence of 100 approved CME credits completed during the two years immediately preceding application.

Continuing Study Requirements

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

Definition of "Approved CME"

In interpreting the "postgraduate study of a nature acceptable to the AAFP Commission on Continuing Professional Development," the general rule is that all AAFP-approved courses are acceptable. Contact with the individual's chapter is recommended to determine whether an applicant's hours are acceptable for membership, re-election, or transfer to another membership classification.