To be eligible for active membership, a physician must have completed one of the following:
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.
In addition, applicants must be licensed to practice medicine either:
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
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.
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.
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.
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.