CME Requirements For Members
Continuing medical education (CME) is a cornerstone of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and has been a requirement for continuing membership since the founding of this organization in 1947. CME for the family physician is emphasized because the responsibility for providing comprehensive and continuing health care to patients carries with it the responsibility to continue learning. The need to keep abreast of the rapid expansion of medical knowledge necessitates CME.
I. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERS
1. Active members and family physicians eligible for supporting membership must complete 150 credits of CME every three years. Of these:
A. A minimum of 25 credits must be obtained from live learning activities*, AND
B. A minimum of 75 must be Prescribed credit.
The remaining credits may be Prescribed, Elective, or a combination of both.
*An exemption to the 25 live activity credits will be allowed for AAFP Active members or family physicians eligible for supporting membership who submit evidence that they are providing medical care in a missionary/charitable practice setting in an overseas practice for more than a 12-month period.
2. Each AAFP Constituent Chapter has the option of requiring its members to obtain a portion of their CME credit from that chapter's produced or approved activities. In such case, no more than 25 credits may be required from these activities. It is the responsibility of each chapter to inform the CME Accreditation Department which activities should be designated in the CME database as chapter- approved.
II. PRESCRIBED AND ELECTIVE CREDIT
1.A CME activity may be approved for Prescribed credit if the activity
A. Is intended primarily for physicians,
B. Has content directly related to patient care or its delivery, or to selected non-clinical topics including but not limited to:
i. Teaching, ethical, medical-legal and/or social responsibilities of the family physician.
ii. Faculty development
iii. Professional and/or academic leadership
iv. Physician-patient relations
v. Communications
C. Has been planned and developed with input from an AAFP Active or Life Member.
2. A CME activity may be approved for Elective credit if the activity
A. Has content of interest to physicians, and
B. Is not necessarily directly related to patient care or its delivery but will improve a physician’s professional ability.
AAFP member input is not required for Elective credit.
Click here for the AAFP CME Requirements and Reporting information.