Continue Certification

Maintaining ABFM Board Certification emphasizes to your patients and the public that you are committed to a higher standard of care throughout your career.

At-A-Glance

Maintaining your board certification includes participating in the continuous certification process. This voluntary process emphasizes your commitment to staying up to date with medical advances through ongoing self-assessment and lifelong learning, practice improvement, continuous measurement of clinical knowledge, and by upholding the standards of professionalism – the social contract physicians make with their patients and society.

Family Medicine Certification

Professionalism

Designed to assess professional standing, board-certified family physicians are subject to compliance with the ABFM Guidelines for Professionalism, Licensure, and Personal Conduct (Guidelines) and general adherence to professional standards.

Self-Assessment and Lifelong Learning

Designed to help family physicians identify gaps in knowledge through participation in self-assessment activities, this component encourages the review of the most up-to-date clinical content.

Performance Improvement

Designed to support high-quality patient care, this component will help family physicians identify an improvement opportunity or a performance gap, implement a change in care delivery, and measure the impact of that change to their patients/practice.

Cognitive Expertise (Exam)

Designed to assess and measure clinical knowledge, the Family Medicine Certification Examination (one-day exam) and the Family Medicine Certification Longitudinal Assessment (longitudinal assessment) serve to assure the public that you are up-to-date and aware of the best practices in medical care across the wide spectrum of conditions treated by family physicians.

Our incomparable, undeniable, medical expertise in all facets of health saves lives in acute and chronic settings. ABFM certification challenges our growth, enhances our knowledge, and recommits us to the excellence of medicine.
Ariana Martin, DO Board Certified since 2014

Continuous Certification Process

To maintain your board certification, you are required to participate in the continuous certification process, which consists of ongoing 3-year stages that are built on the same four foundational components of certification listed above.

​During each 3-year stage, you must continuously comply with ABFM Guidelines for Professionalism, Licensure, and Personal Conduct and complete certification activities. Every 10 years, you are required to successfully complete the exam requirement by participating in either the longitudinal assessment or one-day exam to demonstrate your cognitive expertise.

  1. Certification Activities: Earn 50 certification points through Self-Assessment and Performance Improvement activities. Here’s how:
    • Complete a minimum of one (1) Self-Assessment activity.
    • Complete a minimum of one (1) Performance Improvement activity
    • Complete additional self-assessment, performance improvement, or approved self-assessment alternative activities to reach a total of 50 certification points.
  2. Continuing Medical Education: Earn 150 Continuing Medical Education credits through ABFM activities and other organizations that issue AAFP or AMA approved CME.
  3. Professionalism and Licensure: Continuously comply with ABFM’s Guidelines for Professionalism, Licensure, and Personal Conduct, which includes maintaining a valid, active, and full license to practice medicine in the United States or Canada
  4. Certification Exam: Take and pass the one-day exam or the longitudinal assessment every 10 years.

For additional information and to view your requirements, please visit your MyABFM Portfolio.


Regaining Certification

Starting January 2025, those who were previously certified with ABFM can regain their certification status by completing certification requirements they did not complete during their last process and complete the Family Medicine Certification Exam (FMCE). Longitudinal assessment is not an option for physicians who are not currently certified.

For additional information and to view your specific requirements, please visit your MyABFM Portfolio or contact the ABFM Support Center at 877-223-7437.

NEW! ABFM Digital Credential Program

We’re excited to announce our new Digital Credential Program, which provides you with resources to display your board-certified status. Our Digital Credential Program is available to ABFM board-certified physicians who have met all requirements of the continuous certification process, which is listed above.

Learn More!