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Home Continue Certification Continuing Medical Education Continue Certification Continuing Medical Education A component of your family medicine certification is related to participation in continuing medical education (CME). Lifelong learning has been the focus of board certification since its inception, requiring an average of 50 CME credits annually. A minimum of half of these need to be from activities leading to Division I credits (refer to ABFM CME Requirements below). To view your specific CME requirements, please visit your MyABFM Portfolio. All CME credits are subject to final approval by the ABFM. You may verify your CME either through membership in the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) or by manual entry of your credits in your MyABFM Portfolio. Division I A minimum of 50% of the total required CME credits must be met by the following types of CME experiences (items E and F pertain only to residents in formal training). Expand All Collapse All I-A: Scientific Sessions Scientific sessions provided by accredited medical schools or other organizations such as AAFP, AOA or ABMS medical specialty boards. I-B: CME Conferences, Workshops or Face to Face Training Any conference, workshop, or face to face training that carries AMA Category I CME, AAFP prescribed, AAFP Elective, AOA Category 1-A, AOA Category 1-B, or AOA Category 2-A CME credit. I-C: Home Study Home study correspondence course that qualify for AMA Category I CME, AAFP Prescribed, AAFP Elective, AOA Category 1-A, AOA Category 1-B, AOA Category 2-A, or AOA Category 2-B CME credit upon completion. I-D: Hospital Meetings, Medical Society Meetings, or Grand Rounds Scientific portions of hospital meetings, county medical society meetings, or grand rounds may occasionally be approved with documentation from the sponsoring organization listing the specific title, date, location, and number of credits. I-E: Full-Time Accredited Family Medicine Residency or Fellowship in Family Medicine Full-time trainee status in an ACGME or AOA accredited Family Medicine residency or a fellowship in Family Medicine. A maximum of 10 credits per week. CME is awarded only to program participants. Program faculty members are not eligible for CME under this category I-F: Full-Time Accredited Residency or Fellowship in a Non-Family Medicine Program Full-time trainee status in an ACGME or AOA accredited residency or fellowship program in a discipline other than Family Medicine. 15 CME credits per quarter, not to exceed 50 credits per year, to a maximum of 150 credits. CME is awarded only to program participants, program faculty members are not eligible for CME under this category. I-G: CME Activities Carrying AMA Category I, AAFP Prescribed CME, or AOA CME activities carrying AMA Category I CME, AAFP Prescribed, AAFP Elective, AOA Category 1-A, or AOA Category 1-B CME credit such as documented point of care learning, participation in quality improvement projects, completing of a Life Support Course, or formal educational courses (virtual or face to face) etc. Credit as approved by the respective organizations. Instructors for Life Support Courses should report CME under Division II-A. I-H: Educational Program of a University or College with a Defined Curriculum An educational program of a university or college having a defined curriculum, designated faculty, and accreditation from a recognized institutional accrediting organization or an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, that is designed to enhance a participant’s instructional, research, administrative, or clinical knowledge and skills necessary for professional development as an educator, administrator, or clinician in Family Medicine. Fifty (50) CME credits per year, on an hour-for-hour contact basis, to a maximum of 90 credits. I-I: Faculty Development Fellowships Full or part-time faculty development fellowships offered by ACGME or AOA accredited residency programs leading to a post-graduate degree or certificate that prepares physicians for future faculty positions in academic medicine, or provides ongoing professional development for current faculty. CME credit on an hour-for-hour contact basis to a maximum of 90 credits. I-J: Knowledge Development Team Members of a self-assessment activity Knowledge Development Team for Family Medicine Certification that receive AMA Category I CME, AAFP prescribed CME, or AOA Category 1-B. DIVISION II A maximum of 50% of the total required CME credits may be composed of the following four areas. Expand All Collapse All II-A: Teaching, Presentations, Judging Clinical Case Presentations or Posters Teaching or presenting at medical conferences, life support courses, scientific exhibits or judging clinical case presentations or posters. II-B: Individual Medically-Related Educational Activities Not Formally Accredited Participation in professional enrichment activities or other scholarly activities such as podcasts, scientific exhibits, journal clubs or medical journal reading. ABFM does not accept CME for authoring a personal blog, participation in chat rooms or social media platforms. II-C: Review of Manuscripts Review of manuscripts for publication in a peer-reviewed medical journal II-D: Publications and Research Publication of a review, book chapter, research article, or other published written material in a peer-reviewed medical journal. Maximum of 10 credits per published project. Get Started Log in to your MyABFM Portfolio to view and report CME credits. Log In Now
Expand All Collapse All I-A: Scientific Sessions Scientific sessions provided by accredited medical schools or other organizations such as AAFP, AOA or ABMS medical specialty boards. I-B: CME Conferences, Workshops or Face to Face Training Any conference, workshop, or face to face training that carries AMA Category I CME, AAFP prescribed, AAFP Elective, AOA Category 1-A, AOA Category 1-B, or AOA Category 2-A CME credit. I-C: Home Study Home study correspondence course that qualify for AMA Category I CME, AAFP Prescribed, AAFP Elective, AOA Category 1-A, AOA Category 1-B, AOA Category 2-A, or AOA Category 2-B CME credit upon completion. I-D: Hospital Meetings, Medical Society Meetings, or Grand Rounds Scientific portions of hospital meetings, county medical society meetings, or grand rounds may occasionally be approved with documentation from the sponsoring organization listing the specific title, date, location, and number of credits. I-E: Full-Time Accredited Family Medicine Residency or Fellowship in Family Medicine Full-time trainee status in an ACGME or AOA accredited Family Medicine residency or a fellowship in Family Medicine. A maximum of 10 credits per week. CME is awarded only to program participants. Program faculty members are not eligible for CME under this category I-F: Full-Time Accredited Residency or Fellowship in a Non-Family Medicine Program Full-time trainee status in an ACGME or AOA accredited residency or fellowship program in a discipline other than Family Medicine. 15 CME credits per quarter, not to exceed 50 credits per year, to a maximum of 150 credits. CME is awarded only to program participants, program faculty members are not eligible for CME under this category. I-G: CME Activities Carrying AMA Category I, AAFP Prescribed CME, or AOA CME activities carrying AMA Category I CME, AAFP Prescribed, AAFP Elective, AOA Category 1-A, or AOA Category 1-B CME credit such as documented point of care learning, participation in quality improvement projects, completing of a Life Support Course, or formal educational courses (virtual or face to face) etc. Credit as approved by the respective organizations. Instructors for Life Support Courses should report CME under Division II-A. I-H: Educational Program of a University or College with a Defined Curriculum An educational program of a university or college having a defined curriculum, designated faculty, and accreditation from a recognized institutional accrediting organization or an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, that is designed to enhance a participant’s instructional, research, administrative, or clinical knowledge and skills necessary for professional development as an educator, administrator, or clinician in Family Medicine. Fifty (50) CME credits per year, on an hour-for-hour contact basis, to a maximum of 90 credits. I-I: Faculty Development Fellowships Full or part-time faculty development fellowships offered by ACGME or AOA accredited residency programs leading to a post-graduate degree or certificate that prepares physicians for future faculty positions in academic medicine, or provides ongoing professional development for current faculty. CME credit on an hour-for-hour contact basis to a maximum of 90 credits. I-J: Knowledge Development Team Members of a self-assessment activity Knowledge Development Team for Family Medicine Certification that receive AMA Category I CME, AAFP prescribed CME, or AOA Category 1-B.
I-A: Scientific Sessions Scientific sessions provided by accredited medical schools or other organizations such as AAFP, AOA or ABMS medical specialty boards.
I-B: CME Conferences, Workshops or Face to Face Training Any conference, workshop, or face to face training that carries AMA Category I CME, AAFP prescribed, AAFP Elective, AOA Category 1-A, AOA Category 1-B, or AOA Category 2-A CME credit.
I-C: Home Study Home study correspondence course that qualify for AMA Category I CME, AAFP Prescribed, AAFP Elective, AOA Category 1-A, AOA Category 1-B, AOA Category 2-A, or AOA Category 2-B CME credit upon completion.
I-D: Hospital Meetings, Medical Society Meetings, or Grand Rounds Scientific portions of hospital meetings, county medical society meetings, or grand rounds may occasionally be approved with documentation from the sponsoring organization listing the specific title, date, location, and number of credits.
I-E: Full-Time Accredited Family Medicine Residency or Fellowship in Family Medicine Full-time trainee status in an ACGME or AOA accredited Family Medicine residency or a fellowship in Family Medicine. A maximum of 10 credits per week. CME is awarded only to program participants. Program faculty members are not eligible for CME under this category
I-F: Full-Time Accredited Residency or Fellowship in a Non-Family Medicine Program Full-time trainee status in an ACGME or AOA accredited residency or fellowship program in a discipline other than Family Medicine. 15 CME credits per quarter, not to exceed 50 credits per year, to a maximum of 150 credits. CME is awarded only to program participants, program faculty members are not eligible for CME under this category.
I-G: CME Activities Carrying AMA Category I, AAFP Prescribed CME, or AOA CME activities carrying AMA Category I CME, AAFP Prescribed, AAFP Elective, AOA Category 1-A, or AOA Category 1-B CME credit such as documented point of care learning, participation in quality improvement projects, completing of a Life Support Course, or formal educational courses (virtual or face to face) etc. Credit as approved by the respective organizations. Instructors for Life Support Courses should report CME under Division II-A.
I-H: Educational Program of a University or College with a Defined Curriculum An educational program of a university or college having a defined curriculum, designated faculty, and accreditation from a recognized institutional accrediting organization or an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, that is designed to enhance a participant’s instructional, research, administrative, or clinical knowledge and skills necessary for professional development as an educator, administrator, or clinician in Family Medicine. Fifty (50) CME credits per year, on an hour-for-hour contact basis, to a maximum of 90 credits.
I-I: Faculty Development Fellowships Full or part-time faculty development fellowships offered by ACGME or AOA accredited residency programs leading to a post-graduate degree or certificate that prepares physicians for future faculty positions in academic medicine, or provides ongoing professional development for current faculty. CME credit on an hour-for-hour contact basis to a maximum of 90 credits.
I-J: Knowledge Development Team Members of a self-assessment activity Knowledge Development Team for Family Medicine Certification that receive AMA Category I CME, AAFP prescribed CME, or AOA Category 1-B.
Expand All Collapse All II-A: Teaching, Presentations, Judging Clinical Case Presentations or Posters Teaching or presenting at medical conferences, life support courses, scientific exhibits or judging clinical case presentations or posters. II-B: Individual Medically-Related Educational Activities Not Formally Accredited Participation in professional enrichment activities or other scholarly activities such as podcasts, scientific exhibits, journal clubs or medical journal reading. ABFM does not accept CME for authoring a personal blog, participation in chat rooms or social media platforms. II-C: Review of Manuscripts Review of manuscripts for publication in a peer-reviewed medical journal II-D: Publications and Research Publication of a review, book chapter, research article, or other published written material in a peer-reviewed medical journal. Maximum of 10 credits per published project.
II-A: Teaching, Presentations, Judging Clinical Case Presentations or Posters Teaching or presenting at medical conferences, life support courses, scientific exhibits or judging clinical case presentations or posters.
II-B: Individual Medically-Related Educational Activities Not Formally Accredited Participation in professional enrichment activities or other scholarly activities such as podcasts, scientific exhibits, journal clubs or medical journal reading. ABFM does not accept CME for authoring a personal blog, participation in chat rooms or social media platforms.
II-D: Publications and Research Publication of a review, book chapter, research article, or other published written material in a peer-reviewed medical journal. Maximum of 10 credits per published project.
