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).

Requirement: Earn 150 CME credits within your 3-year stage, with a minimum of 50% in Division I.

Translated into your individual certification stage, the following credit requirements apply:

  • If you last certified in, or after 2011, you will need to submit 150 hours (average of 50 per year) of CME credit in each three-year stage prior to applying for the examination.
  • If you are initially certifying and completed your residency more than three years ago, you will need to participate in the Certification Entry Process. This requires submission of 150 hours of CME (average of 50 per year) during the three calendar years prior to applying for the examination.
  • If you were previously certified and your certification has lapsed for a period of more than three years, you will need to participate in the Certification Re-Entry Process. This requires submission of 150 hours of CME (average of 50 per year) during the three calendar years prior to applying for the examination.

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 must be met by the following types of CME experiences (items E and F pertain only to residents in formal training).

DIVISION II

A maximum of 50% of the total required CME may be composed of the following four areas.

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Log in to your MyABFM Portfolio to view and report CME credits.

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