• AAFP Membership Frequently Asked Questions

    How is the AAFP governed?

    The AAFP is governed by a Congress of Delegates, a Board of Directors, and a number of commissions and committees.

    • The Board of Directors operates to further the mission of the AAFP: to improve the health of patients, families, and communities by serving the needs of members with professionalism and creativity.
    • The Congress of Delegates (COD) elects new officers and three members to serve on the Board of Directors for the following 12 months. AAFP members are welcome to participate in hearings of the five reference committees: Advocacy, Education, Health of the Public and Science, Organization and Finance, and Practice Enhancement. Reference committees are committees of the COD that consider business (resolutions) items referred to them for recommendation to the COD for debate and action. Resolutions are voted on by delegates and then become policy of the AAFP.
    • Commissions: The Board of Directors appoints members to serve on commissions to deliberate on issues within their scope of work, new strategic ideas, and referrals from several entities within the AAFP. Commissions make recommendations to the Board regarding policy, develop new programs and projects, make improvements to current activities, and recommend potential discontinuation of activities.

    What is the difference between the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM)?

    The AAFP is your professional membership society focused on delivering member value in areas such as federal, state, and private sector advocacy, providing quality CME and accrediting the CME of others to ensure it is pertinent to family medicine, assisting practices in continual improvement and transformation to better meet the needs of members and their patients, addressing issues related to health of the public, and advancing changes within medical education to train future family physicians, etc.

    The ABFM is the certifying board for the specialty of family medicine not a professional membership association.

    What is my CME requirement for membership?

    As a condition of continued membership, active members are required to report at least 150 credits of approved CME every three calendar years. This period is called a re-election cycle.

    Once members have met the CME requirement, they are “re-elected” to AAFP membership. If re-election requirements are not met, membership is canceled. For AAFP members in their first re-election cycle, the cycle is four calendar years: the year in which they become an active member, plus the next three full calendar years.

    In order to be eligible for re-election, members must earn and report the required CME credits within their re-election cycle. In addition, CME credits must be reported in the year in which they were earned.

    Active members must report at least 150 credits of approved CME every three calendar years (i.e., during their re-election cycle). The 150 credits must include at least 75 AAFP Prescribed credits. Some chapters also require “chapter credits.” Check with your chapter for more information.

    What is the deadline to renew my AAFP membership?

    Your AAFP membership dues are due January 1. The AAFP offers members the option to pay their dues in full or to sign up for a convenient monthly installment payment plan. Members can also elect to automatically renew their membership annually.

    Why do I have to belong to both the national AAFP and the state chapter?

    The AAFP Congress of Delegates has long recognized that to effectively represent our members throughout the country, membership at both the national and chapter level is important.  While we can ensure your interests can be represented in Washington, we cannot be in every state speaking to state legislatures, licensing boards, etc., where your voice needs to be heard – but our chapters can and do this.

    How do I contact my chapter?

    To learn more about your chapter and its membership benefits, search the chapter directory to find contact information for your chapter.