The Certification Difference

Scientific Rigor, Third-Party Review

All content is based on professional and evidence-based sources, with progressive recommendations for exploring further published research.

Our program content and Applied Functional Medicine Certification (AFMC) exams are third-party reviewed and approved by our Scientific Review Council. Council members are well-known in their medical communities for both their intellectual expertise and progressive practices. The Council engages with The School of Applied Functional Medicine (SAFM) regularly to share their expertise and insights and provide an annual review of the AFMC certification content.

Continuing Education (CE/CME)

SAFM functional medicine training program and exams meet the rigorous accreditation standards required for continuing education credit eligibility. Medical professionals, for example, can earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for each of the two program semesters. Practitioners in many other modalities are able to petition to receive credit from their respective governing boards as well. Learn more here.

Rich Curriculum

AFMC practitioners are challenged to master a wide variety of concepts in functional etiology, analtomy, physiology, and biochemistry with hands-on skills to apply this knowledge.

Examples include:

Common, and not-so-common, causal factors of chronic disease and system imbalances.
Deep-dive exploration of etiology, physiology, and biochemistry in specific disease processes and body systems.
In-depth lab analysis through the functional medicine lens.
Functional medicine case mapping to analyze and connect a patient’s history, symptoms, nutrition, lab work, and lifestyle.
Intervention prioritization based on a unique client’s lifestyle, temperament, symptoms, causal factors, health goals, and expectations.
Effective, targeted, and therapeutic supplementation for supporting rapid symptom relief and root cause resolution.
The science of the mind-body connection and activating the placebo effect to improve patient health and wellness outcomes.
Extensive case exploration with real patient cases, presenting the continuous opportunity to apply what they’ve learned by safely creating an intervention plan that adapts to a real client’s immediate and long-term needs, preferences, limitations and demands.

Review curriculum details at Our Program page.

Immersive and Intensive Study

Practitioners engage in foundational courses, case review classes, regular peer-to-peer think tanks and research discussion, open coaching and Q&A engagement, independent case study analysis, experiential lab work learning opportunities, guest expert training, and other enrichment activities.

Substantial Case Application

Beyond mastering concepts and scientific theory, the AFMC requires practitioners to display their competency and knowledge through extensive hands-on practice with a formal submission of an assessment of a real-patient case study for certification.

The final step of the AFMC process uses a complex patient/client case presentation and assesses the practitioner’s abilities in several arenas:

Accurate and thorough identification of interconnected dynamics in the patient’s or client’s aggregate system (e.g. medical history, life experiences, diet, behavioral choices, mindset/perspective, symptoms, medications, labwork, supplements).
Creative and clear identification of bio-individuality factors and what each unique patient or client might need most (or need to avoid).
Ability to work accurately and thoroughly with the foundational functional medicine principles covered in all SAFM curriculum.
Identification and succinct explanation of the most likely root causes of the patient’s or client’s disease challenges using all available case evidence.
Identify appropriate supplement, nutritional, and lifestyle recommendations in light of the root cause of the patient’s or client’s challenges and unique bio-individuality.
Identification of appropriate and targeted recommendations to provide rapid relief while root cause resolution is explored.
Effective patient interaction to ensure execution of recommendations that brings resolution to the client’s primary issues via a focus on education, inspiration, and empowerment.
Written, professional, technical expression.

The case study assessment submissions are reviewed by our certification team to thoroughly vet the credibility, safety, and effectiveness of the practitioner’s skills as demonstrated in the case. A passing grade is required to complete the AFMC certification process.

The Priority of Recertification

Scientific discovery continually expands at a pace that compels a need for health practitioners, and the educational organizations that support them, to stay abreast of what’s changing. Prioritizing this investment conveys a positive impact for the patients and clients they serve, their own professional development, and the growing functional medicine industry. For this reason, while participation in SAFM’s alumni program is optional, recertification is not if graduates want to retain their credential.

Recertification is part of SAFM’s commitment to ensuring graduates sustain the high level of clinical rigor and application savvy they were asked to demonstrate through our training program. AFMC certification, once attained, is valid for three years. To maintain this credential, graduates agree to adhere to the Terms and Conditions of AFMC Practitioner Certification.