Frequently Asked Questions

The Applied Functional Medicine Certification (i.e., AFMC) represents fulfillment of a set of rigorous requirements, defined by SAFM but guided by key functional medicine tenets, a demonstrated understanding of a unique body of knowledge, and competency in the application of that knowledge. The credential is intended to complement a practitioner’s existing licensure or certification. As such, achievement of the AFMC conveys the right for graduates, in good standing, to integrate SAFM’s teachings into their professional practice.  How each graduate chooses to implement is a professional decision that requires consideration of the individual’s scope of practice and their unique practice setting.

The SAFM community includes a variety of certifications, degrees, licenses, specialties, experience levels, geographic locations. We recommend that individuals seek qualified legal counsel and check with the governing body for their license/modality for further direction.

Note: There exists no functional medicine certifying body anywhere (in the U.S. or otherwise). For this reason, the AFMC credential, like those issued by similar educational programs, represents fulfillment of a set of rigorous requirements, defined by SAFM but guided by key functional medicine tenets, a demonstrated understanding of a unique body of knowledge, and competency in the application of that knowledge. The AFMC credential does not convey any additional modality, license, or title. Furthermore, these credentials are validated and awarded by a council of industry-leading health professionals who have demonstrated expert integration and application of functional medicine science and principles within their own unique area of licensure or certification and chosen to share their experience and passion for the purpose of developing other practitioners .

To review members of the SAFM Scientific Review Council, please visit our AFMC website.

The AFMC certification, once attained, is valid for three years. In order to maintain this credential, the recertification process requires 34 AFMC Learning Credits every three years.

These credits can be claimed via select AFMC learning opportunities (e.g. Open Coaching Calls and current, purchaseable Deep Dive Clinical Courses) anytime within each 3-year time period. Full access SAFM enrollment is required to access these educational opportunities that qualify for credits to enable recertification.

If a practitioner has not successfully submitted their recertification requirements by the 3-year recertification date, their AFMC certification status will be changed to “inactive”.*

If recertification has not been achieved within one year of the three-year AFMC certification date, the practitioner must complete required re-activation steps.* Visit the Recertification Overview page here to review more details about these opportunities and the recertification process.

* Effective March 2024 changes have been issued to SAFM’s recertification process. Be sure to reference and review the complete SAFM AFMC Practitioner Certification Terms and Conditions here.

Yes. Upon successful completion of all three levels of the AFMC credentialing process, you will be awarded an official certificate from SAFM, validated by SAFM’s Scientific Review Council. With the confirmation of your AFMC credential, you will also be granted access to an official seal you may use on your website for marketing purposes. Both the certificate and seal verify that you have met the rigorous requirements of the AFMC designation. You will also be listed in the AFMC Certified Practitioners directory: https://afmccertification.com/. 

SAFM’s Applied Functional Medicine Certification (i.e., AFMC) is designed to complement a practitioner’s existing licensure or certification. The AFMC credential conveys knowledge but does not at all grant or expand any additional scope of practice or specialty status.

While the word “practitioner” on its own is broad based in meaning/modality/scope, in the US, the phrase “medical practitioner” or “functional medicine practitioner” specifically refers to a licensed practitioner of medicine.

Note: SAFM does not provide guidance regarding scope of practice. There are innumerable scenarios depending on an individual’s country of practice, specific degrees/training, certification, license, and business/oversight models. We recommend that individuals seek qualified legal counsel and check with the governing body for their unique license/modality for further direction. 

SAFM is an advanced training program for health professionals who already hold a license or other certification in their field. Your professional title is a personal responsibility and decision that should align with what is accepted by the governing body for your specific modality in your geography of practice. For example, the majority of health coaches achieving the Applied Functional Medicine Certification (AFMC) credential use the title of ‘Functional Medicine Health Coach’; nurse practitioners typically call themselves “Functional Medicine Nurse Practitioners”. We encourage individuals to seek out professional legal support for guidance and clarity.

Note: There exists no formal, functional medicine certifying body anywhere (in the U.S. or otherwise). For this reason, the AFMC credential, like those issued by similar educational programs, represents fulfillment of a set of rigorous requirements, defined by SAFM but guided by key functional medicine tenets, demonstrated understanding of a unique body of knowledge, and competency in the application of that knowledge. The AFMC credential does not convey any additional modality, license, or title. Furthermore, these credentials are validated and awarded by a council of industry-leading health professionals who have demonstrated expert integration and application of functional medicine science and principles within their own unique area of licensure or certification and chosen to share their experience and passion for the purpose of developing other practitioners . 

To review members of the SAFM Scientific Review Council, please visit our AFMC website.

If you choose to seek continuing education credit for either the Level 1 or Level 2 program, a certificate of completion is available by request upon passing the associated exam. 

SAFM offers a variety of Continuing education (CE) credits opportunities to support active students, AFMC certified graduates, and even our online community.

Visit our Continuing Education web page to see if our list of accreditation partners extends to your modality’s governing organization.

*Active students may be eligible to claim CEs for SAFM’s internal retreat offering (“The Gathering”).

When you first enroll at SAFM, you will have Full access status that allows you to progress to new coursework and all SAFM programs at your own pace. This includes access to all support activities (e.g. live Open Coaching Calls, Mastermind sessions) and to logging AFMC certification and re-certification requirements.  You must have Full access enrollment to continue forward progress in all curriculum in any program. You also must maintain Full access status for at least the first six months of enrollment at SAFM.

We appreciate that there may be times in your educational and career support journey when you need a break. We want all of our practitioner students to enjoy rich, balanced, satisfying lives. Both expected and unexpected life events may require making your functional medicine journey a lesser priority for a while. We support everyone in our practitioner community balancing life priorities over time, and you don’t have to walk away from your SAFM engagement (and access to valuable resources and our community platform) in order to do so. Basic access status (at this time: $29/month tuition*) will allow you to continue to access courses that you have already begun while you are pausing your Full Access.

While in Basic Access, you may continue to learn from your current/prior Functional Medicine coursework, access some key clinical resources (e.g. Q&A Treasure Chest), and also engage with colleagues on your community forum Hub. Specifically, you will not be able to access new courses, live sessions (e.g. Open Coaching Calls, Mastermind sessions), or Activator educational content or purchase additional Deep Dive Clinical Courses or Custom Consultations or register credits toward AFMC certification or re-certification.

Once you are ready and resume Full Access status, you will once again enjoy your unrestricted forward movement through all of SAFM’s coursework and programs.

Students may change their enrollment status to/from Basic Access ONLY via the Enrollment Access Tiers quicklink on their student home page. All changes in Access must be made at least 48 hours prior to the beginning of the next calendar month in order to receive a change for the upcoming month. Any and all changes registered within or after this 48-hour window will not be reflected until the following month. Please understand that exceptions to this billing policy cannot be granted.

*Pricing is subject to change.

SAFM offers a full functional medicine training program (view syllabus here). We also offer separate clinical courses for purchase to active SAFM students and graduates.

If you are interested in just exploring SAFM, check out our one-day Advanced Practice Workshops here. They offer exposure to Tracy Harrison, our lead educator, the style of teaching, and the type of case practice you can expect with our program.

This is largely up to you, with some program components being fully self-paced and others being time-bound. Certification is an important milestone but just one of many in each practitioner’s overall journey to clinical mastery.

You have freedom to go at the pace you prefer in experiencing all of our courses – and modify it as needed for your unique work/life over time. Beyond courses, required case practice sessions in our Open Coaching Calls happen on a near-monthly basis and add a time-bound element to your experience to ensure your learning is rich and retained. Plus we encourage you to galvanize your learning by applying it in your clinical practice as you progress through the programs.

The number of study hours required is highly dependent upon the individual student’s educational background, professional experience, study habits, and native language. On average, students devote 8-12 hrs/week to their SAFM studies. Some more, some less. The three AFMC certification level exams are offered three times a year.

The typical student completes all AFMC certification requirements to earn certification within 2 -3 years

• Level 1 curriculum and AFMC exam (minimum of 9-12 months).
• Level 2 curriculum and AFMC exam (minimum of 9-12 months)
• Level 3 (3-12 months preparation for and completion of AFMC Level 3 exam).

While you have the flexibility to progress through the curriculum content at your own pace, your individual time to completion of the AFMC certification will depend on several factors (e.g. your enrollment timing, availability and schedule of Live calls (eligible to claim credits for), timing of the AFMC exam windows, amount of time and pace you can commit to).

Full AFMC certification requires completion of the Level 1 and Level 2 Functional Medicine programs, one of the two tracts in the Ignite Your Clinical Practice program, and three levels of AFMC examinations. Programs are completed in succession, but it is not uncommon for students to take time to reinforce prior coursework before diving into the next AFMC exam or program. This can be helpful for locking in concepts before moving forward on your certification journey and/or to practice applying recent learning in your clinical work with patients/clients. 

SAFM’s Practitioner Activator program provides ongoing education and mentoring – even after AFMC certification – for career-long support in creating your greatest impact and career success.

SAFM curriculum has been thoughtfully developed and organized to ensure a deep understanding of the material rather than rote memorization. Content becomes available for access on your student dashboard in a sequential manner designed to build progressive knowledge and comprehension of increasingly complex concepts. Students are encouraged to develop a solid level of confidence in one course before taking on the next. Our top goal (and, we believe, yours too) is your durable knowledge and advanced capability, not moving through the material quickly. 

In the progression of SAFM programs, the entire Level 1 Functional Medicine program (and Level 1 AFMC exam) must be completed before beginning either of the Level 2 Functional Medicine or Ignite Your Clinical Practice programs.  Similarly, both of these latter programs (and the Level 2 AFMC exam) must be completed before beginning the Practitioner Activator program.

In the progression of coursework within the Level 1 and Level 2 Functional Medicine programs, course access unfolds sequentially, with the next course becoming available only after the prior one has been completed (including relevant Self-Test or Completion activity submission).

Having said this, each SAFM student always has freedom and autonomy to choose the pace at which you move through the coursework and progress through the programs, given your personal schedule and goals.  We recommend you learn quickly enough to keep yourself inspired yet slowly enough to make sure you retain what you learn from each course.

SAFM is a virtual program. Live case study calls, small group peer discussion sessions, and monthly live updates from Tracy Harrison are all part of the SAFM learning environment. But live participation is never required. We know students are busy, so we record and archive everything! Join us live when you can and listen to replays when you can’t or choose not to do so.  

Course content is delivered in a variety of formats in an effort to support a diverse learning styles. Video and audio files and slide decks are available for every course while a student is logged in to their account (slide decks and course documents may be downloaded).  

These clinical courses are not available for purchase by the public. However, Deep Dive Clinical Courses (DDCC) are available to purchase for active SAFM students (in the comprehensive functional medicine program) only.

SAFM’s convenient, monthly tuition gives incoming and ongoing students Full Access to move through SAFM’s four programs at their own pace.  Enrollment is for a minimum of six months.#

Non-certified students*
For a non-AFMC-certified student, SAFM tuition is currently $297/month.*

AFMC-Certified Students*
For an AFMC-certified student, SAFM tuition is currently $197/month.*

Tuition pre-payment promotions may be available during some enrollment periods.

*As of June 2024. Tuition is subject to change.

# Basic Access is an option for students who need to take a pause in the forward progression of their learning and program completion.

SAFM enrolls new practitioner cohorts seasonally – four times a year.  Scroll down to the bottom of this page to see if enrollment is currently open.  

If not, you may stay tuned to our website, weekly emails, and social media sites for registration announcements or sign up for notifications here.

Students in SAFM’s programs are active medical and wellness professionals who intend to develop capability in using applied functional medicine in their clinical practice. Questions included in the enrollment process ensure that all compatibility and eligibility requirements are met:

• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• An active license or certification in a medical or wellness healthcare modality.
  • If you are a licensed practitioner, then you must submit a copy of your active license (or similar documentation as required in your country of practice). If you are a practitioner in a non-licensed modality, then you must submit your completed modality certification.
• Relevant “active professional practice” experience working with patients or clients.* Our students are currently engaged in healthcare roles in many different types of practices and business models, so it does not need to be in a private practice or have a functional medicine focus. Note: Professional experience does not include any pro bono work or working with family members.
• An active, ongoing patient or client base with whom to apply your new learning from the program (or, if on a leave of absence, a clear plan for returning to clinical practice).
• Solid working knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry or willingess to pursue extracurricular foundational learning in these areas, as needed, to address knowledge gaps.
• Sufficient exposure to SAFM’s content (many resources are publicly available) to determine that our approach to functional medicine and teaching style will be a fit for your professional goals.
• A willingness to devote ongoing study to coursework (depending upon the pace you choose).

*Relevant “active professional practice” experience:

• May be either paid or unpaid.
• Must involve active, care- or consult-related interaction (not simply observation, shadowing, or administration).
• Serves to inform your decision to pursue functional medicine as a complement to or redirection of your healthcare career. 

Acceptable experiences may include but are not limited to full or part-time employment or private practice in your area of licensure or certification, clinical residency or rotation, or other supervised practicum.

It’s quick and easy!

To ensure a smooth process, we recommend that you consider all of the following before enrolling:

• Ensure you have reviewed some of SAFM’s publicly accessible, educational content to confirm our teaching style is a good fit with your advanced education and professional goals.
• You will need to upload your professional credentials in order to complete your enrollment. Please have this ready in advance.
• Consider whether you wish to take advantage of any available Tuition Prepayment option for significant tuition savings (and bonus clinical courses, free of charge) by prepaying for 20 months of tuition at the time of enrollment (this option is not available after enrollment submission).

As part of the enrollment process, you will answer a few questions that will ensure compatibility and that all current, eligibility requirements are met. Occasionally, we will need to have a short phone conversation with a prospective student prior to enrollment in order to confirm compatability and/or eligibility details. 

Enrollments are only valid for the registration period in which they are submitted.

For the most up-to-date information about AFMC certification and examination, please refer to the All About Certification page found under Student Support.

The Level 3 exam presents  a real patient/client case where  information including (health history forms, symptoms questionnaire, blood work, and other data pertinent to the case will be provided). You will submit answers to the questions based on the provided case details.

When you first enroll at SAFM, you will have Full access status that allows you to progress to new coursework and all SAFM programs at your own pace. This includes access to all support activities (e.g. live Open Coaching Calls, Mastermind sessions) and to logging AFMC certification and re-certification requirements.  You must have Full access enrollment to continue forward progress in all curriculum in any program. You also must maintain Full access status for at least the first six months of enrollment at SAFM.

We appreciate that there may be times in your educational and career support journey when you need a break. We want all of our practitioner students to enjoy rich, balanced, satisfying lives. Both expected and unexpected life events may require making your functional medicine journey a lesser priority for a while. We support everyone in our practitioner community balancing life priorities over time, and you don’t have to walk away from your SAFM engagement (and access to valuable resources and our community platform) in order to do so. Basic access status (at this time: $29/month tuition*) will allow you to continue to access courses that you have already begun while you are pausing your Full Access.

While in Basic Access, you may continue to learn from your current/prior Functional Medicine coursework, access some key clinical resources (e.g. Q&A Treasure Chest), and also engage with colleagues on your community forum Hub. Specifically, you will not be able to access new courses, live sessions (e.g. Open Coaching Calls, Mastermind sessions), or Activator educational content or purchase additional Deep Dive Clinical Courses or Custom Consultations or register credits toward AFMC certification or re-certification.

Once you are ready and resume Full Access status, you will once again enjoy your unrestricted forward movement through all of SAFM’s coursework and programs.

Students may change their enrollment status to/from Basic Access ONLY via the Enrollment Access Tiers quicklink on their student home page. All changes in Access must be made at least 48 hours prior to the beginning of the next calendar month in order to receive a change for the upcoming month. Any and all changes registered within or after this 48-hour window will not be reflected until the following month. Please understand that exceptions to this billing policy cannot be granted.

*Pricing is subject to change.

SAFM’s convenient, monthly tuition gives incoming and ongoing students Full Access to move through SAFM’s four programs at their own pace.  Enrollment is for a minimum of six months.#

Non-certified students*
For a non-AFMC-certified student, SAFM tuition is currently $297/month.*

AFMC-Certified Students*
For an AFMC-certified student, SAFM tuition is currently $197/month.*

Tuition pre-payment promotions may be available during some enrollment periods.

*As of June 2024. Tuition is subject to change.

# Basic Access is an option for students who need to take a pause in the forward progression of their learning and program completion.

To renew your Practioner Incubator Program membership, please review programs details and pricing now.

Note: Membership is only available to previously enrolled students in good standing. If you have issues accessing the page above, please Contact SAFM Support for assistance.

Active students or Practioner Incubator Program members should email admin@schoolafm.com and list which types of emails you would like to unsubscribe from (i.e., Monday morning emails, semester schedule reminders, etc.). Please keep in mind that SAFM is a virtual program and thus uses email as a primary method of communication with students. Unsubscribing from a list may prevent you from receiving information you need in a timely manner.

If you are not an active SAFM member, we’re sorry to see you go. Please use the UNSUBSCRIBE link at the bottom of any email you receive from SAFM. You can unsubscribe from ALL emails or from the specific categories of emails we send.

SAFM’s Level 1 and Level 2 functional medicine programs do not formally include business training (though a tremendous amount of clinical wisdom is covered to help ensure the success of your practice).

Tribe Mastermind sessions are designed to allow for professional exchange among students who may serve as a valuable professional network for these types of inquiries.

Custom Consultations (separate fee applies) are another option.  These 50-minute sessions include one hour with one of our senior practitioners who specifically work in a virtual practice.

The Ignite your Clinical Practice program gives students an opportunity to explore both the managed care and entrepreneurial care practice settings. You will learn from the wisdom of many successful practitioners (industry leaders and SAFM student colleagues) in this program. You gain access to this after passing the AFMC Level 1 exam.

The Practitioner Activator program directly supports students with education, resources, and mentoring about setting up and running a successful clinical practice and business (in both managed care and entrepreneurial care settings), including a virtual practice. This does include typical “business training” topics such as marketing, service offerings, legal considerations, social media, and financial planning. SAFM students  join Practitioner Activator* after completion of their AFMC Level 2 program. and exam.

* Separate fees may apply to students enrolled prior to June 2024.

Lab work is an integral part of the SAFM learning experience and one we want to ensure is applied, thoughtfully, like any other clinical tool.  We partner with preferred lab partners to provide students with targeted, experiential learning, lab work opportunities (both blood chemistry and functional medicine labs) specifically curated to complement each course. Prior to certification, student access to our lab partners and panels* is for personal, course-related use only. 

*State and/or international laws regarding lab work apply.

Absolutely! From regular engagement with your peer discussion groups to exchange on SAFM’s internal practitioner forum to live student case coaching and social media events with Tracy Harrison herself, we keep you connected.  Need more personalized attention? Our Student Experience Coaches, Custom Consult practitioners, and even our Customer Support Team are committed to helping you stay productive and successful.

Level 1 and Level 2 Functional Medicine program courses are taught by Tracy Harrison. SAFM’s diverse, multi-modality Clinical Education Team develops and maintains/revises the curriculum for these programs, in line with the evolving science and industry practice of functional medicine, and supports student Q&A. 

Ignite Your Clinical Practice program sessions are taught by a diverse group of leaders in both the functional medicine industry (e.g. Dr. Shilpa Saxena, Dr. Terry Wahls) and the SAFM practitioner community. 

Practitioner Activator program curriculum and mentoring is led by Dr. Lara Salyer, with a rich diversity of industry leaders teaching specific topics in line with their expertise (e.g. social media marketing, business planning, clinical mastery topics).

The content and scientific validity and credibility of SAFM’s AFMC certification exams is overseen by the AFMC Scientific Review Council.

When you first enroll at SAFM, you will have Full access status that allows you to progress to new coursework and all SAFM programs at your own pace. This includes access to all support activities (e.g. live Open Coaching Calls, Mastermind sessions) and to logging AFMC certification and re-certification requirements.  You must have Full access enrollment to continue forward progress in all curriculum in any program. You also must maintain Full access status for at least the first six months of enrollment at SAFM.

We appreciate that there may be times in your educational and career support journey when you need a break. We want all of our practitioner students to enjoy rich, balanced, satisfying lives. Both expected and unexpected life events may require making your functional medicine journey a lesser priority for a while. We support everyone in our practitioner community balancing life priorities over time, and you don’t have to walk away from your SAFM engagement (and access to valuable resources and our community platform) in order to do so. Basic access status (at this time: $29/month tuition*) will allow you to continue to access courses that you have already begun while you are pausing your Full Access.

While in Basic Access, you may continue to learn from your current/prior Functional Medicine coursework, access some key clinical resources (e.g. Q&A Treasure Chest), and also engage with colleagues on your community forum Hub. Specifically, you will not be able to access new courses, live sessions (e.g. Open Coaching Calls, Mastermind sessions), or Activator educational content or purchase additional Deep Dive Clinical Courses or Custom Consultations or register credits toward AFMC certification or re-certification.

Once you are ready and resume Full Access status, you will once again enjoy your unrestricted forward movement through all of SAFM’s coursework and programs.

Students may change their enrollment status to/from Basic Access ONLY via the Enrollment Access Tiers quicklink on their student home page. All changes in Access must be made at least 48 hours prior to the beginning of the next calendar month in order to receive a change for the upcoming month. Any and all changes registered within or after this 48-hour window will not be reflected until the following month. Please understand that exceptions to this billing policy cannot be granted.

*Pricing is subject to change.

You may join SAFM with a monthly tuition of $297/month (six month minimum commitment followed by month-to-month- thereafter). Or, you can prepay for 20 months at a reduced tuition of $5497, a $500 savings. Students choosing the pre-pay option also receive five bonus Deep Dive Clinical Courses, a $1500 value. 

All payments are made as specified in the order form at the time of enrollment. The first payment is due at the time of enrollment if the student selects the monthly option and subsequent payments will be made on the first of  the following month. For students choosing the pre-pay option, payment is due at time of enrollment. At the end of the 20 months, payments will resume monthly at the then current monthly tuition rate.

*Tuition rates and pre-pay options are subject to change for each enrollment window.

SAFM’s convenient, monthly tuition gives incoming and ongoing students Full Access to move through SAFM’s four programs at their own pace.  Enrollment is for a minimum of six months.#

Non-certified students*
For a non-AFMC-certified student, SAFM tuition is currently $297/month.*

AFMC-Certified Students*
For an AFMC-certified student, SAFM tuition is currently $197/month.*

Tuition pre-payment promotions may be available during some enrollment periods.

*As of June 2024. Tuition is subject to change.

# Basic Access is an option for students who need to take a pause in the forward progression of their learning and program completion.

SAFM’s functional medicine training programs represents a significant investment in both your professional and personal development as a practitioner.  As such, we do our best to ensure applicants have access to the information they need in order to makean enrollment decision with confidence. Occasionally, a student may wish to withdraw their enrollment at SAFM entirely. We outline definitive guidelines in our Refunds & Withdrawal Policy.

The Agreement signed at the time of an individual’s particular enrollment determines the specific terms applicable to that individual. Please refer to the copy of your own signed agreement terms.

For newly enrolled students:

• Students must withdraw within at least 8 calendar days of enrollment (program start date) in order to be eligible for and receive a full refund.
• All Withdrawals must be requested specifically using the Contact Support menu option (blue bar) via your student home page no later than this deadline in order to be valid. Request receipt timing is determined only by the submission of this form. 
  • Students who have withdrawn from SAFM will no longer have access to their dashboard, all coursework,  resources, materials, and community platforms. 
• Beyond the 8  day withdrawal window, newly enrolled students must fulfill the remaining 6 month minimum commitment to Full Access Enrollment.
• After the initial six-month commitment, students may change their enrollment status to/from Basic or Full Access, or withdraw at any time.
  • If you need to accommodate other life priorities for a time or take a pause in forward momentum in your learning, consider the Basic Access option.
• Withdrawals and all changes in Access must be made at least 48 hours prior to the next monthly tuition payment due date in order to take effect for the upcoming month. Any and all changes registered within or after this 48-hour window will not be reflected until the following month.