May I work ahead in the curriculum?

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.

What is the mailing address of the school?

The School of Applied Functional Medicine Purpose Inc.
PO Box 201
Barnardsville, North Carolina 28709

Does Tracy Harrison offer one-on-one sessions?

One on One Sessions with Tracy are no longer offered. Students may purchase Custom Consultations via their Dashboard for easy, low-cost access to certified practitioners (to cover personal health concerns and/or client/patient assessments and/or one-on- one support and review of SAFM material).

What is the difference between the Q&A Treasure Chest and the Clinical Tips Blog?

Like the SAFM Facebook page, the Clinical Tips Blog is a public resource used for marketing purposes to share functional medicine insight on a variety of conditions, symptoms, and related research. The Q&A Treasure Chest is a reference database containing hundreds more articles and resource references and made available, exclusively, to students.

Who is eligible to enroll at SAFM?

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.

What is SAFM’s withdrawal policy?

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.

What insurance is recommended for AFMC Practitioners?

As everyone’s practice is different and our practitioners live throughout the world, we do not recommend a specific insurance policy for all practitioners. We do, however, strongly encourage you to seek out and consider the advice of an insurance agent to see what program best supports your unique business situation. We recommend asking the agent specific questions about what the policy covers and what it doesn’t, in order to see if it aligns with how you plan to continue to build your practice.

Does SAFM provide support for practice building / business training?

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.

Who do I contact if my phone, address or email address has changed?

You can update your SAFM student profile at any time through the blue toolbar at the top of your Dashboard screen. Simply select Edit Profile, fill in the page information, and click Save Updates at the bottom of the screen.

For a short instructional video, please check out the How-To tutorials here.

Still having trouble? Please submit a ticket to our Technical Support team by clicking here.

Can I download the course video files for use offline?

To protect the integrity and copyright of the course materials, we do not permit the downloading of our course videos. We do, however, allow and encourage downloading course slides and course documents, so you can access them on any device you desire.

What opportunities are there for learning how to use lab work?

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.

Does the AFMC credential make it legal for me to practice functional medicine?

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.

Can we post questions prior to live Open Q&A sessions?

You will only be able to post questions for Open Q&A sessions only during the live event.

What does the Level 3 Competency Case Study exam entail?

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.

What designation does this program award me? Does it change my title as a healthcare professional?

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.

Is there a way to ask questions even though the program is virtual?

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.

Do you provide sample forms like the initial Health History for us to use?

The Practitioner Sample Templates & Tools section of the Additional Resources tab on your Dashboard includes a variety of forms students are free to download, customize. However, as reflected in the Student Agreement, in no case may an SAFM student use/share SAFM content with other healthcare practitioners in any venue for any purpose, whether for profit or not. Students also do not have the right to reuse content shared by others on the SAFM Practitioner Forum.

Who develops and teaches the educational content in SAFM’s programs?

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.

Can SAFM recommend a practitioner for me?

SAFM is an educational institution and, therefore, unable to make referrals to specific health or medical practitioners. Given that our AFMC certified graduates represent multiple modalities and are all practicing in different clinical or wellness related settings, we encourage you to check out our AFMC Practitioner Database to see if one may be a fit to support your needs.

How is the curriculum delivered? Do I have to attend classes live?

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).

How can I get help with personal health issues?

The most reliable and efficient way to get the help you seek is by scheduling a Custom Consultation with one of the SAFM Teaching Assistants. Click on the green “Custom Consults” button on your Student Dashboard to schedule one of these as often as you wish.

Are Deep Dive Clinical Courses still available for purchase?

Yes. All Deep Dive Clinical Courses (DDCC) available for purchase may be viewed by clicking the Purchase Clinical Courses button in the left-hand navigation of your Dashboard homepage. First semester students may purchase DDCCs beginning in month four and will be notified to this effect. Second semester students may purchase DDCCs at any time.

Effective with the June 2021 enrollment cycle, the following courses are now part of the required SAFM curriculum and no longer available for individual purchase:

Adrenal-Thyroid Balance and Dysfunction and the HPATG Axis
Reversing Metabolic Dysfunction
Immune Function, Loss of Tolerance, & Hypervigilance
Toxicity, Detoxification, & Heavy Metals

How does the enrollment process work?

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.