Fellowship

What is a Fellowship?

A fellowship is an important period of training that is completed following the successful
completion of your Functional Medicine Diplomate.  It is a clinically intensive process that will hone your new clinical expertise.

• Some of the benefits are:

1. Reinforcing clinical knowledge
2. Hands on clinical case problem solving
3. Mentorships from experts in their field
4. Opportunity for specialization
5. Designation of Fellow

What is a Fellow?

Upon completion of the clinical fellowship program, the candidate will be conferred the certificate signifying his/her status as a Fellow of the American College of Functional Medicine.  Therefore, Fellows are physicians who have already completed and have been conferred their Diplomate from the American Board of Functional Medicine. During the clinical fellowship, the physician is known as a fellow and continues to operate as an attending physician or consulting physician while they fine tune and reinforce their clinical expertise.

What is a Senior Fellow?

Becoming a Senior Fellow is one of the highest clinical achievements within healthcare. It is achieved through a combination of mentorship and service. To become a Senior Fellow through the American Academy of Functional Medicine, a physician must have successfully completed all three areas of compentency:

1. Clinical compentency – Senior Fellow applicants must have completed an approved AAFM Fellowship & have been a Fellow for at least two years.
2. Academic compentency – Senior Fellow applicants must have been published in a peer reviewed journal.
3. Leadership compentency – Senior Fellow applicants have successfully served as a clinical mentor for at least two other Fellows in the American Academy of Functional Medicine.

First We See, Then We Do, Then We Teach.

Who can apply?

Physicians who have completed 300+ hours of Functional Medicine training, have successfully completed their Diplomate in Functional Medicine education, and have been conferred the certificate of Diplomate in Functional Medicine by the American Board of Functional Medicine.

What is the duration?

Fellows must complete 12 – 24 months of clinical clerkship under the direct supervision of an AAFM approved Senior Fellow along with a formal written disquisition on a clinical topic, and a positive recommendation from your supervisor / mentor.

Some Fellows may choose to complete two or three Fellowships of shorter duration with multiple Fellows.

What is the certification that I will receive?

Upon completion of the clinical fellowship program, the candidate will be conferred the certificate signifying his/her status as a Fellow of the American College of Functional Medicine, thus allowing for the post-nomial designation: FACFM.

How do I apply?

FELLOWSHIP – Complete the application for your fellowship.

SENIOR FELLOW – Become a clinical mentor, complete the application for your fellowship.