About the Current IFM Certification Program (IFMCP)

IFMCP application fee is nonrefundable. Given the nature of digital items, refunds or credits on this purchase are not permitted. 

Except as otherwise prohibited by applicable laws, purchases of online digital content are not refundable if you have accessed the purchased IFM Materials in any form, including without limitation by streaming, viewing, or downloading the same. If IFM can confirm that you have not accessed the IFM Materials, you can request a refund no later than 15 days from the date of purchase.  

For each testing cohort, IFM invites testing candidates to join a moderated group focused solely on the case report and written examination process. It is an opportunity for candidates to connect with one another as well as connect with IFM staff to clarify any questions they have as they prepare for the written examination. Before participating, please read IFM Code of Conduct.

The optional Review Course is an opportunity for IFM Certification Program candidates to undertake a comprehensive review of current core knowledge. The optional Online Review Course (ORC) is a self-paced course composed of study guides, webinars, lectures, and practice exams/quizzes to help you prepare for the written exam. It is not required, although it is strongly recommended.

The Review Course is only open to candidates who are eligible to be a part of the upcoming testing cohort.

The written exam is administered through Prometric Testing Centers.* You may visit Prometric’s website here for more information.

The exam may be taken either in person or remotely. You will receive all the information you need prior to taking the exam in your testing cohort materials. Please review our IFMCP certification process and requirements.

*Please note that Prometric continues to evaluate the open capacity status of testing centers in their global network. To help ensure the protection of both employees and test takers and to remain in compliance with governmental mandates and recommendations from the CDC and WHO, safety practices will be enacted throughout the testing process and will be dependent on local government guidelines.

The case report is a structured PDF template that is based on the Functional Medicine Matrix and following the GOTOIT framework. Candidates receive access to the case report template upon payment of the $850 case report fee and verification of eligibility for the IFMCP written exam. Candidates enter assessment, treatment, and outcomes information into a personalized assigned template.

Case reports are scored by IFM educators on a pass/fail basis.

The case report must represent your critical thinking and ability to apply the principles of functional medicine to the benefit of your patient. Candidates are expected to justify and explain their rationales for treatments and interventions throughout the case. You must have sufficient initial assessment information to fill out a timeline and matrix, and enough follow-up data that the grader can see how you managed the patient. As such, the case you choose should be a patient:

1. Who has/had chronic complaints.
2. With whom you are very familiar (you may NOT use yourself or a family member as your case study. Patient encounters must be conducted and documented within a clinical setting).
3. On whom you have gathered sufficient initial information.
4. For whom you have collected sufficient information on follow-up visits to present a full case.

A minimum of four visits over at least 12 weeks is required. Cases that do not meet minimum visit and length requirements will receive an automatic failure. Objective data, such as laboratory and imaging results, are helpful but not absolutely necessary. However, the potential lab or imaging that you would consider, even if not ordered, is important to provide as it allows the grader to assess your thinking through the case. A case in which you co-managed the patient can be used, but your narrative should include these interventions and outcomes as well.

You do not have to have a release from the patient to use the patient’s case. Avoid revealing any identifying information about the patient in your report.

The written exam is composed of 200 multiple choice questions based on information presented at AFMCP and the six APMs. Candidates have 4.5 hours to complete the examination.

Pre and post course webinars, forum discussions, and supplemental material include useful information and are recommended for review; however, the written examination will not draw on these materials (unless stated otherwise).

If a practitioner does not pass examination components for the final July 2025 cohort, they will submit a new application and related fees for the new certification program and test within the new program requirements. 

No, there is no CME provided for the case report, written exam, or the Online Review Course. 

No, the July 2025 testing cohort is the last cohort for certification under the current IFMCP program. The case report and the written exam must be completed during the final July 2025 testing cohort.  

IFM understands that not everyone can travel, so we have made online learning an option. The Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice (AFMCP)^TM course is currently offered in a self-paced online format. For the Online AFMCP course, learners have 90 days to complete approximately 40 hours of curriculum at their own pace within the 90 days. There are set start and end dates, but within those 90 days, candidates can complete the program on their own time and at their own pace. 

The Advanced Practice Modules (APMs) are also currently being offered in a self-paced online format, so it is possible to distance learn all of the required certification courses. Similar to AMFCP, the APM learners have 60 days to complete approximately 20 hours of curriculum at their own pace within the 60 days. There are set start and end dates, but within those 60 days, candidates can complete the program on their own time and at their own pace. 

Please click here for the courses required for IFMCP certification and the last-chance program dates for upcoming APMs.

Typically, from start to finish, the program costs between $13,000-$17,000 (includes price of all programs, application fee, exam fee, and case report fee). It is not possible to state an exact amount since course fees do change from time to time, and the total cost will depend on what the fees are when each course is taken, whether or not the candidate is an IFM member, whether they are a physician or other level of practitioner, and so forth. The application and testing fees are separate from the cost of the courses. Please note the costs noted above are based off current tuition rates.

We do not offer a one-time payment option at this time.

Some official documentation of graduation is required; transcripts can be accepted if they show actual graduation date and the degree earned. Practitioners can also submit a letter on official letterhead attesting to the completion of their healthcare degree in lieu of the diploma. 

For the IFMCP application, we do require all documents to be translated into English. However, please note these documents do not need to be official transcripts. Please provide both the original document followed by the translated version. 

Anyone who certifies under the current IFMCP program and earns the IFM Certified Practitioner designation will be transitioned into the new certification program. Once transitioned, certified practitioners will maintain their credential under the new program’s maintenance of certification requirements. Learn More>

Functional medicine is not considered a standalone area of medicine and is reliant on traditional medical education and licensure to be able to see and treat patients. Earning the IFMCP designation is voluntary, and certification does not expand or reduce a practitioner’s scope of licensure, nor confer any additional legal or specialty status. Practitioners can only apply their functional medicine education within the scope of their current healthcare license issued by the appropriate authority in the state, province, or country of their clinical practice. It is incumbent upon practitioners of the program to understand their scope of licensure and apply functional medicine approaches according to the permissions and limitations of their existing licensure.

Learn more about our specific eligibility requirements.

It can take our team up to four weeks for an acceptance decision to be reached. Applicants are notified of their acceptance status by email. Candidates for the final July 2025 IFMCP testing cohort are strongly encouraged to submit their application by March 31, 2025. 

Candidates must be approved into the program by May 9, 2025, to be eligible to test. Applications can take up to four weeks to be approved, so we strongly encourage candidates wishing to test in the July 2025 cohort to apply by March 31, 2025. Please review requirements for applying to the program online. 

Earning a functional medicine credential establishes you as a leader in the field. Current patient demand far exceeds the number of providers available, and certified practitioners are recognized as clinicians whose rigorous training and evaluation places them in the top tier of functional medicine practitioners. Certification does not expand or reduce a practitioner’s scope of practice, and all certified practitioners are expected to practice only within the scope of their healthcare license.  

IFM’s Certification Program (IFMCP) requires completion of seven core foundational courses: Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice (AFMCP)^TM and the six Advanced Practice Modules (APMs). 

Upon completion of those seven courses, approved candidates in the program will be eligible to submit a case study and sit for a written examination to complete the certification process. Review the full certification process and requirements online.