Functional and Integrative Medicine Certificates for Clinicians: What They Mean

Urgent first

Chest pain, stroke signs, trouble breathing, a severe allergic reaction, poisoning or thoughts of suicide need emergency care: call 911 in the US (988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline; Poison Help 1-800-222-1222). Letters after a clinician's name, including certificates described here, do not change that. This page is information only and does not replace medical care.

Functional medicine certificates

The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) runs a certification program. We could not open IFM's own certification and eligibility pages (the site blocked our reader), so we do not state its license, degree or fee rules. IFM's help pages, which we could read, say candidates must complete accredited functional medicine training that teaches all of the competencies for the credential. [3] They list a minimum of 100 hours of instruction, rising to 150 hours from January 2027. [3] They also say education provided by companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling or distributing healthcare products used by patients does not count toward the training requirement. [3]

IFM says its core curriculum is, at this time, the only education that meets all three of its training requirements. [3] IFM is therefore both the educator and the certifier of this credential. That is a fact about structure, not a judgement; it is one reason independent evidence matters.

IFM's help pages say its introductory course welcomes a variety of licensed healthcare disciplines, listing MD/DOs, NDs, chiropractors, pharmacists, physician assistants, nursing professionals and nutrition professionals. [4] Taking a course is not the same as being certified.

For what functional medicine claims and what reviews found, see functional medicine: what it is and functional medicine: evidence and criticism.

Integrative medicine board certification (physicians)

One route is the American Board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM), offered through the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS). ABPS lists these requirements:

• Graduation from a recognized allopathic or osteopathic medical school and a valid, unrestricted license to practice medicine in the US, its territories or Canada. [5]
• Completion of an accredited residency, and current or previous board certification by a recognized board. [5]
• Completion of an ABOIM-approved fellowship in integrative medicine or one of three other training options. [5]
• A computer-based written exam. [5]

ABPS says successful candidates may present themselves to the public as qualified medical specialists in integrative medicine, and that certificates last eight years. [5] NCCIH likewise says physicians can become board-certified in integrative medicine. [2]

A question some readers ask is whether the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) recognizes integrative medicine as a specialty. When we read ABMS's chart of specialty and subspecialty certificates [6] we did not find an integrative medicine entry. ABPS's own page lists ABPS and ABMS as separate boards. [5] Check the current ABMS list directly, as it can change.

Comparing the credentials

What the evidence shows about certificates

Proper evidence not found. We searched PubMed for studies linking functional or integrative medicine certification or fellowship to patient outcomes or quality of care, and the first results were unrelated. A certificate shows that someone completed a course of study and met a body's rules. It does not show that their treatments work. Judge any treatment by the evidence for that treatment; see how to evaluate a therapy claim.

Questions to ask a clinician who lists these letters

• Which license do you hold, and who certified you?
• What did the certificate require: hours, exams, supervised practice?
• Who taught the course? Does the teacher or certifier also sell tests or supplements?
• What tests or supplements do you sell or earn from?
• Will you coordinate with my other doctors?

Related reading

Credentials and scope, naturopathy and functional medicine compared and how to verify a credential.