Yes. In order to begin your certification process in 5-Element Functional Medicine, you must be a current license-holder in your state or province for the type of medical care you provide (i.e. acupuncturist, naturopath, MD, etc.).

It is essential that anyone practicing as a certified 5-Element Functional Medicine clinician be properly educated in the field of medicine, and requiring a license is our way of ensuring this.

The enrollment process is simple and conducted entirely online:

1. You’ll submit your application along with a $150 application fee.
2. On the next screen you’ll choose at time for your face-to-face interview (which will be conducted via ZOOM).
3. Once you complete your interview, if you’re ready to move forward AND we are confident you are a good fit for the program, you will be accepted as a student and we will take care of the tuition payment.
4. You will then attend one of our brief but essential new student orientation webinars where you receive a tour of the student portal to ensure you know how to access all the resources, recordings, and support.

We’ve partnered with Affirm(TM) and Paypal Pay Later(TM) to make it easy for you to set up a payment plan that works for you. Both options are seamless and easy to use.

We also accept in-full tuition payments via Mastercard, Visa, American Express, and Discover.

After you successfully enroll, you have 72 hours to request a refund if for some reason you wish to back out. After that, there are no refunds.

This is to protect the program from pirating and also to ensure those who invest in the full program are protected against people trying to steal the  information. 

We wish there weren’t people out there who do things like this, but the reality is there are and, as they say, “one bad apple spoils it for the rest of the bunch”.

YES. We are set up with the following certifying bodies, and we will gladly apply with any requested certifying body (we cannot guarantee approval, but we’ll try):

• NCCAOM
• Florida
• California

TOTAL PDA/CEU FOR THIS CERTIFICATION:

Core Foundations = 18 Units

• Core Foundations I = 6 units
• Core Foundations II = 6 units
• Core Foundations III = 6 units

Endocrinology I = 18 Units

• Adrenal Fatigue = 6 units
• Hypothyroid = 6 units
• Hyperprolactinemia = 6 units

Endocrinology II = 18 Units

• Insulin Resistance = 6 units
• PCOS = 6 units
• Endometriosis = 6 units

Total for Endocrinology Certification = 18 x 3 = 54 Units

Reproductive Medicine I = 18 Units

• Diminished Ovarian Reserve = 6 units
• Premature Ovarian Failure = 6 units
• Unexplained Infertility = 6 units

Reproductive II = 18 Units

• Male Factor = 6 units
• Recurrent Pregnancy Loss = 6 units
• Uterine Fibroids = 6 units

Total for Reproductive Medicine Certification = 54 Endocrinology & Women’s Health + 36 Reproductive = 90 TOTAL UNITS

All accepted enrollees will – upon payment of tuition – gain access to the recorded versions of the training.

LIVE instruction (required for those who wish to become officially certified AND get the requisite CEU) will be done via ZOOM or similar video conference system.

The live sessions are typically conducted on a Sat, Sun, Mon schedule, one weekend every other month.

The best way to truly master this method is to put it into practice.  If you are consistent showing up for once weekly Clinical Rounds (via Zoom) where we work actual cases together, you will likely gain significant skill with minimal extra study.

Personal study time varies but a couple of focused hours a week to review recordings and read Chris’ materials should suffice to gain a significant grasp of the framework and process of 5EFM.

YES. We will have an exam at the end, however it will be a self-paced exam and you will do it on your own at home. You will be free to use the reference materials in completing the exam.

At this time, we can only offer CEU and certification to those who attend live during the specified dates and times to receive both CEU/PDA units.

This is a certification program, meaning we are going to certify that your grasp of the material is sufficient to consider you an expert, and you will be listed in our practitioner directory. We will also refer patients to you when the need arises (Chris already has one book generating a lot of interest from all over North America and there are a couple more in the pipeline).

Therefore, we expect you to attend live and be present for the training on the specified dates. 

Unfortunately we cannot accommodate special circumstances for those unable to attend live on certain days. This is because of rules and regulations related to the PDA/CEU granting bodies.

At this time we do offer these courses on a rotating basis, therefore we will allow you to take the next offering of any course you missed and still get your CEU/PDA plus credit towards certification.

Usually each course is offered live every 8-12 months on a rotating basis.

The schedule is typically (all time are CENTRAL timezone):

• 9am – 10:30am – Lecture
• 10:30 – 10:45am – Break
• 10:45am – 12:15pm – Lecture
• 12:15pm – 12:45pm – Lunch
• 12:45pm – 2:15pm – Lecture
• 2:15pm – 2:30pm – Break
• 2:30pm – 3:30pm – Lecture
• 3:30 – 4:00pm – Wrap-up with Q&A / Discussion 

We may have classes that deviate from this general schedule, however our intention is to keep things along these exact lines for the live courses.

Absolutely. We have TWO avenues for receiving mentorship and guidance both directly from Chris and our 5EFM Graduate Council:

Weekly Clinical Rounds  (each MAIN MODULE includes 8 weeks of Clinical Rounds)

Conducted via video conference, these are in-depth case reviews where Chris analyzes the specifics of submitted cases, proposing a 5EFM diagnosis and providing a sample treatment plan based on 5EFM therapeutic principles.

When your case is scheduled for review, you will have the opportunity to be part of the dialogue and have any questions answered. 

These calls have become quite legendary, as together with students Chris has been able to solve very difficult cases and recommend very compact treatment plans that have led to major breakthroughs for patients.

Online Community

We have a closed, students-only Facebook group where students ask questions, share discoveries, and help each other gain clarity on cases as well as cross-refer to each other. Our graduates are also active in the group and always provide helpful tips and suggestions.

You’ll love the “tribe” we’re assembling. It’s truly a group of like-minded and like-hearted practitioners looking to serve with integrity and lovingkindness.

Yes. You are required to submit 2 cases and complete the review of each in order to get your certification.

If for some reason you do not submit your cases or you do not complete the review of each case, you will still receive your CEU but you will not receive certification at the end of the year and will have to wait until the following year to get your certification (you will not have to retake the classes, but you will have to complete your case reviews before the end of the next academic year).

If, after 2 academic years, a student has not completed their required 2 case reviews, they will become ineligible for certification without re-registering for and re-taking the course.

Yes. For each Certification Module, you will be required to attend the Monday Clinical Rounds for 8 consecutive weeks. 

Clinical Rounds commence the Monday following the LIVE training for that Module.

Example:

If you attend the Endocrinology I module, which falls on Sat, Sun, and Mon, your first Clinical Rounds will be the NEXT Monday, and you will attend Clinical Rounds for the next 8 Mondays.

We have a list of books in the secure member portal. These books will serve to inform and guide but they are not manuals of the 5EFM system.

The “Official” Clinical Manuals of 5-Element Functional Medicine will be compiled in 2022.

In the meantime, we have tons of reference materials, slides, and other study resources for you.

Yes. You will receive access to a detailed reference guide outlining the exact supplements (including exact manufacturers) used in Chris’ clinic, along with general dosing guidelines.

On clinical rounds calls, you will become familiar with the supplement selections and dosing as applied to real-world cases as well.

Once you have paid tuition, here’s what you receive:

1. Immediate access to the recorded Core Foundations modules, so you can begin studying right away (attendance on the live Core Foundations class is still required for certification).
2. A seat for all live classes in your chosen certification, during the academic year you are enrolled.
3. A certificate for the requisite PDA/CEU units for each class you attend live.
4. Access to 8 weeks of Clinical Rounds calls and recordings – subsequent to each module you attend live.
5. Perpetual (“lifetime”) access to the recordings of the classes you completed and any attached notes/slides/resources.
6. Perpetual (“lifetime”) access to any bonus materials & courses offered as part of your enrollment.
7. Access to the 5EFM online study group for the entire academic year.
8. A really nice, wall-worthy certificate once you have completed each certification module.
9. An even NICER wall-worthy certificate once you’ve completed an entire certification training.
10. A listing in the Worldwide 5EFM Practitioner Directory as a certificate holder in your chosen certification.
11. Once you complete your certification, you have the exclusive opportunity to join our Graduate Council to continue advanced studies AND be eligible to teach your own courses.

5-Element Functional Medicine is about simplicity and clarity and there is no reason why you will not be able to begin implementing the strategies and processes right away.

The whole point of this program is to empower us to help more people in more powerful and effective ways.

So… you are not only allowed, you are ENCOURAGED to start implementing and using this as soon as possible in your clinic. 

We have a very active and engaged community in our private Facebook group. Just drop your question or concern in there and you’ll receive positive, helpful support every time.

At this time we do not have a scholarship program. It’s something we will definitely look at in the future.