IFM Scholarship Programs
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I am so appreciative of this opportunity and am a better clinician because of this experience. I always thought I had to choose between continuing my work in a community setting or pursuing a career in functional medicine, and through this, I’ve learned that I do not have to choose.
– 2021 Functional Medicine for All Scholarship Recipient
IFM is proud to offer annual scholarships to expand access to functional medicine training.
These scholarships help clinicians gain new clinical skills and effectively apply the functional medicine model in diverse clinical settings. IFM is committed to lowering the barrier of functional medicine training through scholarships and other initiatives so that we can bring functional medicine care into more communities around the globe.
All IFM scholarship program applications are now closed and will reopen in 2025.
IFM Scholarship Opportunities
Founders' Scholarship
The Founders' Scholarship was established and funded by IFM founders Susan and Jeff Bland. This scholarship supports functional medicine education for primary care practitioners working with underserved communities who show exemplary leadership and passion for their communities and the mission of IFM.
Meet the 2024 Founders' Scholarship Recipients
Congratulations to Alison Cooper, MD, MPH, from Baltimore, Maryland, and Leticia Mendoza Galindo, MD, from Mexico City, Mexico, who were recently awarded the 2024 Founders’ Scholarship! Click here to learn more about each recipient and see how both are working to make in a difference in their communities.
Who is this award for?
- Primary care providers currently practicing anywhere around the globe
- Primary care providers beginning their functional medicine certification journey and who are currently working with medically underserved communities.
Total Awards Given Annually: 2
What the award includes:
- Covers tuition for all IFM core curriculum (AFMCP + APMs), which can be applied towards the 100 hours of accredited functional medicine education required to qualify for certification.
- Functional Medicine Certified Professional-Medical (FMCP-M) ™
- Annual International Conference (winner must attend in-person event)
- Up to $1,000 travel-expense reimbursement
- Fees for CME credit hours
- IFM Membership
- FMCP- M™ Application Fee
- FMCP-M™ Written Test Fee
- Costs associated with re-certification/certification maintenance
- Certification Review Course Fee
To be eligible for the Founders' Scholarship, applicants:
- Clinicians must have taken at least one of the following courses:
- Must NOT have taken more than one of these IFM Programs
- Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice
- Any of our six Advanced Practice Modules (Cardiometabolic, Immune, Hormone, Bioenergetics, Environmental Health, GI)
- Must be currently a practicing primary care provider working with medically underserved communities
- Clinicians must qualify for IFM Certification to be eligible
- Clinicians must qualify for the Functional Medicine Certification Program™ to be eligible.
The new Functional Medicine Certification Program™ will launch in 2026. If awarded the scholarship, you will be enrolled into the appropriate certification program then. In the meantime, you can enroll in IFM courses, and those hours will count toward the 100 hours of accredited functional medicine education required for certification.
Click here for more information about the Founders' Scholarship>Debbie Sanstad Scholarship
In memory of longtime IFM team member Debbie Sanstad, this annual scholarship covers tuition for all IFM core curriculum (AFMCP + APMs), which can be applied towards the 100 hours of accredited functional medicine education required to qualify for certification. The scholarship is intended for clinicians around the globe and alternates recognizing individuals based either inside or outside the United States on a yearly rotation. In 2025, the scholarship will be awarded to a clinician who resides and practices outside of the United States and is seeking certification in functional medicine.
Meet the 2024 Debbie Sanstad Scholarship Recipient
Congratulations Jeanine Wagner, MSN,FNP/AGACNP-BC! Ms. Wagner is a dedicated healthcare professional specializing as a family nurse practitioner with a post-master’s certificate in acute care gerontology, providing care in Temecula, California. Click here to learn more about this year's recipient.
Who is this award for?
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In 2025, the Debbie Santad Scholarship will be open only to candidates living/practicing outside of the United States.
- Clinicians who are just beginning the path to functional medicine certification
Total Awards Given Annually: 1
What the award includes:
- Covers tuition for all IFM core curriculum (AFMCP + APMs), which can be applied towards the 100 hours of accredited functional medicine education required to qualify for certification
- Functional Medicine Certified Professional-Medical (FMCP-M)™
- Functional Medicine Certified Professional (FMCP)™
- Annual International Conference (the year the scholarship is awarded)
- FMCP™ or FMCP-M™ Application Fee
- Certification Review Course Fee
What the award does NOT include:
- Fees for CME credit hours
- Travel expenses to IFM’s in-person Annual International Conference
- IFM Membership
- FMCP™ or FMCP-M™ Written Test Fee
Eligibility Requirements:
- In 2025, the scholarship will be awarded to a clinician living and practicing outside of the United States who is just beginning to pursue certification as a functional medicine practitioner.
- Clinicians must have taken at least one of the following courses:
Must NOT have taken more than two IFM programs required for certification
- Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice
- Any of our six Advanced Practice Modules (Cardiometabolic, Immune, Hormone, Bioenergetics, Environmental Health, GI)
- Clinicians must qualify for the Functional Medicine Certification Program™ to be eligible.
The new Functional Medicine Certification Program™ will launch in 2026. If awarded the scholarship, you will be enrolled into the appropriate certification program then. In the meantime, you can enroll in IFM courses, and those hours will count toward the 100 hours of accredited functional medicine education required for certification.
Click here for more information about the Debbie Sanstad Scholarship>
Functional Medicine For All Scholarship
The Functional Medicine for All Scholarship was created to help foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive field of functional medicine practitioners and patients. This scholarship is intended for clinicians who are beginning their certification journey and are currently working with medically underserved communities.
Who is this award for?
- Clinicians living/practicing in the United States and internationally
- Clinicians beginning their certification journey and who are currently working with medically underserved communities and/or BIPOC practitioners
Total Awards Given Annually: Varies annually (20 scholarships will be awarded in 2024)
IFM was able to increase the number of scholarship awards this year by the generosity of VoLo Foundation.
What the award includes:
- Cost of Fall AFMCP
- Virtual facilitated sessions with functional medicine professionals to enhance program learnings
What the award does NOT include:
- Any additional CME costs
- IFM Membership
Eligibility Requirements:
- Clinicians must have taken at least one of the following courses:
- Must NOT have taken AFMCP and must NOT have taken no more than one APM .
- Must be able to demonstrate work in or with medically underserved communities. BIPOC practitioners and those working with BIPOC communities encouraged to apply.
- Clinicians must qualify for IFM Certification to be eligible
Click here to learn more about the Functional Medicine for All Scholarship >
*Terms and Conditions: Please note that the eligibility, inclusions, and conditions outlined in IFM’s Debbie Sanstad Scholarship, Founders Scholarship, and Functional Medicine for All Scholarship are subject to change without notice.
Functional Medicine Training Empowers Health and Transforms Lives - Hear from past scholarship recipients.
IFM changed the way I see things, especially in the practice of medicine. It opens my mind and heart that there are still a lot of things to do in our health system. We must be more holistic, and we must work as a team. Thank you, IFM, for this opportunity. I will forever be grateful."
- Victor Maredi, MD
Debbie Sanstad IFMCP Scholarship Recipient
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Stay Informed
All IFM scholarship program applications are now closed and will reopen in 2025.
To learn more about IFM scholarships and when applications open, please fill out the form below or email scholarships@ifm.org with any questions.
Your Donation in Action
Treating patients through a personalized approach to care advances health and well-being for all individuals worldwide. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on the generosity of supporters like you to help fund these scholarship opportunities. Together, we can continue to train the next generation of practitioners in functional medicine and increase the accessibility of functional medicine for practitioners and patients worldwide. Support us by contacting partnerships@ifm.org or click below. 
