The CFPC establishes the standards for the training, certification, and lifelong education of family physicians in Canada.

It accredits postgraduate family medicine training programs in Canadian medical schools, conducts the certification examination for graduating family medicine residents, and grants the certification (CCFP) and fellowship (FCFP) designations to its members.

The CFPC was founded in 1954 in Vancouver, British Columbia, as the "College of General Practice of Canada" out of a need to ensure family physicians were dedicated to continuing medical education.

In 2013, the CFPC collaborated with the Medical Council of Canada (MCC) to deliver a new "harmonized" certification examination in family medicine.

The CFPC runs a program designed to support the continuous professional development of its members called Mainpro+ (Maintenance of Proficiency).

The conference offers hundreds of clinical and professional development sessions for family physicians over three days in November.

[citation needed] The Research and Education Foundation of the CFPC was established to provide funding for honours, awards, scholarships, and grants bestowed by the organization to its members.

The following are some existing enhanced skills programs, which are recognized by the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) and lead to the obtention of a Certificate of Added Competence (CAC) in a specialized domain of family and community medicine:[13] Some other enhanced skills programs which do not necessarily lead to a certificate of added competence with the CFPC but are nonetheless accessible for graduating or practicing family physicians include the following:[21] Physician members of the Canadian Forces can benefit from supplementary training and obtain the Certificate of Added Competence in Emergency Medicine via subsidized education from the Department of National Defence of Canada.