OpenFieldSanford School of Medicine · Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States
The Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South Dakota is South Dakota's only medical school, headquartered in Sioux Falls and Vermillion, South Dakota. Nationally revered for its pioneering Frontier and Rural Medicine (FARM) program, rural primary care physician training, pediatrics, and infectious disease research.
Sanford School of Medicine operates major clinical campuses in Sioux Falls (Sanford Health and Avera Health systems), Rapid City, and Yankton, alongside basic biomedical research laboratories at the Lee Medical Building in Vermillion. It is a recipient of the prestigious Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Service from the AAMC.
Medical school admission is through AMCAS. Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with prerequisite biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Priority is granted to South Dakota residents and individuals with demonstrated ties to the Northern Great Plains region.
LCME-accredited medical doctorate renowned for longitudinal integrated clerkships, hands-on clinical simulation, and rural hospital rotations across the Sanford and Avera healthcare networks.
Interdisciplinary doctoral program investigating cardiovascular disease, neuroscience of neurodegeneration, cancer immunology, and infectious disease mechanisms.
Two-year research-based master's degree featuring thesis research in physiology, pharmacology, cell biology, or neurobiology in modern medical laboratories.
Award-winning nine-month longitudinal integrated rural immersion placing medical students in critical access community hospitals across rural South Dakota.
ARC-PA-accredited 24-month clinical curriculum preparing primary care PAs with specialized rural clinical clerkships throughout the upper Midwest.
Intensive summer research fellowship at Sanford Research in Sioux Falls investigating rare pediatric genetic diseases, tumor immunology, and cardiac cell signaling.
Vice President of Health Affairs & Dean of Medicine
Office of the Dean
Dr. Ridgway is a board-certified gastroenterologist and medical education executive who has spearheaded the expansion of rural residency training and clinical s...
View researcher profile ↗Professor of Basic Biomedical Sciences
Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences
Dr. Eyster's research investigates estrogen receptor signaling in vascular smooth muscle, microRNA regulation in cardiovascular disease, and ovarian steroidogen...
View researcher profile ↗Associate Professor of Basic Biomedical Sciences
Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences
Dr. Huber specializes in viral immunology, investigating influenza vaccine efficacy, secondary bacterial pneumonia infections, and antibody neutralization kinet...
View researcher profile ↗OpenField is an independent research platform not officially affiliated with Sanford School of Medicine. Information reflects public documentation reviewed on 2026-10-16. Students must verify application deadlines, fee structures, and prerequisite details directly with official university admissions departments before applying.
Updated 2026-10-16 · Editorial policy · Submit corrections