The University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine

The South Dakota LEND Program is designed to be completed in a maximum of one academic year (two semesters plus one summer session). Trainees will participate in each of the following activities during their traineeship.

Didactic Coursework

• Trainees can expect to spend about 50 hours completing the didactic coursework portion of their traineeship.
• • Community and Family Medicine 540 (FAMP 540) Interdisciplinary Health Care Team
    This course examines the interdisciplinary, family centered, culturally competent assessment, treatment and care of children and adults with developmental and other disabilities. A focus of the course is to provide students with a foundation in critical issues related to the field of disabilities and to expose students to roles and functions of various disciplines, which are typically involved in the delivery of services to children and adults with developmental and other disabilities. All South Dakota LEND Program trainees must take FAMP 540 for academic credit.
  • Community and Family Medicine 541 (FAMP 541) Clinical Experiences and Research in Maternal and Child Health
    This course is an interdisciplinary, family centered, culturally sensitive study of the assessment, treatment and care of children with developmental disabilities and their families. South Dakota LEND Program trainees can opt to take FAMP 541 for 1-3 academic credit hours or for no credit.
  • Community and Family Medicine 596 (FAMP 596) Leadership Practicum in Maternal and Child Health
    This course is designed to offer students the challenge of developing leadership skills, analyzing leadership models and practicing leadership activities. The primary goal of the course is to provide students with examples, characteristics, and models of leadership. It provides the opportunity for students from various disciplines to learn from locally, regionally and nationally recognized leaders in the field of developmental disabilities. South Dakota LEND Program trainees can opt to take FAMP 596 for 1-3 academic credit hours or for no credit.

Community-Based Interdisciplinary Clinics

• Trainees can expect to spend about 115 hours in community-based interdisciplinary clinics.
• The purpose of this element of the traineeship is to provide trainees with community-based interdisciplinary clinical training experiences.
• The emphasis of these experiences is leadership skill development, interdisciplinary team work, and family centered, culturally sensitive treatment, assessment and care for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families.
• Trainees may have opportunities to participate in the following community-based clinics.
• • Autism Spectrum Disorders Clinic at the Center for Disabilities
  • Cheyenne River Developmental Clinic in Eagle Butte, South Dakota
  • Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic at South Dakota Children's Specialty Clinics
  • Down Syndrome Clinic
  • Early Development Clinic at Children's Care Rehabilitation Center
  • Feeding Clinic at South Dakota Children's Specialty Clinics
  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Clinic at the Center for Disabilities
  • Myelodysplasia Clinic at South Dakota Children's Specialty Clinics
  • Pine Ridge Developmental Clinic in Porcupine, South Dakota
  • Preschool Clinic at South Dakota Children's Specialty Clinics
  • SCAN Team (Suspected Child Abuse/Neglect Team) at South Dakota Children's Specialty Clinics
  • Shadow of a Birth To 3 Connections Service Coordinator at the Center for Disabilities
  • Shadow of Deaf-Blind Program Staff at the Center for Disabilities
  • Shadow of a Feeding Support Team at South Dakota Children's Specialty Clinics
  • Shadow of a NICU Case Manager at Sanford Health
  • South Dakota LEND Developmental Clinic

Research

• Trainees can expect to spend about 100 hours during their traineeship on their research project.
• Trainees are required to develop research questions which can be evaluated using readily available data sources or techniques which allow analysis in a brief period of time.
• Trainees are expected to meet with their South Dakota LEND Program advisors at least once per month to discuss progress on their research plan.
• Trainees are required to share their research in the form of a poster presentation.
• Trainees are encouraged to share their research at a variety of state, regional or national conference.
• Trainees should attend the annual South Dakota LEND Program Research Symposium held during the summer.

South Dakota LEND Program Home