USD Sanford School of Medicine Announces It Will Move First 18 Months of M.D. to Sioux Falls
USD shared the news at a joint press conference alongside the State of South Dakota, the City of Sioux Falls, the South Dakota Board of Regents and representatives from South Dakota’s major health care systems on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. This decision comes after the school celebrated 50 years of offering the M.D. in 2024.
“As South Dakota’s only medical school, we have both a responsibility and an opportunity to shape the future of medicine in the state,” said USD President Sheila K. Gestring. “USD has a legacy of supporting the state’s health care systems, building a skilled workforce, and promoting the health and well-being of South Dakotans — and by consolidating this portion of our medical education in Sioux Falls, we can make an even greater impact while also improving the experience for our faculty, staff and students.”
USD’s medical education is currently split between locations, with the first 18 months of the medical program taking place on USD’s main campus in Vermillion. The remaining 30 months of their medical education are spent at other locations, with the majority of students located in Sioux Falls.
Consolidating the first 18 months of medical education in Sioux Falls will enhance students’ pre-clinical education by giving them more opportunities to work with and learn from clinical faculty. Additionally, clinicians can collaborate with biomedical sciences faculty to integrate concepts, which can lead to better retention and licensing exam performance. These changes will better position USD’s medical students to be highly competitive for residency programs.
In addition to moving the first 18 months of the M.D. program, USD will also transition its Division of Biomedical and Translational Sciences to Sioux Falls. These relocations will promote translational and applied research by expanding the collaborative research opportunities available to faculty and facilitating more interaction with patients.
“With this change, we are better positioned to support our students, faculty and staff through pre-clinical instruction, collaborative research opportunities and high-quality educational experiences,” said Tim Ridgway, M.D., dean of the Sanford School of Medicine and vice president of health affairs at USD. “And, importantly, this move will improve our ability to better recruit and retain future physicians, many of whom will stay in South Dakota. We are proud to continue our legacy of building a strong health care workforce for our state.”
Over the past 50 years, the Sanford School of Medicine has built a pipeline of physicians to serve the state; 45% of USD’s M.D. graduates return to South Dakota to practice medicine, and of those who complete a residency in South Dakota, more than 75% stay in the state.
“The Sanford School of Medicine is a big part of keeping South Dakota healthy and Open for Opportunity,” said South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden. “This announcement will attract young medical professionals to the strong and growing Sioux Falls community. As Governor, it is my mission to keep South Dakota strong, safe, and free — and this announcement helps achieve that for a healthy future.”
Sanford Health has agreed to support the medical school by offering temporary space in Sioux Falls at a manageable cost for the initial years of transition. The Sanford School of Medicine will have locations for an anatomy lab, research labs, classroom space and medical student support services, in addition to the resources available on its existing campus in Sioux Falls.
A new, permanent building is estimated to be built in seven to ten years at a location to be determined. The university plans to pursue traditional funding sources for this capital project, including public and private support, grant opportunities, and the reallocation of internal resources currently supporting the medical school in Vermillion and Sioux Falls.
“This change will be transformative for our medical school, for our university community, and for our state,” said Gestring. “With greater access to research, more opportunities to partner with our health care systems, and a stronger presence in Sioux Falls, we can continue to elevate our academic programs and lead with impact.
“So many partners have helped make this vision for the future possible,” Gestring continued. “Thank you to the South Dakota Board of Regents, Governor Rhoden, state and local elected officials, Sanford Health, Avera Health, Monument Health, Veterans Affairs Sioux Falls Health and the City of Sioux Falls for their ongoing support. And, of course, thank you to our students, faculty, staff and alumni for their service and leadership in our communities. We have made a great impact on the lives of South Dakotans over the last 50 years, and together, we will shape a strong future for medicine in our state for decades to come.”
Additional information about this transition is available on the USD website.
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