Former USD Medical School Dean Dr Rod Parry To Be Inducted into South Dakota Hall of Fame
The Canistota, South Dakota native graduated from USD’s two-year medical program in 1970, and completed his medical degree at the University of Wisconsin. He returned to South Dakota in 1976, after serving in the Army during the Vietnam War, and in that year began service to South Dakota’s only medical school, a commitment that would span over four decades.
As a pulmonologist, Dr. Parry cared for countless patients and pursued meaningful and consequential research in respiratory diseases and the genetics of asthma. He served as president of the South Dakota State Medical Association, and became a Master in the American College of Physicians. His national service in a variety of positions provided South Dakota with valuable visibility and significant impact on national medical education standards.
As dean of USD’s medical school he built important bridges to the state’s medical community and institutions, boosting faculty and advancing student opportunities and scholarships. Under his leadership the medical school opened a world-class simulation center, expanded campus operations in Yankton, Rapid City and Sioux Falls, and gained national recognition for its successes educating and providing doctors to rural locations.
Dr. Parry continues to serve the medical school as a valued advisor.
Tickets for the formal induction ceremony on Sept. 8 at the Hall of Fame facility in Chamberlain become available starting June 1 through the South Dakota Hall of Fame by calling 605-234-4216, or by visiting the Hall of Fame website.
