Become a rural healthcare leader through our diverse residency program

We're on a mission to train and prepare family physicians for practice in the rural communities of South Dakota and the Upper Midwest.

Through a hands-on approach, you’ll experience an education that emphasizes a broad knowledge base, solid procedural skills, a comfort level with telemedicine, and an ability to improvise. Rural medicine involves more than merely staffing the local healthcare facilities.

Watch Overview

John Chandler, MD

Resident, Class of 2024

"You have peers who have more experience than you who are training you on the job. They treat you like a peer. They give you enough rope to struggle with so you can grow."

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Jalen Lamb, DO

Resident, Class of 2024

"Residency isn't a straight and narrow path. As you work with faculty physicians, you not only get to participate in active management and decision making, but you will have a resource to lean back on."

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The Residency Experience

Get an inside view of each year of residency with sample rotation schedules and learn how you can customize it for your practice.

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Yearly Curriculum

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Welcome to Pierre, SD

We're excited to meet you!

Pierre is a friendly community that's a great place to live, work, play, and raise a family. Click below to explore what Pierre has to offer, and learn more about the community you'd call home for the majority of your residency.

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It's Currently

13°

Visit one of the city's 4 cultural museums for an afternoon full of history.

Program Director

A message from our program director

Why should Center for Family Medicine be your choice of specialties when considering your career in medicine? Family Medicine is the only specialty where you are able to treat all generations, from newborns to geriatric patients. Family physicians are skilled in treating chronic conditions and acute emergencies, develop deep relationships and trust with patients, and work in unlimited settings. In addition, family physicians can tailor their practice to their interests, which may include sports medicine, addictions, geriatrics, women’s care, HIV, rural or urban/suburban and many more. The Pierre Rural Family Medicine Residency program is a community-based program uniquely supported by two strong health systems – Avera McKennan and Sanford Health. We are also affiliated with the University of South Dakota – Sanford School of Medicine. All Center of Family Medicine, residents participate in patient safety events and are a part of quality improvement projects. They also serve on various committees throughout their residency. Our goal is to train exceptional physicians who will shine in their future clinic settings. Our graduates have been extraordinarily successful as proven in our outstanding board pass rate. We hope you enjoy discovering our program website, where you will find lots of information in regard to our rotations, didactic schedule, resident experience and life in Pierre, SD. Please feel free to contact us if you would like more information about our programs!

Brad Kamstra, DO Program Director