Pierre Rural Family Medicine Residency grew out of the Governor's Primary Care Task Force to help bring primary care to rural communities across South Dakota. Our three-year, ACGME-accredited program welcomes two new residents each year. We're a sister program to Sioux Falls Family Medicine Residency and affiliated with the USD Sanford School of Medicine.
Our mission
We prepare family physicians for rural practice by caring for patients in Pierre and surrounding communities. Patient-centered, evidence-based care and service to our neighbors are at the heart of that training.
Our story
The Governor's Primary Care Task Force identified a pressing need for more family physicians in rural South Dakota. With state support, the Center for Family Medicine developed a second residency program to serve Pierre and the surrounding region.
Our sister program, Sioux Falls Family Medicine Residency, has trained more than 400 physicians since 1973, with 75% practicing in South Dakota and neighboring states. You'll spend year one learning alongside Sioux Falls residents at the Center for Family Medicine, then move to Pierre for years two and three at Avera St. Mary's Hospital and Avera Medical Group Pierre – MAC Lane.
Training in Pierre means getting to know rural medicine and the people who depend on it. You'll build skills, relationships, and community ties that can become the foundation of your future practice.
By the numbers
Our heritage
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What guides us
These commitments guide the rotations we offer, the electives you explore, and the faculty who teach you. They're at the heart of how we learn together and care for our communities.
Full-scope
Continuity OB
Build lasting relationships as the primary physician for your obstetric patients, from their first prenatal visit through delivery and postpartum care. Faculty at Avera St. Mary's and the Center for Family Medicine guide and supervise you along the way.
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Certifications covered
The program covers ATLS, ALSO, NRP, PALS, and ACLS certifications. Build the procedural skills and confidence to provide more care close to home for your rural patients.
Rural
Mission-driven
Created to help address South Dakota's rural physician shortage, our program prepares you to serve communities close to home. The relationships you build during training can lay the groundwork for a lasting rural practice.
On-site
Part of curriculum
Behavioral health is woven into your training, helping you recognize and respond to the mental health needs of patients in rural primary care.
Our objectives
Milestones over hour-counts. You progress when you've demonstrated the skill, not when the calendar says so.
Every rotation answers the question: will this prepare you to be the family physician your community needs?
Daily noon conferences and journal clubs build the habit of staying current after residency, not just during it.
Comprehensive care across the lifespan, grounded in current evidence, not just inherited practice patterns.
Newborns to geriatrics. Outpatient continuity, inpatient teams, OB, ED. A genuinely full-scope panel.
Compassionate, patient-centered care for the diverse communities of Pierre and rural South Dakota.
Life in the program
With two residents per class, faculty get to know your strengths, interests, and goals. Spend year one alongside Sioux Falls residents, then join a close-knit team in Pierre for years two and three.
Each year, enjoy a program-funded three-day retreat at a nearby resort chosen by residents. As you take on more independence, faculty remain available to guide you and talk through questions.
Beyond the hospital, Pierre offers life along the Missouri River, recreation on Lake Oahe, and a welcoming community. Affordable housing and no state income tax help you make the most of your stipend while you settle in.
Come get to know us
Join us for an afternoon of shadowing, a one-week visit, or a 2 or 4-week elective. We'll help you choose an experience that fits where you are in your training.