Sioux Falls Family Medicine Residency is a three-year, ACGME-accredited program jointly sponsored by Avera Health and Sanford Health and affiliated with the USD Sanford School of Medicine. We welcome nine new residents each year into a close-knit learning community. Our 500+ graduates carry that tradition forward, with most caring for communities across South Dakota and neighboring states.
Our mission
Evidence-based medicine. Real patient care. Community service. A curriculum built for rural and regional practice, not just any office in any city.
A half-century in Sioux Falls
Since May 1973, Sioux Falls Family Medicine Residency has prepared physicians to meet the needs of rural communities across the Upper Midwest. More than 50 years and 500 graduates later, that purpose remains at the heart of our training.
Jointly sponsored by Avera McKennan and Sanford Health, residents learn across two major health systems with a combined hospital capacity of nearly 900 beds. Continuity clinics at the Center for Family Medicine and Falls Community Health Center help residents build lasting patient relationships. We’re affiliated with the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine and fully ACGME-accredited.
About 80% of our graduates practice in South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, or Minnesota, carrying forward a tradition of caring for our neighbors and strengthening the communities we call home.
By the numbers
Our heritage
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What guides us
From rotations and electives to the faculty who teach beside you, these commitments shape how we train, care, and grow together.
55 / yr
First-year deliveries (avg.)
Continuity OB starts in Year 1 with a weekly clinic for uninsured and low-income mothers. First-year residents average 13 continuity deliveries and 55 total deliveries — far above what most programs offer.
5
Certifications covered
ATLS, ALSO, NRP, PALS, ACLS — all covered. You graduate able to do the procedures that rural and small-city family medicine requires, not just refer them out.
FQHC
Embedded in curriculum
Falls Community Health Center is a federally-qualified health center built into the curriculum. You'll see Sioux Falls' refugee population — clinical diversity most rural programs never encounter.
On-site
Behavioral health director
Dr. Aaron Bergman, PhD, directs behavioral health on-site. Mental health teaching is woven through the residency, not added as a separate rotation.
Our objectives
Build your skills with clear milestones and personal guidance. Your progress reflects the knowledge, judgment, and abilities you demonstrate as you grow into a confident family physician.
Every rotation helps you build the broad skills, sound judgment, and resourcefulness to be the physician your community counts on—even when you’re the only family doctor in the room.
Regular noon conferences and journal clubs help you build the curiosity and habits to keep learning, stay current, and care for your patients well throughout your career.
Learn to provide comprehensive, evidence-based care throughout life, with a focus on prevention and helping patients and families stay well.
From newborns to older adults, build the skills to care for the whole family. Gain experience in continuity clinic, inpatient care, obstetrics, and emergency medicine, preparing you for the breadth of family practice.
Learn to care for each patient’s physical, emotional, and social needs, with behavioral health woven into everyday practice. Our director of behavioral health is right here in the building, offering guidance and support as you learn.
Life in the program
With nine residents per class, you’ll be known as a person and have fellow residents to lean on. Friendships grow through shared experiences, everyday moments, and the encouragement you give one another.
Each year, enjoy a program-funded three-day retreat at a nearby resort chosen by residents. Faculty are close at hand, helping you build independence while offering guidance when you need it.
Beyond training, Sioux Falls offers a manageable cost of living, outdoor recreation, downtown dining along the Big Sioux River, and local sports to enjoy. With no state income tax, it’s a place to build your career and put down roots.
Come get to know us
Whether you join us for an afternoon of shadowing, a one-week visit, or a four-week elective, we’ll help find the experience that fits your stage of training.