Year 1
$67,500
+ $1,000 relocation
Benefits & Stipends
The numbers behind the program.
Stipends grow each year. Insurance is real, not deductible-heavy. Education, certifications, and professional memberships are covered. And South Dakota has no state income tax — your paycheck goes further than the headline number suggests.
Insurance & coverage
What's covered, and what it costs you
Most lines below are at no cost to the resident. The Center for Family Medicine is the employer; coverage starts day one.
Health insurance
$0 costWellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Dakota. Single and family coverage at no cost. Effective day one of employment.
Dental insurance
Delta DentalDelta Dental single coverage at no cost. Family coverage available at the resident's expense.
Vision insurance
IncludedSingle vision coverage at no cost. Additional coverage available for purchase.
Life insurance
$50K term$50,000 term life policy at no cost, with conversion privilege when residency ends.
Long-term disability
$2,500/mo$2,500/month benefit. Premiums paid in full by the Center for Family Medicine, with conversion privilege at graduation.
Professional liability
Fully coveredFull malpractice coverage provided by the Center for Family Medicine at no cost to the resident.
Compensation extras
Beyond salary
The pieces of compensation that most residency pages bury at the bottom of a list. Stack them up and the package looks different.
$3,000 education allowance
Total across all three years, rolls over annually. For books, meeting fees, and educational materials.
Free work lunches
Lunch is provided at Monday–Thursday noon conferences and any hospital on-call meals.
5 paid meeting days
Years 2 and 3 each include five paid days for outside conferences and CME.
Moonlighting
Up to 60 hours per month allowed in Years 2 and 3.
Three-day funded retreat
Each year the program funds a resident-selected three-day weekend retreat at a nearby resort.
Two white coats + new laptop
Provided by the Center for Family Medicine when you start.
Education & professional development
Certifications and memberships are paid for.
Course registrations covered
- ATLS Advanced Trauma Life Support
- ALSO Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics
- NRP Neonatal Resuscitation Program
- PALS Pediatric Advanced Life Support
- BLS Basic Life Support (renewal)
- ACLS Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (renewal)
Professional memberships, paid
- American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
- South Dakota Academy of Family Physicians
- South Dakota State Medical Association
Plus access to the Employee Assistance Program through both health systems.
The other half of compensation
Your dollar goes further in Sioux Falls.
South Dakota has no state income tax. That's worth several thousand dollars a year compared to a similar stipend elsewhere — money you keep.
Cost of living lines up with the paycheck. Median home listing prices sit around $310K, median rent around $1,100/month. Residents routinely buy a home during residency.
Outside the financial part: 80+ public parks, 30 miles of bike trails, 12 golf courses, eight swimming pools, four semi-pro sports teams, 700+ restaurants, and the Falls of the Big Sioux River five minutes from the hospital.
Editable when the numbers change
Want a year-specific breakdown?
Each curriculum page lists year-specific stipend, vacation, and meeting-day specifics. Use the curriculum links above, or rotate with us to see it in practice.