Residency Experience

First-Year Resident Curriculum & Benefit Information

01
Year One Curriculum

The first year of residency consists primarily of rotations at Avera McKennan and Sanford Health hospitals, supplemented by one half-day per week at the Center for Family Medicine. During clinic time, you'll begin to build a practice. You'll also care for a panel of OB patients one half-day per week at one of the sponsoring hospitals.

Below you'll find a first year resident's requirements, a sample rotation schedule, and all stipends, activities, and benefits information.

First Year Requirements

Required Rotations

  • 16 weeks Core Family Medicine
  • 8 weeks CFM Inpatient Team (CFMIT)
  • 4 weeks Night Float (Counts as Obstetrics)
  • 4 weeks Inpatient Pediatrics
  • 4 weeks Outpatient Pediatrics
  • 4 weeks Emergency Medicine
  • 4 weeks Obstetrics
  • 4 weeks Outpatient Selective (Gynecology, Geriatrics, Cardiology/Pulmonary, Musculoskeletal)
  • 4 weeks Orientation

First year resident

Sample Rotation Schedule

Block01

Orientation

Block02

CFM Inpatient Team

Block03

Core Family Medicine

Block04

Pediatrics Inpatient

Block05

Core Family Medicine

Block06

Outpatient Pediatrics

Block07

Night Float

Block08

Core Family Medicine

Block09

MSK Outpatient Selective

Block10

Core Family Medicine

Block11

Emergency Medicine

Block12

Obstetrics Avera

Block13

Core Family Medicine

Note

First year residents have a 53-week contract to accommodate orientation time, and a week of “time back” is given.

Financial benefits

Stipend

$66,000

For first-year residents.

PS — South Dakota has no state income tax

Relocation

$1,000

Toward relocation expenses for first-year residents

Education

$3,000

Total educational allowance for all three years. Any unused amount can be carried over to the next year. The educational expense money allotted may be used either for meeting costs or for educational books or materials. The ATLS, ALSO, NRP and PALS courses are provided.

Work Lunch

Free

You will be provided a free lunch at noon conferences Monday through Thursday, and when on call at the hospitals.

Vacation Weeks

3

You will receive a full three weeks of vacation during your first year. First-year residents have a 53-week contract to accommodate orientation and a week of “time back” is given.

First year activities

Noon Conference

In addition to the required rotations, you’ll attend a daily noon conference which includes our in-house curriculum covering various disciplines, complemented by other scheduled conferences and journal clubs. These meetings ensure broad exposure to the wide variety of problems encountered in family medicine and give exposure to those conditions which are not so common.

OB Clinic

First-year residents will manage a once-weekly clinic for uninsured and low-income women. You will take primary responsibility for continuity in patients’ prenatal care, delivery, and postpartum care. You’ll also provide hospital care for the infant and often continue to follow them in the clinic throughout the remainder of residency. This clinic provides an excellent opportunity to manage routine pregnancies, as well as complex pregnancy conditions through collaboration with our OB-GYN and Maternal-Fetal Medicine colleagues. Past residents have averaged 13 continuity deliveries during their first year (55 total deliveries on average)! After this experience, you’ll feel much more confident managing OB patients, and you’ll be prepared should you wish to make obstetrics part of your future practice.

Retreat

First-year residents will enjoy a retreat weekend with funding supplied by the program. As a group, you will select an area resort hotel for a three-day weekend of fun and relaxation.

Other benefits

  • 3 Weeks Vacation
  • Vision Insurance
  • Wellness Memberships at Reduced Rate
  • Professional Liability Insurance
  • Health Insurance
  • Disability
  • Dental Insurance
  • Life Insurance
Learn More About These Benefits