Sanford Medical Education

Developing Exceptional Physicians

Sanford Health is committed to excellence in our medical education programs. We’re proud to be a major teaching site for medical residency and fellowship programs.

Every year, we train over 300 residents and fellows, as well as nearly 500 medical students.

Our programs give developing physicians the resources they need to thrive and build lasting relationships with experts in their field. If you’re a student looking to gain hands-on clinical experience, our medical education programs are for you.

Advancing medical education is one of our initiatives supported by a $300 million gift from philanthropist Denny Sanford. Recruitment and retention of health care professionals can be challenging in rural areas. This gift enables us to double our graduate education opportunities and expand our recruitment and retention programs.

 

Medical Education at Sanford Health

Training the physicians and medical experts of tomorrow is no small task. Sanford Health is working to shape the future of health care with exceptional educational opportunities that connect residents, fellows and students to knowledgeable mentors and advanced technologies. We’re proud to continue our century-long commitment to education.

 

Residency Programs

Family Medicine Residency Program

We’re a proud training site of the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences’ 36-month Family Medicine Residency in Fargo, North Dakota. This program is designed to equip residents with the expertise they need to provide comprehensive family medicine services in rural and underserved communities.


General Surgery Residency Program

Primarily located at the Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the General Surgery Residency trains surgeons to provide excellent surgical care to rural communities and beyond. Residents can get a variety of hands-on experiences and general surgery training to develop their expertise across 12 surgical fields.


Internal Medicine Residency Program

Sanford Health is a training site for the Internal Medicine Residency with the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences. This program offers an individualized program structure and additional opportunities with UND’s Hematology-Oncology Fellowship and Geriatrics Fellowship. Residents develop a strong foundation in internal medicine that can be applied to various medical career paths.


Neurology Residency Program

Sanford Health offers training sites for Neurology Residency programs for both the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences in Fargo, North Dakota, and the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Residents have most of their rotations in their respective cities of Fargo or Sioux Falls. UND's residents do have the option to complete a three-month pediatric neurology rotation at the Sanford Children's Hospital in Sioux Falls.


Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program

The University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences and Sanford Health Orthopedic Surgery Residency is part of our commitment to educating the next generation of orthopedic surgeons. Our residents observe and participate in a variety of orthopedic procedures such as treatments and surgeries in orthopedic trauma, spine, hand, foot and ankle, sports medicine, oncology and more. We also offer opportunities in research to improve patient care and advance available treatments.


Pathology Residency Program

Sanford Health is a Sioux Falls training site for the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine Pathology Residency. The program prepares residents with a comprehensive foundation in pathology and gives them opportunities to gain expertise in a variety of subspecialties. Recent graduates of the program have matched with competitive fellowships in surgical pathology, breast pathology, hematopathology, cytopathology and dermatopathology.


Pediatrics Residency Program

Sanford Health offers pediatrics residency program training sites for the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences in Fargo, North Dakota, and the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Residents have most of their rotations in either Fargo or Sioux Falls.


Podiatric Residency Program

Explore the podiatry specialty and get hands-on experiences as a resident in Sanford Health’s Podiatric Residency. You’ll learn through daily interactions with providers and patients and can pursue educational opportunities through a variety of orthopedic surgical cases, trauma and total replacement surgeries.


Transitional Year Residency Program

Based out of Sanford Health in Fargo, North Dakota, the University of North Dakota’s Transitional Year Residency provides resident physicians a year of clinical experience before they advance to their specialty training. You’ll interact one-on-one with faculty and get exceptional learning opportunities while building strong professional mentorships and relationships.


Fellowship Programs

Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship

Train at the Sanford Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship exposes fellows to a variety of clinical cases, procedures and educational conferences. This program provides training in all required areas of cardiology, including noninvasive cardiology and invasive diagnostic procedures.


Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship

Formed through a unique partnership between Sanford Health and the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences, the Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship is a comprehensive three-year program. Graduates will be board eligible in both medical oncology and hematology and can observe and participate in a variety of rotations.


GI Fellowship

This program is awaiting approval and will start in July of 2025.


Interventional Cardiology Fellowship

The University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine’s one-year Interventional Cardiology Fellowship is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Fellows will experience significant, complex caseloads and graduate with the ability to practice in any setting, including in rural communities.


Surgical Pathology Fellowship

The University of South Dakota Surgical Pathology Fellowship is a one-year accredited fellowship that provides focused training in surgical pathology. Fellows will participate in rotations focused on surgical pathology, frozen sections, consults and subspecialties.


Internship Consortium

Sanford Health-Psychology Internship Consortium

Our mission is to train and prepare future psychologists to provide exceptional behavioral health care in underserved rural communities throughout the Midwest. We’ve created a pathway within Sanford Health to help pre-doctoral interns become licensed and independently functioning psychologists.

The Sanford Health-Psychology Internship Consortium includes three behavioral health training sites in the Fargo and Moorhead region. The training program is a yearlong, full-time, 2,000-hour doctoral training experience.


About Sanford Health

Sanford Health is one of the largest health systems in the United States. Our organization is committed to providing an integrated delivery of care to promote wellness in the communities we serve.

As a resident, fellow or medical student training at Sanford Health, you’ll also have access to programs and opportunities with:

Together with our primary academic partners, the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences and the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, Sanford Health is committed to building a stronger physician workforce. We’re leading the next generation of health care professionals.

Sanford Health News

Classes & Events