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MD · Vermillion, SD · public · applies through AMCAS

University of South Dakota, Sanford School of Medicine

Known as South Dakota (Sanford)

LCME: FullWebsiteAdmissions pagemd@usd.edu(605) 658-6302
—MCAT
—GPA
—Class size
79%In-state matriculants (AAMC 2025)
$36Secondary fee
See belowSecondary deadline
$35,344Tuition + fees, in state
$81,474Tuition + fees, out of state

Prerequisite coursework

Verify with the school
AP credit: Varies by courseCommunity college: YesOnline courses: YesPass/fail: Case-by-case
CourseStatusHoursLabPass/failAP creditOnlineCommunity collegeNotes from the school
Biochemistry
CHEM
Required3NoCase-by-case
Will accept P/F for courses from schools who had switched from a grade to P/F due to the COVID Pandemic.
NoYesYes
Biology
BIOL
Required8YesCase-by-case
Will accept P/F for courses from schools who had switched from a grade to P/F due to the COVID Pandemic.
YesYesYesTwo semesters of General/Introductory Biology or combination with other upper level Biology courses such as Cell Biology, Molecular Biology etc.
Chemistry
CHEM
Required12YesCase-by-case
Will accept P/F for courses from schools who had switched from a grade to P/F due to the COVID Pandemic.
YesYesYesGeneral Chemistry I and II & an Organic Chemistry course with lab.
Composition & Rhetoric
ENGL
Recommended—NoCase-by-case
Will accept P/F for courses from schools who had switched from a grade to P/F due to the COVID Pandemic.
YesYesYes
Genetics
BIOL
Recommended3NoCase-by-case
Will accept P/F for courses from schools who had switched from a grade to P/F due to the COVID Pandemic.
NoYesYes
Mathematics
MATH
Required3NoCase-by-caseYesYesYesCollege Algebra level or higher.
Microbiology
BIOL
Recommended4YesCase-by-case
Will accept P/F for courses from schools who had switched from a grade to P/F due to the COVID Pandemic.
NoYesYes
Physics
PHYS
Required8YesCase-by-case
Will accept P/F for courses from schools who had switched from a grade to P/F due to the COVID Pandemic.
YesYesYes
Physiology
BIOL
Recommended3NoCase-by-case
Will accept P/F for courses from schools who had switched from a grade to P/F due to the COVID Pandemic.
NoYesYes
Psychology
BESS
Recommended3NoCase-by-case
Will accept P/F for courses from schools who had switched from a grade to P/F due to the COVID Pandemic.
YesYesYes
Sociology
BESS
Recommended—NoCase-by-case
Will accept P/F for courses from schools who had switched from a grade to P/F due to the COVID Pandemic.
YesYesYes
Statistics
MATH
Required3NoCase-by-case
Will accept P/F for courses from schools who had switched from a grade to P/F due to the COVID Pandemic.
NoYesYes

Community-college pathways

Upward transfer: YesAccelerated: YesSupplemental: Yes

Courses taken at an accredited Community College will be considered.

Source: (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13).

Source: MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Premed Course Requirements 2027 (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.

Admission policies, in the school's words

**Response to COVID-19 - Information for the Admissions Cycle**Please note the following information about pass/fail requirements coursework, policies for online courses/labs and Letters of Evaluation: Pass/Fail – The University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine (USD-SSOM) recognizes the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in disrupting coursework. Although the committee would prefer grades for the prerequisite courses taken during the 2020 Spring/Summer/Fall semesters, we will accept Pass/Fail grades. Letters of Evaluation – As always, USD-SSOM accepts all letter types (Individual, letter packets or Committee letters) Online Coursework and Labs -- As always, USD-SSOM accepts online coursework from any accredited institution. Deposits are due two weeks after receiving an offer letter or notification of placement on our alternate list. See the following URL: https://www.usd.edu/Admissions-and-Aid/Medical-School-Admissions/Howto-Apply

Source: MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Admission Policies and Information 2027 (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.

Who can apply

Out-of-state applicants
Case-by-case Need ties to state such as SD High School Grad, at least 90 credits at a SD college/university, parent living in SD, child of SSOM alumni, member of a federally recognized tribe from border state.
Canadian applicants
No
International applicants
No
DACA applicants
No
Residency preference (school's page)
Residents of South Dakota are granted an opportunity to interview; non-residents with strong ties to the state (such as a South Dakota high school diploma or a parent living in the state) are reviewed for possible invitation to interview.

Source: (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.

Interview

Traditional / one-on-oneVirtual
Format
Currently, one on one virtual interviews. Please check for updates.
Invitations sent
Mid August to early September
Typical interview day
Interview day will be virtual and consist of various presentations in the morning followed by oneon-one interviews in the afternoon. More information will be provided following interview invitation.
Regional interviews
Not applicable.
Video interviews
All interviews are virtual.
School's admissions page says
one-on-one interviews: two with admissions committee members (open file) and one with a student (closed file), September–February

Tags are derived from the text above by keyword; read the text before relying on a tag.

Source: MSAR Report for Applicants and Advisors: Interview Procedures 2027 (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.

Situational-judgment tests and MCAT dates

Casper
Not on official list source
AAMC PREview
Exploring (not used in decisions) "Exploring PREview for Future use – will not be used in this cycle’s admissions decisions" source
Latest MCAT considered
October 31, 2026
Oldest MCAT considered
November 2023

Casper status comes from the school's own admissions page where it states one, otherwise from published requirement lists; PREview from the school's page or the AAMC PREview policies report. Both change between cycles. Verify with the school.

Source: (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13).

Secondary application

Required
Yes
Fee
$36
Fee waiver available
Yes
Deadline
Due two weeks after receiving email request for secondary application.
Who receives it
Most SD residents and selected non-residents with strong ties to SD who have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.1 and a composite MCAT of at least 496.

Source: (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.

Letters of evaluation

Committee letter
Accepted
Letter packet
Accepted
Individual letters
Accepted

Source: (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13). Verify with the school.

Waitlist and deposit

Typical waitlist positions
35-40
Offers made from the waitlist
—
Procedure
Applicants on Waitlist are ranked and offered a position in order of their rank.
Deposit required
Yes in state $100 · out of state $100
Refundable / applied to tuition
Yes Yes

Source: (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13).

Cost of attendance and debt

In stateOut of state
Tuition and fees$35,344$81,474
Health insurance$2,182$2,182
Total cost of attendance, year 1$64,369$110,499

98% of students receive aid. Average indebtedness of indebted graduates: $182,306.

Source: (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13).

Official AAMC counts, 2025-2026

Applications
1,076 (12% in-state)
Matriculants
71 (78.9% in-state, 21.1% out-of-state; 56.3% women)
Applications per seat
15

Source: AAMC FACTS Table A-1: Applications and Matriculants by School, State of Legal Residence, and Gender, 2025-2026 (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13).

Transfer applications

No

Source: (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13).

Mission statement

The mission of the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine is to provide the opportunity for South Dakota residents to receive a quality, broad-based medical education with an emphasis on family medicine. The curriculum is to be established to encourage graduates to serve people living in the medically underserved areas of South Dakota and is to require excellence in the basic sciences and in all clinical disciplines. The University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine is to provide to its students and to the people of South Dakota excellence in education, research and service. To these ends, the School is to provide educational pathways leading to both the Doctor of Medicine and the Doctor of Philosophy Degrees. Quality health care for the people of South Dakota is addressed by undergraduate, graduate and continuing educational programs as well as by basic and applied medical research. The Sanford School of Medicine should serve as a technical resource in the development of health care policy in the state and provide extension and research initiatives to improve the health care of the citizens of the state.

Source: (AAMC, retrieved 2026-10-13).

Notes

Minimum cumulative GPA 3.1 and composite MCAT 496 to be offered an interview (applicants below 3.1 may be considered individually with a 496+ MCAT and strong recent coursework); U.S. citizens or permanent residents only; nonrefundable $35 supplemental application fee (submitted only when requested). No entering-class statistics are published on the admissions pages reviewed; the Alumni Student Scholars program gives conditional acceptance to selected South Dakota high school students.

Sources for this page

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