University of South Dakota Surgical Pathology Program

Sioux Falls, SDLast Updated: 2/19/2026

About This Program

Our mission is to train fellows and prepare them for practice. The fellow functions as a junior faculty member and to equip them with the necessary tools for successful practice.

Program Length

1 Year

First Year Positions

1 Position

Application Deadline

Avg Work Hours

50 Hours/Week

Program Setting

Community/University

Application Service

Program Statistics

View All

Compensation

$73k

15 Vacation Days
10 Sick Days

View All Benefits

Types of Graduates

Resident Gender

Contact Information

Program Director

Ashwyna Sunassee, MD
Sanford USD Med Ctr

[email protected]
(605) 333-1730

Primary Program Contact

Sarah Shin
Univ of South Dakota Sanford Sch of Med

[email protected]
(605) 357-1386
Program Website

Survey Received: 6/25/2025

Program ID: 3014666001

Locations

Sanford USD Med Ctr
Selective Pathology Pgm
1400 W 22nd St
Sioux Falls, SD 57105

Sponsor Location

PRIMARY TEACHING SITE

University of South Dakota School of Medicine

1400 W 22nd St
Sioux Falls, SD 57105-1570

Participant Locations

Sanford USD Medical Center Sioux Falls

1305 W 18th St
Sioux Falls, SD 57117

Application Information

Applicant Interview Format

Virtual

Interviews Conducted Last Year

1 Interviews

Interviews/First Year Positions

1:1

Program Participation

Medical Exam Licensing Requirements for Interview Consideration

U.S. MD Applicants

Must Have Passed Step 1

Yes

Must Have Passed Step 2

Yes

IMG Applicants

Must Have Passed Step 1

Yes

Must Have Passed Step 2

Yes

DO Applicants

Must Have Passed COMLEX Level 1

Yes

Must Have Passed COMLEX Level 2

Yes

Must Have Passed Step 1

Yes

Must Have Passed Step 2

Yes

Recommendation Letter Requirements

Total required letters of recommendation (excludes MSPE and Dean's letter)

Minimum

2 Letters

Maximum

4 Letters

Required specialty-specific letters of evaluation within total letters of recommendation

Letter(s) from someone within the specialty (e.g., faculty, attending)

Additional Eligibility Information

Requires Previous GME

Yes

Number of previous GME years required

4 year(s)

Offers Preliminary Positions

Required Specialty-Specific Away Rotations

Required Supplemental Information

Osteopathic Recognition

Medical School Graduation Timeline

No cap on the number of years.

Gap Experience Requirement

Data not provided by program

Resident / Fellow Characteristics

Three year averages. Medical school type does not include graduates of Canadian schools.

Types of Graduates

Resident Gender

Program Faculty

Faculty/Resident Ratio

8:1

Program Faculty

Female Faculty

62.5%

Faculty Distribution

Physicians (8)

Non-Physicians (--)

Work Environment

Work Schedule

Program Start Dates

July 1

Avg Hours/Week on Duty (During First Year)

50 Hours

Maximum Consecutive Hours on Duty (During First Year)

16 Hours

Avg Number of 24 Hour Off Duty Periods Per Week (During First Year)

1.70

Program Allows Moonlighting (Beyond PGY-1)

Night Float System

Call Schedule

Most Taxing Schedule & Frequency Per Year

Beeper or Home Call (Weeks / Year)

Year 1 - N/A

NGO

NA = Not Applicable

NGO = Negotiable

OTH = Other

Visa Status

This program will consider an appropriately qualified applicant with the following visa or visa status. Contact the program for additional information.

J-1 visa sponsorship through ECFMG

H-1B visa

F-1 visa (OPT 1st year)

Program Size

Current Residents

PGY-1s1

Key Dates & Timelines

2027 - 2028

DEC31

Application Due

Dec 31, 2026

JUL1

Interview Period Starts

Jul 1, 2025 - Dec 31, 2026

Average PGY-1 Educational Environment

Structured Didactic Activities

Hospital Outpatient

N/A

Non-Hospital Ambulatory Care

N/A

Employment Policies & Benefits

Moving allowance

Free parking

On-call meal allowance

Educational Benefits

Offered

Curriculum to develop health systems leadership skills (e.g., QI project leadership, community/organizational advocacy)

Yes

Debt management/financial counseling

Yes

Resident/fellow retreats

Yes

Research rotation

Optional

Not Offered

Integrative medicine curriculum

Formal program to foster interprofessional teamwork

Instruction in medical Spanish or other non-English language

Alternative/complementary medicine curriculum

Economics of health care systems curriculum

Academic support for USMLE Step 3 and/or COMLEX-USA Level 3 preparation

International experience/global health

Off-campus electives

Hospice/home care experience

MPH, MBA, PhD or other advanced degree training

Tracks & Educational Features

Data not provided by program

Evaluations

Program Evaluations

Aggregate resident Milestone achievements

Yes

Graduates’ board certification pass rates

Performance-based assessment scores (e.g. OSCE, patient or computer simulations)

Resident Evaluations

Patient surveys

Portfolio system

Yes

Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE)

Medical Insurance Coverage

Institution & Resident Share Cost

Fully Paid by Institution

Major medical for residents
Major medical for dependents
Major medical for domestic partners
Outpatient mental health
Inpatient mental health
Group life insurance
Dental insurance
Disability insurance

Salary Compensation

$73k

PGY-5

$73,000

Salary paid by a non-profit institution.

Vacation & Sick Days

Residents receive 15 Vacation Days and 10 Sick Days annually to support work-life balance and personal well-being.

Vacation Days15

Sick Days10

Family & Medical Leave Policy

Maximum # of paid days

10 days

Maximum # of unpaid days

NGO

For more information, view the program's leave policy on their website.

Quality of Life Information*

Sioux Falls, SD

Purchasing Power Index

Safety Index

Health Care Index

Climate Index

Cost of Living Index

Property Price to Income Ratio

Traffic Commute Time Index

Pollution Index

Estimated Monthly Costs

Estimated cost does not include rent.

Family of 4

Single Person

*Source: Numbeo

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