Brookings, S.D. – Oct. 19, 2026 – The Brookings community has been selected as a Frontier And Rural Medicine (FARM) program expansion site by the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine (SSOM).
FARM, the SSOM’s rural track program, offers a unique opportunity for a select group of third-year medical students to complete 11 months of clinical training in a rural community. Starting in March 2027, Brookings Health System, Access Health and Avera Brookings will collaborate to provide clinical training annually to one future doctor.
“This program is a workforce investment and recruiting strategy for us,” said Brookings Health System President & CEO Jason Merkley. “Our hope is that future physicians who choose to train in Brookings will see all the benefits our community and health system has to offer them and decide to return to Brookings to practice medicine once they complete their residency.”
Selected FARM sites demonstrate they have the capabilities to support medical students during their third-year clinical rotations. Qualifications for FARM sites include:
- At least two primary care physicians
- Community population of no more than 30,000
- Obstetrics and surgical presence
- Outreach specialty clinics
- Inpatient and ambulatory experiences
- Long-term care experiences
- Attractive, furnished student housing
- Provision of medical care/mental health care for FARM students
“Beyond the fact that Brookings Health System, Access Health and Avera Brookings have been valuable partners of the medical school for many years, it was apparent during our site visit that all were deeply invested in bringing the FARM program and its unique experience to the community,” said Janet Fulk, assistant director of the FARM program. “The physicians and staff we met during our visit seemed excited about having USD medical students on a more longitudinal basis, which made it even more attractive to have FARM students there. We know that the relationships built during the FARM experience, not only with the healthcare team, but within the FARM communities, can have a significant impact on the students’ trajectory into residency and future practice.”
In addition to their clinical experience, medical students are required to complete a community project intended to address a need within the community they serve during their training period. Projects may focus on health education for youth and/or adults, community service projects, ongoing community support projects or projects that address other unmet needs within the community.
“Brookings is a great community for our students to live and learn in,” said Fulk. “We are excited for them to get started.”
About Brookings Health System
Brookings Health System, located in Brookings, South Dakota, includes a 49-bed hospital, the 79-bed The Neighborhoods at Brookview nursing home, Brookhaven Estates senior living apartments, Yorkshire Eye Clinic & Optical, and medical clinics in Arlington, White and Volga, South Dakota. It is a non-profit, municipal health system that offers the community a full range of inpatient, outpatient, emergency and extended care services. Brookings Hospital provides local access to doctors in Brookings and offers robotic da Vinci surgery and Mako robotic-arm assisted procedures, making it one of the premier rural community hospitals in South Dakota. For more information about the services offered at Brookings Health System, please call (605) 696-9000 or visit us on the Web at brookingshealth.org .
— From Brookings Health System
