The mission of the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners is to protect the health and welfare of the state's citizens by assuring that only qualified doctors of medicine, doctors of osteopathy, physical therapists, advanced life support personnel, physician assistants, athletic trainers, occupational therapists, respiratory therapists, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and dietitians are licensed to practice in South Dakota.
Note: the Board strongly suggests that applicants not make commitments to start practicing or working in South Dakota until a license, permit or certificate is issued. Some applicants make commitments to start work at a certain time and later find that the commitment cannot be kept. Every applicant has a unique history and the Board cannot promise that an application will be processed in any given amount of time. The speed with which an application is processed depends on how quickly applicant initiated information arrives, is evaluated and the completion of a background investigation. Therefore, no estimates for issuance can be made until an application has been evaluated. Communication regarding the application shall be in writing and directly between the Board and the applicant.