New dean of medical student affairs hired

Dawn Bragg was recently hired as the new dean of medical student affairs. Her first day was Feb. 15 and she accepted the position in November of 2017.

Bragg said what attracted her to USD were several colleagues within the Sanford School of Medicine and the university’s commitment to South Dakota communities.

Before coming to USD, Bragg served for 25 years at the Medical College of Wisconsin in various positions, such as the associate professor of pediatrics and medical education as well as the associate dean for student inclusion and academic enrichment.

Bragg said she wore two different hats during her time at Wisconsin.

“I made sure we provided quality curriculum for our medical students and educational opportunities for all different types of learners as they come into medical school,” she said. “The other hat of associate dean was to provide support for our medical students, provide services that will enhance their learning and help them to become better physicians.”

She said her office is committed to making sure students are successful and getting through their courses. She plans to work with curriculum, student services and academic support as well as pipeline programs.

“My goal is to make sure that our students have a rigorous experience, but a challenging one, one that helps them to enrich them to become better physicians when they go out into the country,” she said.

Bragg said she’s passionate about her line of work and is excited to work for students.

“I’m committed to providing that support for students (that) are mentored and challenged as they go through rigorous course of study to realize their dream of becoming physicians,” she said. “Many of our students have held these dreams since they were quite young and they’ve worked hard to get here to be at this point getting into medical school, so we want to ensure their success.”