VERMILLION, S.D.(KELO)- One of South Dakota’s best workforce recruitment strategies is to prevent young students from leaving the state.

That’s especially true in critical areas like medical practice.

Dr. Tim Ridgeway, the Dean of the USD School of Medicine says med school graduates are filling critical roles in the rural areas of the state.

He says that number goes up to 75-percent for those who complete their residency in South Dakota.