An MD/PhD Program and No Research Scientists on Staff

I have lost my amazement at the administration (lack thereof) of the University of South Dakota School of Medicine. To some extent, I am beginning to wonder why T Denny Sanford is giving money to this institution? An MD/PhD program and a limited faculty conducting basic scientific research. How is it possible that such a department and degree is issued? Can someone provide a logical answer for this?

Clearly, no one in the MD/PhD program has the experiences or qualifications of an MD/PhD student at an institution such as Michigan, Minnesota or even Iowa. The Director of the USD MD/PhD program, Xuejun Wang (http://www.usd.edu/med/biomed/faculty/biosketch/xuejunwang.cfm), was "trained" in China, does NOT have a valid medical license and does NOT practice medicine. My guess, he was not trained in "western medicine." Moreover, this individual supposed completed a PhD at the University of South Dakota ... Talk about nepotism!

Amazingly, as a non-licensable physician and publicly using the credentials of M.D., Mr. Xuejun Wang is in direct violation of The State of South Dakota Codified Laws and Constitution and is guilty of an intentional Class 1 Misdemeanor. This violation was brought to the attention of the Governors Office and the State Attorney General's Office. Todate, nothing has been done about this. It amazes me that the Citizens of South Dakota have enacted legislation and the two principles officers of the State of South Dakota are refusing to enforce the law that they have sworn to uphold. Neither officer has the authority to decided which laws he will uphold, their duities reside in maintaining the laws of the State, not of their conscience. Maybe, our SD legislative followers will chime-in on this one (State Senator Jerstad maybe it is time for you to step-up and act).

Reference:
§36-4-9. Use of title and other acts constituting practice of medicine. For the purpose of this chapter, "practice of medicine or osteopathy" includes, but not by way of limitation, to append or prefix the letters M.D., or D.O. or the title of Doctor or Dr. or Specialist or Osteopath or any other sign or appellation in a medical sense to one's name or to profess publicly to be a physician or surgeon or to recommend, prescribe or direct for the use of any person any drug, medicine, apparatus, or other agency for the cure, relief or palliation of any ailment or disease of the mind or body or the cure or relief of any wound, fracture or bodily injury or deformity.

No one in the Basic Sciences Faculty at the University of South Dakota School of Medicine has training in the fields of human medicine. Not one single individual has a PhD in a relevant human medicine field. A majority of the faculty do not perform hypothesis driven research and most of the faculty have not contributed to or published a single research driven manuscript in > 10 years.

This MD/PhD program at the University of South Dakota is a sham ... much like the faculty comprising the Basic Sciences division (http://www.usd.edu/med/biomed/faculty/home.cfm).