Sara Dye (born 1945) is a physician and

surgeon In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...

who has worked with Native American tribes in

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

and South Dakota. Dye was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1945 and is a member of both Sac and Fox Nation and the Shawnee.

Education

Upon reaching graduation of high school, a counselor discouraged Dye from becoming a physician, so Dye decided to pursue a career in x-ray technology. Receiving the highest grade on her x-ray technician exit exams, Dye decided to study medicine again. In 1968, Dye enrolled at Northeastern Oklahoma State University for her undergraduate, where she graduated with a 3.8 in pre-med. In 1971, Dye continued her education at the Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire, and in 1975 she graduated with her Doctorate in Medicine. Later in 1983, Dye returned and completed a residency with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center of New Hampshire.

Career

Oklahoma

Returning to Oklahoma, Dye took a position as a general medical officer in Claremore Indian Hospital. In 1983, after completing a residency in general surgery, Dye became the sixteenth practicing Native American Surgeon in the United States, when she was named the staff surgeon at Carl Albert Indian Hospital. Dye continued working there for the next ten years working in research, women's health, and preventive healthcare and as director of the Non-Invasive Vascular Laboratory. Dye also worked with the Indian Health services in Administration/management, and research and training during her time in Ada, Oklahoma. In between her hospital work and IHS work, Dye served on the admission board of the

University of Oklahoma College of Medicine History The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine was founded in 1900 as a medical department of the University of Oklahoma at its main campus in Norman. Lawrence N. Upjohn, M.D. is regarded as the "founding dean" and served from 1900-1904. ...

South Dakota

In 1994 Dye moved to Aberdeen, South Dakota to accept a position with the Indian Health Service as the chief medical officer. Starting at the same time, Dye became a consulting surgeon at Cheyenne River Indian Hospital. As the chief medical officer, Dye stood on committees for Infant Mortality Study (IMS) and the Perinatal Infant Mortality Review (PRMR). Those committees look into the

infant mortality Infant mortality is the death of young children under the age of 1. This death toll is measured by the infant mortality rate (IMR), which is the probability of deaths of children under one year of age per 1000 live births. The under-five morta ...

rates of the Native American populations and SIDS or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Dye started teaching in 2003 when she took an Assistant Professor position at the University of South Dakota. Dye continues to teach in Aberdeen, South Dakota as a Clinical Assistant Professor with a focus in

Family medicine Family medicine is a medical specialty within primary care that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, genders, diseases, and parts of the body. The specialist, who is usually a primary ...

for the University of South Dakota's Sanford School of Medicine.

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dye, Sara K. 1945 births Living people American physicians 21st-century Native American women 21st-century Native Americans Sac and Fox Nation people Shawnee people University of South Dakota faculty Physicians from Oklahoma People from Oklahoma City Northeastern State University alumni Geisel School of Medicine alumni