Jonesboro, AR – (Contributed) – New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University (NYITCOM at A-State) announced Wednesday that the Jonesboro-based medical school has formed an official partnership with ‘SOFtoSOM,’ an organization that helps military veterans who are interested in pursuing medical education.

SOFtoSOM stands for “Special Operations Forces to School of Medicine.” Founded in 2023, SOFtoSOM is the first nonprofit dedicated to helping Special Operators pursue medicine, empowering them to transition from the battlefield to healthcare. The organization provides mentorship, guidance, and support to military veterans who aspire to attend medical school.

NYITCOM at A-State’s partnership with SOFtoSOM ensures that applications from SOF scholars are reviewed by individuals familiar with special operations medicine or veterans themselves. This tailored review process allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the applicants’ unique experiences and contributions.

As part of the partnership, NYITCOM will invite SOFtoSOM to student recruitment events to increase veterans’ opportunities to connect with medical schools. SOFtoSOM scholars that have completed the organization’s preparatory program and meet certain academic criteria will be offered interviews at NYITCOM.

“NYITCOM has a strong appreciation of our military, and our medical school has a long history of supporting our armed forces,” said Shane Speights, D.O., dean of NYITCOM at A-State and former U.S. Army National Guardsman. “Our partnership with SOFtoSOM gives us a pipeline to veterans who are outstanding medical school candidates, and it allows us to support a group of virtuous individuals who deserve our utmost respect and assistance as they transition to their next career phase.”

NYITCOM at A-State is one of 15 medical schools that has partnered with SOFtoSOM.

SOFtoSOM is led by C.E.O. Zachary LeBlanc, a former U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret who is now a medical student in West Virginia. After his own experience navigating the medical school application process as a non-traditional candidate, LeBlanc saw an opportunity to assist those who were interested in following a similar path, which led him to join four other veterans to found SOFtoSOM.

“Veterans are often very different from ‘traditional’ medical school applicants,” LeBlanc said. “Instead of gaining experience in hospitals, clinics, and research labs, our resumes consist of deployments, international medical experiences, and years of service in the workforce. Our organization connects with medical schools who understand the value in those experiences and wants access to recruit those types of future physicians to their institutions. We’re proud to add NYITCOM at A-State to the group of schools that are committed to helping create that path.”

In addition to Speights’ military background, NYITCOM at A-State Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. Amanda Deel is a U.S. Navy veteran, and NYITCOM at A-State has a number of alumni and current students who are military veterans.

“Students with military backgrounds certainly have unique perspectives in regards to leadership and service, and we hold those traits in very high regard,” Deel said. “We’re thrilled to work with SOFtoSOM to connect with these veterans and hopefully bring many of them to our medical school.”