SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Upstate Medical University says it’s working with a nonprofit organization to help veterans who served as medics become doctors.
The Norton College of Medicine is partnering with Special Operations Forces to School of Medicine (SOFtoSOM) to “clear a pathway to medical school” for those who served as medics in special operations forces — such as Navy Seals, Army Rangers, Marine Raiders, and others.
The Norton College of Medicine is now the fifth school in the country to partner with SOFtoSOM, Upstate noted.
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The nonprofit SOFtoSOM is “dedicated to aiding ‘special operators’ in their medical education pursuits,” per the Upstate announcement. Scholars are identified using selection protocols developed by special operations veterans and operational psychologists involved with selection for NASA.
SOFtoSOM offers these scholars the chance to conduct research before entering medical school, along with mentorship and financial assistance. Under the initiative, the Norton College of Medicine has committed to helping qualifying SOF applicants who have completed the SOFtoSOM program with navigating the medical-school application process and providing interview opportunities.
“We will offer an interview to SOFtoSOM candidates who have met the requisite GPA [grade point average] and MCAT [Medical College Admission Test] qualifications,” Robert Ruiz, associate dean of admissions at Upstate Medical University, said in the announcement.
Annually, the Norton College of Medicine receives more than 6,000 applicants for only 180 openings. The college interviews 515 students yearly, less than nine percent of all applicants, Upstate said.
“Being invited to interview means a potential student has bounded over a significant hurdle to getting into medical school,” Ruiz said. “We are pleased to be able to offer this to women and men who have served our country and bring a unique perspective to healthcare.”
Ricky Ditzel Jr., chairman and co-founder of SOFtoSOM, “underscored the importance” of this new partnership.
“In the Special Operations community, we live by the motto: Humans are more important than hardware,” said Ditzel, a U.S. Army special operations flight paramedic currently pursuing a career as a physician. “This collaboration will enrich the healthcare system by introducing highly skilled and resilient physician-leaders from our SOF veterans.”
