Since it was founded, the ETSU Quillen College of Medicine has
graduated more than 150 veterans, and enrolled 29 over the past five years.

East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine, often boasting one of the nation’s largest populations of veteran students among medical schools, is launching a new partnership to provide veterans with more opportunities to attend medical school in Northeast Tennessee. 

Through a unique admissions pathway with Special Operations Forces to School of Medicine (SOFtoSOM), the Quillen College of Medicine will guarantee interviews to qualifying candidates and provide direct admission to up to three candidates per cycle who meet set qualifications. 

The Quillen College of Medicine is the only M.D. program in the nation with a direct admissions pathway with SOFtoSOM. It will begin with the Class of 2029 application cycle. 

In the last five years, Quillen has enrolled 29 veterans and graduated more than 150 since it was established more than a half-century ago. 

“We are incredibly proud of Quillen College of Medicine's long track record of supporting our veteran students,” said Dr. Bill Block, dean of the college and vice president for Clincal Affairs at ETSU. “Being located on the Mountain Home VA campus offers an ever-present reminder of our commitment to support those who serve our nation.” 

SOFtoSOM started as a group of service members connecting through social media to assist each other in their journey to medical school. In 2023, they officially founded SOFtoSOM as the first non-profit dedicated to helping special forces operators pursue medicine.

ETSU has been recognized as a Military Friendly® school for 15 consecutive years. In April, ETSU earned Gold status in the 2025-26 Military Friendly® School rankings, becoming one of just 32 large public institutions to receive the Gold-level designation. Schools are awarded through a rigorous evaluation of public data, student feedback and institutional programs.

To learn more about the Quillen College of Medicine, visit www.etsu.edu/com/. 

East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.

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