Military Alumni

Click below to read the stories of our outstanding veterans who entrusted us with their medical education:

• Chrissy O'Hara, MD (US Army)

  

  2002: Graduated from West Point and entered MI 
  2003-2004: Exercises for war 
  2005: Took Orgo 1 at UAF while an active duty Intelligence Platoon Leader in the 172nd Arctic Light Infrantry BDE. Deployed ADVON to Iraq in the middle of Orgo, had to bring my book and adapt. 
  June/July 2005: Deployed as a unit to Mosul, Iraq. Studied for MCAT during war ops. 
  July 2006: Diverted to Baghdad to Surge. Got MCAT sent to Baghdad. Took MCAT. 
  December 2006/January 2007: Redeployed to Alaska. Took Orgo II, Orgo lab, Micro, went on interview trail down to the lower 48. Continued work as BN S2 throughout this time. Offered Military Intelligence command and HHC BSB command - turned down for med school. 
  August 2007: Started med school 
  October 2007: Was recalled to Iraq on my cell phone in the middle of cadaver lab...being HPSP kept me in med school. 
  July 2010: Did 4th year rotations in Texas with the Army.

  
  I applied from Mosul, Iraq. Having no doctors in the family, I googled med schools and called ETSU to see if I could get in. Doug Taylor picked up and let me know about a little something called AMCAS. He then stayed on the line. That changed my world, and inevitably led to me choosing Quillen over Tulane and USUHS.

  12 days from me taking the MCAT back in Alaska, my unit (the 172nd Stryker BDE) was extended to Baghdad after one year in Mosul. This would be the 4th MCAT that I had missed due to deployments and military commitments. Between my BDR Commander, father, and talking with the MCAT people, a first ever MCAT sitting in the middle of Baghdad occurred. I did this in the middle of chaos, short notice, and commanding patrols, so if you want something, don't make excuses. Just do it.

• Kevin Jenkins, MD (US Army)

  113th Army Band 
  Fort Knox, Kentucky 
  1986-1989 
  
  
  

  There was a specific demonstration of great respect for our veterans at Quillen College of Medicine, which I remember very well. On our first day of Psychiatry, Dr. Kelly asked for the veterans to stand, then asked the class to join him in an applause as a show of gratitude for their service. Dr. Kelly earned my respect that day.

  Kevin also stands amoungst several generations of family members that have served the United States.

  
  
  
  
• Bradley W. Beeler, MD (USAF)

  
  
  Major | USAF | Quillen Class of 2012
  

  
  Program Director - Hematology and Oncology Fellowship, San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium

  
  Hematology Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant Staff
  Brooke Army Medical Center
  
  
  

• Andrew J. Carey, MD (USAF)

  Captain | USAF

  Captain (Dr.) Andrew "Sooch" Carey is a native of Elizabethton, TN who is currently serving on active duty orders in the United States Air Force. He entered the service via the HPSP in 2015 prior to entering Quillen College of Medicine. He enjoyed a thriving Military Medicine Interest Group during his four years in medical school. It was during medical school that he decided to become a Flight Surgeon after attending the Aerospace Medicine Primary Course at Wright Patterson AFB. He graduated from Quillen in 2019 and thereafter completed a preliminary year in general surgery at Wright Patterson. He then went on to initiate his active duty commitment at Vance AFB, OK as a flight surgeon and the chief of aerospace medicine for the undergraduate pilot training pipeline for two years. He is now stationed at Osan Air Base in the Republic of Korea with the 36th Fighter Squadron as an embedded squadron medical element. He enjoys flying in the F-16, working directly with viper pilots, and mission planning and executing deployments in the Indo-Pacific. After his two year tour in South Korea, he will return to a residency in orthopedic surgery and join the 123rd Air National Guard Special Tactics unit to support the Combat Search and Rescue Mission. 

• Jason E. Fleenor, MD (US Navy)

  LCDR | US Navy
  Anesthesiogist
  2D Medical Battalion, Camp Lejeune

  LCDR Jason Fleenor was born at Hill Airforce Base, UT. He moved to Johnson City, TN as a young child and resided there for seventeen years. LCDR Fleenor has been married for fifteen years to his wife Laynee and are parents to two children JJ and Maggie.

  Upon graduating high school in 2003, LCDR Fleenor enlisted in the Marine Corps reserves. He completed boot camp and school of infantry to become a Marine 0311 rifleman before attaching to Lima Co. 3/24. LCDR Fleenor deployed to Iraq in support of OIF/OEF in 2003 and 2009. He received an honorable discharge from the Marine reserves in 2010 as a Sergeant of Marines. 

  While in the Marine reserves, LCDR Fleenor worked as tile mason and completed his bachelor’s degree in construction engineering technology at East Tennessee State University. After some soul searching and great mentorship, he decided to apply to medical school, ultimately graduating from East Tennessee State University - Quillen College of Medicine in 2016.  

  LCDR Fleenor completed his internship at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth before serving as battalion surgeon for 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion in 2017 – 2019. He then returned to Naval Medical Center Portsmouth to complete his residency in anesthesiology where he graduated as Chief resident. LCDR is currently serving as an anesthesiologist with 2nd Medical Battalion in Camp Lejeune, NC. 

  LCDR Fleenor’s military decorations and awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Combat action, Selected Marine Corps Reserves Medal, and numerous unit and service awards.

• Hendrikus "Dutch" Vanderveldt, MD (USAF)

  Major | USAF
  Flights Surgeon, 482nd Fighter Wing
  Class of 2002

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• Jason M. Webb, MD (USAF)

  Colonel | USAF, MC
  Chief of Medical Staff/SGH, 378th Expeditionary Medical Group
  General Surgeon, 378th EMDG/GST
  Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  Quillen Class of 2004

  Col (Dr.) Jason M. Webb is a Tennessee native and currently serving on active duty in the United States Air Force. He entered active duty service during his first semester at Quillen, commissioning on Nov. 2, 2000.  Col. Webb is a board certified General Surgeon, and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. In his first assignment after residency, Col. Webb was recruited to the Air Force’s Special Operations Surgery Teams at Hurlburt Field, Florida, where he trained with and supported Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Special Operations Forces, as well as working with units from many allied country and partner nation forces. He has deployed six times with tours in Afghanistan, Africa, and Saudi Arabia. Col. Webb has led small surgical teams in austere, far-forward environments, deployed Air Force expeditionary hospitals, and joint service surgical departments across four continents. He has served in the USAF’s Air Education and Training Command, Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Force Material Command, USAFE-AFAFRICA and Air Combat Command. Col. Webb recently returned to the U.S. from a tour at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany, where he served as the Director of Ground Surgical Teams, Chief of General and Trauma Surgery, and Associate Trauma Medical Director.

  Col. Webb is currently deployed as a General Surgeon, Ground Surgical Team Lead, and the Chief of Medical Staff for the 378th Expeditionary Medical Group, Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. After his return, he will take command of the 633rd Surgical Operations Squadron at Joint Base Langley-Ft Eustis, Virginia.

• Benjamin "Ben" Welch, MD (USMC)

  Captain | United States Marine Corps
  Tillman Scholar
  2004-2018

   

• Cody J. Cox, MD (US Navy)

  U.S. Navy
  

  I was fortunate enough to serve ten years in the Navy as a helicopter rescue swimmer and medic. Some of my duty stations were Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, NAS North Island, and NAS Key West. I deployed to the Arabian Sea for seven months on aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in 2008 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. I finished my bachelors in biology at the University of Tampa in 2017.  

  During medical school application season, I was primarily interested in schools who truly supported active duty military and veterans. Quillen was at the very top of the list nation-wide. My expectations were beyond exceeded during my short trip to Johnson City for an interview. The day before my interview, I was exploring the beautiful and historical Mountain Home VA campus and bumped into a group of second-year medical students who I am still friends with today! They treated me like family right away and that's when I knew the "Quillen Family" motto was genuine.  

  I could not imagine enduring the challenges of medical school anywhere else. From the fantastic faculty who are with you every step of the way, to your classmates who are highly vetted for more than just their scores, to the wonderful Johnson City community and mountain views, Quillen is without a doubt one of the most incredible places to become a physician. 

• Nicholas I. McIntire, MD (US Army)

  Sergeant First Class | U.S. Army
  2005-2017

  After graduating high school, I was unsure of exactly what I wanted to do with my life. The one thing I did know is that I wanted to serve my country, so two months after graduation I enlisted in the Army as a medic. Little did I know that this decision would take me everywhere from Baghdad, to working in the White House Medical Unit, to teaching Special Operations Medicine. 

  My interest in medicine started long before my deployment to Iraq, but it was there in some of the most challenging conditions and situations that this interest matured into a true passion. That deployment marked the beginning of my path to medical school. Once my unit returned home, I was assigned to the White House, and while there, I began my working on my degree. What I didn’t and couldn’t know then, was that between travel, training and deployments, it would take me almost eight years to finish my undergraduate degree. 

  The decision to leave the Army was a difficult one; it had been a part of my life for 12 years. It was the only life that I knew, so when I started researching medical schools, I looked for ones that were military-friendly. Quillen was the only school I found that was so proud and open about being veteran-friendly. Quillen was truly a family, and the support that I received here made it possible for me to pursue my passion. The support that they showed me and my family made my transition from the Army and this journey smoother than I thought possible. My family and I fell in love with the area when we arrived. I strongly encourage any veteran seeking a medical education to apply here.

• Landin Sorenson, MD (US Army)

  U.S. Army
  

  My name is Landin Sorenson and I attended Quillen College of Medicine using the U.S. Army’s Health Profession Scholarship Program. I enlisted in the Army in 2010 and took one tour of scenic Afghanistan from 2013-2014. I completed my bachelor’s degree and a post-bac, pre-med certificate while on active duty. My first day in Tennessee was for my interview at this medical school. My family and I came to scout the area and fell in love with the plethora of local outdoor activities and the community here. It was the first time since joining the U.S. Army that we got to choose where we moved next and I am glad we chose Johnson City. I want any veteran applying to medical school to at least consider Quillen. It seems like every course or office has a veteran in this school and you can tell that they understand and support what serving in the military means. This is an amazing institution. Very Respectfully, 2LT Sorenson. 

   

• Elizabeth Farabee, MD (USAF)

  
  
  Staff Sergeant, USAF
  2011-2017
  
  
  
  

• Christopher Welch, MD (US Army)

  
  
  Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
  Special Forces
  
  
  

  I grew up in the small mining town of Roslyn, Washington, and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Washington in Seattle. At the end of my undergraduate time I realized that this country allowed me to go from poverty to having a good career using nothing but hard work and dedication. I felt I owed my service to that country so I stepped away from that path and enlisted in the United States Army. After being selected for training in 2007, I attended the Special Forces Qualification Course and earned my Green Beret in 2009. From there I was assigned to an Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) in Okinawa, Japan. While performing as a team medic I deployed more than a dozen times to numerous countries in Asia, with a seven-month stent in the Philippines and a final combat tour in Afghanistan. I was blessed to work alongside some of the bravest men in the world and was exposed to many interesting aspects of medicine. My time as a medic revealed my calling to continue service as a doctor so I separated from the Army in 2012 to begin that journey.

   

• Andrew Yates, MD (US Army)

  U.S. Army
  

  
  My name is Andrew Yates, and I attended Quillen via the Army’s Health Profession Scholarship Program. I directly commissioned into the Army just prior to starting my M1 year and had no military experience prior to commissioning. As a ‘military-destined’ student, I was especially thankful that I chose to attend Quillen. Not only is it a great institution, but there was an abundance of support from other HPSP students and prior service classmates and faculty here. I never had to look far to find answers to questions or to find other people that had already been where I was. I enjoyed the training I received both from Quillen and the military, and I look forward to taking care of soldiers and their families.

• James A. Joslyn, MD (US Army)

  Captain | Infantry | U.S. Army
  Baghdad, Iraq (2008-2009)
  Wardak Province, Afghanistan (2010-2011)

• Drew Smith, MD (US Navy & US Army)

  U.S. Navy | U.S. Army
  
  
  
  

• James "Jay" Johnston, MD (US Army)

  U.S. Army
  Tillman Scholar

  As a native of Smryna, Tennessee, Dr. Johnston enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1996 and became an Infantryman. Later, he decided to join the Army in order to serve in the Amry's Special Forces (SF), the Green Berets. He was then selected to begin training in uncoventional warefare in 2000. Dr. Johnston earnd his Green Beret only weeks before 9/11. Upon graduation, he was assigned to Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA), which had already received orders for Afghanistan. That deployment was the first of his seven combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, and also marked the beginning of his 13 years as an SF medic and Team Sergeant. Due to continuos training and deployements in support of war and his team, it took seven years of night school to finish undergraduate degree.

  During a mission on Christmas night in 2005, Dr. Johnston lost a teammate when his team made contact with the enemy. After that firefight, he decided he wanted to be more than an SF medic and set his sights on medical school. At age 36 and after 18 years of service, Dr. Johnston applied to medical school. The Quillen College of Medicine accepted his application and welcomed him into the Quillen family. Dr. Johnston is grateful, and truly feels that he left one great team in the military to move into another in the science of medicine at Quillen.

   

• Anthony Angelone, MD (US Navy)

  
  
  U.S. Navy
  
  
  

  My name is Anthony Angelone. After high school, I attended the U.S. Naval Academy. I graduated in May 2000 and received a commission in the U.S. Marine Corps. After gaining the military occupational specialty of Amphibious Assault Vehicle Officer, I was assigned as a platoon commander with Company D, 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division. While at Company D, I conducted two peacetime deployments to Okinawa, Japan, and participated in the invasion of Iraq in 2003. From 2004 to 2006, I was assigned to Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division in Okinawa as a company commander and in the operations section. From Okinawa, I deployed to Iraq where I served with an adviser with the Iraqi military. In 2007 I attended school in Fort Knox and then deployed to Iraq as an operations clerk. From 2008 through 2010, I was a company commander with 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, during which time I deployed to the Helmand Province in Afghanistan. During this deployment, my interest in military medicine was sparked and reinforced. Consequently, I resigned in 2010 and attended post-baccalaureate pre-medical classes at Tufts University. I am honored and humbled to be part of the Quillen Class of 2018, as well as a newly-minted Ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserves. After graduating from Quillen, I will serve our Marines and Sailors with the same passion, competency, and professionalism which I saw time and again while on active duty. Semper Fi and Go Navy! 

   

• John Barcel, MD (USAF)

  U.S. Air Force
  
  
  
  

  I am a graduate of the Quillen College of Medicine's class of 2018. I am a native of Johnson City, Tennessee, and attended undergraduate school at East Tennessee State University. As I applied to medical school, I realized that the Health Professions Scholarship Program was a wonderful opportunity for me to serve our country and receive unique training. I chose the Air Force due to my interest in flight medicine. It is an honor to be a member of the U.S. military and I look forward to service as a medical officer.

• Jennifer Bowman, MD (US Navy)

  
  
  ENS, MC, USNR
  
  
  

  My name is Jennifer Bowman. I am originally from Cleveland, Tennessee, and I did my undergraduate education at Carson-Newman University. I feel wonderfully blessed to have had the opportunity to attend medical school, and I served as president for the Military Medicine Interest Group. Our group mainly consisted of Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) students from all three branches of the military. I first learned of the military's HPSP program while attending a career fair during my undergraduate education. It is a great program for people desiring the unique opportunity of serving the men and women that fight to keep our country free while not worrying about the enormous monetary debt of attending medical school. I looked forward to having the opportunity to serve my country by being a medical officer in the Navy after completing medical school. I greatly appreciated that Quillen maintains a close-knit family environment and is military-friendly. It helped me feel right at home in Johnson City, and it was very easy to get any information and help I needed on military matters.

   

• Alicia Nicole McClintock, MD (US Navy)

  ENS MC USNR
  
  
  

  As a graduate of the University of Tennessee (Knoxville), my love of the outdoors, the desire for being close to family and knowing that Quillen is on a VA campus naturally drew me to the Quillen College of Medicine. While Quillen has many wonderful aspects, what stands out to me is the welcoming family environment. A large part of this family (faculty, staff and students) has prior military experience which allows military students with or without military experience to feel at home. My own military experience was limited to five weeks of Officer Development School in beautiful Newport, Rhode Island, in summer 2012. During the summer of 2013, I requested orders to work with the Navy Experimental Diving Unit in Panama City, Florida, for four weeks in hopes to learn more about underwater medicine and life as a Diving Medical Officer in the United States Navy. For the two other active duty tours that were required during my time as a medical student, I will completed two four week rotations in a Naval hospital to learn more about life as a military physician. I am honored to have the opportunity to serve my country and am eager to work alongside the brave men and women that make this country the land of the free and home of the brave.

  During my second year of medical school at Quillen, I served as President of Quillen's Military Medicine Interest Group. During the fall semester, we hosted speakers including a Quillen graduate that went on to serve as an orthopaedic surgeon in the Army, a trauma surgeon in the Army Reserves and a prior Navy neonatologist that now works at Johnson City Medical Center. In addition, a first year medical student at Quillen shared his experience in the field as a prior Army medic. 

   

• Mario Soto, MD (US Army)

  Major | U.S. Army
  Special Forces
  11 years

  I am a native of Snellville, Georgia, and was a student in the Quillen College of Medicine Class of 2014. I graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1999 and earned the rank of Major in the U.S. Army Special Forces. Deployed to Kosovo, Iraq, Colombia, Panama and Afghanistan in support of various military operations. My formal military education includes the Special Forces Detachment Officer's Qualification Course, the Survival Evasion Rescue and Escape (High Risk) Level C Course, the Special Forces Combat Diver Qualification (SCUBA) Course, the Naval Special Warfare Dive Supervisor Course, and the Military Free Fall Parachutists (HALO) Course. Military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device, the Army Commendation Medal with "V" Device, the Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal. In my time away from the classroom, I enjoyed skiing, skydiving, cycling and running.

   

• James "Jimmy" Fisher, MD (US Navy)

  U.S. Navy

  The military veteran and senior military-sponsored student presence at QCOM was a true blessing. I truly felt that any veteran or student considering applying and accepting admission to Quillen would feel so very welcome at our school. 

• Sarah Louise Hockaday, MD (US Navy)

  ENS MC USNR
  President Military Medical Student Interest Group 2010-2011

  My military experiences began during my undergraduate years at the University of Memphis when I participated in Army ROTC. Through ROTC, I discovered that the discipline, challenges, and career opportunities offered by the military fit my life goals and personality traits. After graduation, and while I was applying to medical schools, I signed up for the Health Professions Scholarship Program through the Navy. The Quillen College of Medicine greatly appealed to me as one of my top choices for medical school for reasons such as proximity to home, camaraderie amongst the faculty and students, and location in the beautiful Smokey Mountains. However, what was most impressive to me after beginning classes at Quillen was the military presence and support at ETSU. I learned very quickly that there were many military students and faculty members at Quillen willing to help advise us and facilitate our transition between medical school and our military service commitments. On average, ten percent of each Quillen graduating class has been composed of military veterans and HPSP students. Several of our deans have past military experience and work hard to grant us every opportunity to expand our military careers. In addition, our location on VA property gives one early exposure into the realm of military medicine.

  During my second year of medical school at Quillen, I served as President of our Military Medical Student Group. With the assistance of our faculty, we successfully brought in Naval and Army physicians to speak of their military experiences and visited nearby military hospitals to speak to residency directors. Through these experiences and with the influence of past HPSP students and military faculty, I felt my medical education at Quillen greatly prepared me for my future service in the Navy as a medical officer.

• Stewart A. Stancil, MD (USMC)

  USMCR 1991-1994 
  Artillery FDC 155 Howitzers

• Aaron Beckwith, MD (USAF)

  USAF 2008 - Present 
  USMC 2004-2008 
  HPSP

• Jon Boy, MD (US Army)

  Captain U.S. Army 
  Infantry, Airborne

  I am Jonathan Boy, and my Army story believe it or not begins with the American Revolution when Jacob Buch enlisted in the Continental Army. Jacob is my ancestor and joined under the surname Boy to hide his identity from the British who, it was feared, would take the family land if they won the war. After his discharge, he was given a land grant in Tennessee as a war pension. Naturally, the land was granted under his enlisted name and our family has gone by the name Boy ever since. Jacob Boy established a tradition of service that spanned generations and carries on to this day as my family continues to serve whenever the nation calls. We understand how unique the United States is in the world and that the freedom we enjoy is not granted, but earned with blood, sweat and sacrifice.      

  As I was growing up, there was never any question as to what I would do. I would join the Army like my grandfather, father, brother, and many close family friends; I would also be Airborne. There was never any question on that either. As a young boy I had the fortunate experience of visiting Sicily Drop Zone at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and watching the famed 82d Airborne conduct an Airborne Operation. I became enamored with the Airborne and made it my personal mission to become a Paratrooper. I enlisted when I was seventeen years old as an Airborne Infantryman and began a journey that would take me around the globe and give me the experience, confidence, and skills to excel in any environment.        

  Service to country is the main reason I joined, but I also knew that the Army would develop me as a person and give me the skills and opportunities I needed to be successful in life. I realized that with the Army I would be able to develop myself as a leader and scholar. I became a health care professional and a college graduate. I led a Medical Platoon in combat and helped develop Iraqi health care facilities. I directed logistics operations for a 296-bed Combat Support Hospital and Commanded an 84-bed Hospital Unit Surgical; all this within the first five years after college. There is no other organization in the world that will give someone so young and relatively inexperienced these opportunities. In addition to my regular leadership duties, I was able to continue in the noble art of the Paratrooper and became a Jumpmaster, leading Airborne Operations and instilling confidence in young Paratroopers. No other aspect of my career has been so rewarding. It is an unbelievable feeling to reach an assembly area in the middle of nowhere in pitch black darkness and realize that every soul on the ground with you is safe and healthy because of your ability and skill as a Jumpmaster.    

  
  The Army has many stories. Mine is one of service to country and an ongoing adventure that challenges me every day. I am proud to serve in an organization that values service above self and relentlessly develops its people. The Army is not for everybody, but those who have served are stronger and more capable because of it.    

  
  I went to Quillen for many reasons. First and foremost because it was home for me and Quillen has become part of my extended family. The faculty care about producing world class physicians and their enthusiasm for our education shows in all that they do. Quillen is unmatched in its quality of instruction, its culture of cooperation and caring, and its ability to train compassionate physicians who will continue to serve.

• Stuart Winkler, MD & Erin Winkler, MD 

  HPSP

  I am originally from San Antonio, Texas, and joined HPSP before my first year of medical school. My wife, Erin, was also a medical student in the HPSP program. After completing two away military rotations during my fourth year of medical school, I elected to apply for a civilian deferment for residency. I trainied in OB/GYN at Wake Forest.

• Fred Bossert, MD (USAF)

  Staff Sergeant Air Force
  Crew Chief on F-16s
  6 years

• Jason Barter, MD (USAF)

  Staff Sergeant Air Force
  Crew Chief on F-16s
  6 years

  As a veteran in our ever-changing political climate, I often wondered, "will the schools I am applying to look favorably or negatively on my veteran status? Will they even care?" Some schools will keep their thoughts on military service a secret, but I found Quillen to be very honest and sincere regarding their affection of veterans. One of the many great attributes Quillen offers is a welcoming with open arms for military vets, and I always felt welcomed and honored by the faculty, administration, and staff for my military service. 

• Georganna M. Haywood Rosel, MD (USMC)

  USMC 1996-2001
  Flight Equipment F/A-18 Hornets
  
  

• Kristopher R. Sutherly, MD (USMC)

  United States Marine Corps 
  Marksmanship Instructor, Electronics Repairman, Recruiter 
  5 years of service

• James Deering, MD (USAF)

  2nd LT | USAF 
  HPSP scholarship program 
  1 year of service