Page 3 - JSOM Summer 2025

from the
PUBLISHER and EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Publisher: Michelle DuGuay Landers, MBA, BSN, RN Editor-in-Chief: Scott Graverson, MBA, PhD
Lt Col (Ret) MSgt (Ret)

Greetings JSOM Readers, 2d Lt Jessica Rodriguez
t has been an eventful few months as we continue to celebrate Jessica is a fourth-year osteopathic medical
Iour 25th year in publication. We were glad to see everyone student at the University of the Incarnate
at SOMSA in May. We reconnected with many long-time ac- Word School of Osteopathic Medicine
quaintances and made new friends as well. As many of you ( UIWSOM) in San Antonio, TX. She holds
have heard, we have two new publications on our shelf—the a Master of Biomedical Sciences from the
Prolonged Field Care Field Handbook and the 2025 Ranger same institution and is a proud alumna of
Medic Handbook. The University of Texas at Austin (Hook
’em). Jessica is currently a Health Profes-
Written by Specialized Medical Standards in Colorado Springs, sions Scholarship Program scholar in the U.S. Air Force, serv-
CO, made its debut at SOMSA. The PFC Field Handbook is ing as a Second Lieutenant.
designed for classroom instruction and features ample space
for note- taking. It is printed on waterproof and tearproof Her academic and clinical interests center on surgical and
paper, making it incredibly durable for use in the field. The critical care medicine, supported by ongoing research in hy-
pre-conference marketing for this handbook was so successful brid aortic arch repair and prehospital rapid sequence intu-
that we sold out of the stock we had on hand in under 90 bation. She has presented her work at both institutional and
minutes! This handbook is available for purchase on our web- regional conferences. Jessica’s commitment to scholarship and
site at https://jsom.us/PFCFH and retails for $50. The digital leadership has earned her recognition as a 2025 nominee for
version is also available for $40. UIWSOM Student Doctor of the Year and as a recipient of the
UIW Baptist Health Foundation Scholarship.
Also making its debut at SOMSA was the 2025 Ranger Medic
Handbook. Written by the senior staff at the 75th Ranger In addition to her academic achievements, Jessica is deeply
Regiment, this handbook contains the advanced life-saving committed to service and leadership. She has held national and
protocols used by the Ranger Medic Corps. The updates to executive board positions in the Student Association of Mili-
this handbook are too numerous to list here, but you can read tary Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (SAMOPS), and she
about them at https://jsom.us/RMH2025. Also printed on du- brings years of frontline experience as an EMT-Basic in rural
rable, waterproof, and tearproof paper, this handbook retails Texas communities. Together with her husband, also a military
for $76 for the print version and $55 for the digital version. medical student, Jessica looks forward with gratitude and ex-
citement to the next chapter of their journey as they prepare to
We also want to address some incorrect information circulat- match into residency and continue their shared commitment to
ing at the conference. Many people came to us and asked if service through medicine.
we were going out of print. No, we are not. The JSOM will
continue to be available in print for the foreseeable future. We 2Lt Matthew Farinella
believe the confusion lies with the agreement we have with
SOMA. Until January 2025, SOMA members had the option Originally from Jacksonville, FL, Mat-
to receive either a print copy of the Journal or receive a com- thew is the son of a police officer and a
plimentary digital subscription. Due to the increased costs of teacher, which instilled in him a strong
paper, printing, and postage, especially during the COVID-19 sense of service and commitment to the
pandemic, SOMA decided to offer free digital access only to its community—values that have stayed
membership. The advantage of the digital subscription is that with him throughout his life. He at-
members instantly receive access to all 25 years of the JSOM. tended Berry College in Rome, Georgia,
SOMA members may elect to receive a print copy of the Jour- where he played football for 4 years.
nal for an additional fee—and don’t forget to use your SOMA After graduating in December 2016, he
of 20% off the subscription price. Our active subscription of- enlisted in the U.S. Army as a 68W
fers are available at https://jsom.us/subscribe. Combat Medic.

His military path led him through Airborne School, the Ranger
Introducing our JSOM Podcast Team
Assessment and Selection Program (RASP), and the Special
If you haven’t heard, we have a new podcast team on board. Operations Combat Medic Course (SOCM), after which he
We are excited to work with the new team, all of whom are joined the 3rd Ranger Battalion. He earned his Ranger Tab
currently medical students associated with the Association of and deployed to both Afghanistan and Syria in support of
Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (AMOPS). We Operations Enduring Freedom and Inherent Resolve. In 2022,
made a brief introduction in the Spring issue of the Journal, he competed in the Army’s Best Medic Competition, where he
but we want to introduce the team formally. and his teammate placed second.

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