MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Ensign Megan McLaughlin, a native of Kirkland, Washington, serves the U.S. Navy at Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Rota, Spain.
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| Ensign Megan McLaughlin (left) is doing an advanced clerkship rotation at NMRTC Rota, Spain. |
McLaughlin attended Lake Washington High School and graduated from Penn High School in 2016. Additionally, McLaughlin graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2020. Currently, McLaughlin is attending the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) and doing an advanced clerkship rotation with NMRTC Rota.
Inspired by playing team sports, McLaughlin began a career in Navy Medicine.
“I played sports growing up, and many of my favorite memories took place with my teammates,” McLaughlin said. “I couldn’t imagine a world where I didn’t have teammates, which contributed to my choice to pursue a career in medicine and my desire to join the Navy by attending USUHS.”
Lessons from Kirkland continue to shape McLaughlin’s service.
“Being on sports teams my entire life was a large portion of my motivation to join the Navy, and I think those past experiences as a competitor, leader and teammate have prepared me well for my Navy experiences thus far,” McLaughlin said. “My parents are both coaches, so teamwork, discipline, consistency and hard work were non-negotiables in our house.”
As a medical student, McLaughlin supports Navy missions worldwide.
“Right now, as a medical student, my focus centers on learning everything that I can and mastering a skill set that will allow me to provide care to service members and their families in the future,” McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin, who has served in the Navy for three years, has witnessed Navy Medicine’s impact firsthand.
“Spending time in the hospital day in and day out, there is an immense amount of time to hear people’s stories and reflect on all the ways Navy Medicine makes an impact on the lives of our sailors and their families,” McLaughlin said. “Having done so many rotations at different military treatment facilities, I am always so impressed by the doctors, nurses, corpsmen and medics who are always so willing to share their experiences and knowledge with students who may only work with them for one or two days.”
McLaughlin enjoys the many opportunities USUHS offers.
“We have a unique military curriculum across our four years of schooling, access to fantastic mentors across Navy Medicine -- really all branches of military medicine as USUHS is a joint environment, and obviously fantastic opportunities to travel,” McLaughlin said. “I think the one other place that USUHS stands out is that while we learn the same medicine as every other medical student in the country, we also learn about the operational demands our patients face and are encouraged to think about larger operational mission sets during our time in school.”
According to Navy officials, NMRTC’s mission is to prepare service members to deploy in support of operational forces, deliver high-quality healthcare services and shape the future of military medicine through education, training and research.
NMRTC Rota serves as a force multiplier in Navy Medicine’s strategic global medical support mission throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East while also supporting operational readiness and maintaining a strategic repository of expertise at the Naval Hospital Rota Military Treatment Facility within the Iberian Peninsula.
USUHS is the nation’s federal health professions academy. Its mission is to support the readiness of America’s warfighter and the health and well-being of the military community by educating and developing uniformed health professionals, scientists and leaders; by conducting cutting-edge, military-relevant research, and by providing operational support to units around the world.
Navy Medicine – represented by more than 44,000 highly-trained military and civilian health care professionals – provides enduring expeditionary medical support to the warfighter on, below and above the sea and ashore.
This year, the Navy is commemorating its contribution to the nation’s defense as the United States celebrates 250 years of independence.
According to Navy officials, for more than 250 years, the Navy has sailed the globe defending freedom and protecting prosperity.
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
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| Ensign Megan McLaughlin (left) and spouse, Ensign Connor Mangan, a fellow medical student at USUHS, are doing an advanced clerkship rotation at NMRTC Rota, Spain. |
When reflecting on service in the Navy, McLaughlin considers representing the U.S. military women’s soccer team the highlight.
“I had the opportunity to play for the Armed Forces Women’s Soccer team at the World Military Cup Championship in 2023,” McLaughlin said. “Even though it had nothing to do with medicine, it was one of the highlights of my time in medical school.”
McLaughlin serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“I think it is an honor to wear the uniform and serve in today’s Navy,” McLaughlin said. “There are so many amazing sailors who have far more difficult jobs than I have, and it is an honor to wear the same uniform and be able to serve them.”
McLaughlin understands that Navy Medicine is different from civilian health care.
“Comparing our experience as USUHS students to the experiences that my civilian friends have had, I feel very fortunate to have been taught in an environment where hands-on experience is the standard, not the exception,” McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin encourages others interested in a career in health care to consider Navy Medicine.
“I would say that there are absolutely challenges working within the military system and balancing missions with care,” McLaughlin said. “However, a career in Navy Medicine allows you to work with some of the most incredible people in the world, and the patients we care for are some of the most deserving.”
McLaughlin and spouse, Ensign Connor Mangan, a fellow medical student at USUHS, who is also doing the advanced clerkship rotation with NMRTC Rota, are selected for residency in family medicine at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton in Camp Pendleton, California, after their graduation from USUHS in May.