MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Ensign Connor Mangan, a native of Sewickley, Pennsylvania, serves the U.S. Navy at Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Rota, Spain.
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| Ensign Connor Mangan (right) is doing an advanced clerkship rotation at NMRTC Rota, Spain. |
Mangan attended Quaker Valley High School and graduated in 2017. Additionally, Mangan graduated from The College of Wooster in 2021. Currently, Mangan is attending the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) and doing an advanced clerkship rotation with NMRTC Rota.
Inspired by family members’ previous service, Mangan began a career in Navy Medicine.
“My dad and uncle were both Marines, and they always talked about their time with the Corps as a fulfilling and meaningful experience in their lives,” Mangan said. “When I was given the opportunity to join Navy Medicine through USUHS, it was impossible to turn down.”
Lessons from Sewickley continue to shape Mangan’s service.
“I grew up playing football and lacrosse with many of my years spent in leadership, captain and coach roles,” Mangan said. “Through this experience, I learned valuable leadership skills and how to be a part of a team with various personalities, which has helped me navigate the various teams within the Navy.”
As a medical student, Mangan supports Navy missions worldwide.
“My job right now is to become the best physician I can to take care of our nation’s warfighters in the future,” Mangan said. “I have also been focused on developing leadership skills to handle the officership side of my career.”
Mangan, who has served in the Navy for three years, has witnessed Navy Medicine’s impact firsthand.
“I remember seeing a post-operation patient who was able to return to duty after being involved in a car accident,” Mangan said. “They were very thankful to be able to return to their day-to-day job in the Navy without any restrictions.”
Mangan enjoys the variety of patients and the opportunities from working in Navy Medicine.
“Being in Navy Medicine, your patient population has interesting jobs that they are willing to share with you, and there are plenty of opportunities to see various ships, aircraft platforms and weapons systems,” Mangan said.
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 Connor Mangan (right) with spouse, Ensign Megan McLaughlin, a fellow medical student at USUHS, are doing their advanced clerkship rotation at NMRTC Rota, Spain. |
When reflecting on serving in the Navy, Mangan considers mentorships the highlight.
“I’ve been able to mentor a few corpsmen and inform them about USUHS and other health-related opportunities in furthering their careers,” Mangan said.
Mangan serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“It’s an honor to take care of those who put themselves in harm’s way in defense of our country,” Mangan said.
Mangan understands that Navy Medicine is different from civilian health care.
“During the summer after my first year of medical school, I was able to spend a week with the Marines in Camp Lejeune,” Mangan said. “I went to a firing range and had the opportunity to handle some large weapon systems.”
Mangan encourages others interested in a career in health care to consider Navy Medicine.
“Navy Medicine is a unique opportunity that you will never experience anywhere else, with a patient population of motivated and inspiring individuals,” Mangan said.
Mangan and spouse, Ensign Megan McLaughlin, 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.