Ryan Martzall, MMS ’20, Receives Navy Commission

Ryan Martzall, MMS ‘20, knew Jan. 6, 2020, was going to be a special day. He was, after all, being commissioned into the United States Navy and it would be Salus University president Michael Mittelman, OD ‘80, MPH, MBA, FAAO, FACHE — himself a retired Rear Admiral (Upper Half) in the Navy serving more than 30 years — who would administer the oath.

That same day, armed insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. The attempted coup left five people dead and will be remembered as the day that the center of the country’s legislative branch was breeched for the first time in modern history. That historic event gave added meaning to Martzall’s commissioning.

“The events that transpired at the U.S. Capitol that day, horrific as they were, highlighted the significance of the oath of office taken by all public officials, and military officers and enlisted personnel,” said Dr. Mittelman. “They all dedicate themselves to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America, against all enemies, foreign and domestic — in this case those words were prophetic, given the historic events that occurred on that day.”

Dr. Mittelman added that the Founding Fathers made it very clear that those in public service do not serve a person, but rather the tenet that all of the country’s laws are based upon — the Constitution.

“We will all remember this day for different reasons, but in Ryan’s case, I think he will forever reflect upon the oath he took just hours prior to the attack on the Capitol, as will I,” said Dr. Mittelman, who also served as a mentor for Martzall.

Martzall, a native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, wanted to become a physical therapist in high school, and pursued that track. He then went on to graduate from Eastern University in St. David’s, Pennsylvania, with a degree in exercise science. After taking a gap year, he took some post-bacc classes and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) courses, fell in love with the emergency medical field and decided on being a Physician Assistant (PA) and landed at Salus University. 

“My first rotation was in the emergency room and it was a daunting first rotation,” said Martzall. “But with a background in EMS, it was one of my favorite rotations because I got to see what a PA actually does. And, then we got to pick two electives and I did them both in trauma surgery and trauma medicine. I got exposed to things that never in a million years I would have thought of.”

Although he thought his career would take him into the civilian world, he’s always had an urge to serve in the medical side of the military. And, he believes that because of the sacrifices military personnel make, they deserve the best care possible.

“They’re sacrificing a lot and they deserve the best of the best,” he said. “They’ve moving all over, putting themselves in danger. They deserve the best PTs, OTs, PAs, doctors . . . the best. And, I want to be the very best that I can be for them.”

Martzall will now start his career in the military with the rank of O-2, Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG) and will be stationed at Portsmouth Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia, where he will report the first week of March. He called it a huge honor to be commissioned and realizes there will be a learning curve for him in the military. 

“I know what I’m talking about as far as entry-level medicine goes and that kind of stuff,” said Martzall. “But as far as Naval history and how thing operate, I’ll have to figure that out. I have great confidence that I will.”

He also cited the influence of his mentors for the help they have given him, including Dr. Mittelman. “As long as you have mentors along the way, I think that’s really helpful because they can give you so much insight,” he said. “I think the training that I’ve done and the education I received at Salus has prepared me to work under pressure.”