ROGER HIRSH
PHARMACIST
I retired from active duty in August of 2006 and decided to join the civilian side at NMCP. I started in the military as a Navy Hospital Corpsman pharmacy technician at Portsmouth, left after my enlistment was up to attend pharmacy school and then was stationed in San Diego before coming back to Portsmouth as a Navy Pharmacy Officer. After working in several Navy hospitals around the country, I returned to Portsmouth in 2001 as the Pharmacy Department Head.
In 2006, I retired, but decided to return as civil service in March of 2008. The transition from military to civilian has been interesting, but in a good way. It is important to understand that while military and civilian workers have many of the same responsibilities, the roles are very different, and in each role you must earn the respect of your co-workers, superiors and the organization.
You must be motivated, active and energized to be successful here. It is a unique environment where people expect you to be courteous and polite—regardless of stature or rank. We work together as a cohesive unit and we take direction from each other and adapt easily to change.
As a civilian worker, you must be able to effectively communicate with folks that are active duty or retired, officers and enlisted, family members and civilians. It’s a special type of communication that doesn’t’ come easily to everyone.
I love working at NMCP because I can practice at the highest professional standards without worrying about any red tape or emphasis on profit—something you often can’t do at other hospitals.
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