Lt. Shaun Ostrofe raised his right hand, recited the oath of office, and was commissioned into the Medical Corps as an ensign during a June 3 ceremony. Changing career paths for the second time during his eight-year Navy career, Ostrofe is on his way to fulfilling his dream of becoming a doctor.

Moments earlier, Ostrofe's lieutenant and Medical Service Corps collar devices had been ceremoniously removed by Cmdr. Matthew Case, the director for Administration at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, who remarked about the time the two worked together.

"It's been an absolute pleasure," Case said. "As a junior officer, you're one of the best I've worked with. You are smart and have a lot of drive and you will be very successful. I know that commanding officer tour is in your future. Just keep leading wherever you are and in whatever you do."

His new collar devices were pinned on by his wife, Lt. Amy Ostrofe. Then, Capt. Darin K. Via, commanding officer, commended him for his accomplishments and his decision to pursue becoming a doctor.

"It's encouraging, it's an honor, and it's a privilege that you decided once again to switch career paths and be a Medical Corps officer," Via said. "It's great that the Navy recognized your talent. That's the most exciting thing about today. You'll do great at medical school, and we look forward to the day that you come back. I can't wait to see what you've accomplished at the end of your career."

Ostrofe's goal for the past 10 years has been to attend medical school, although his studies at the U.S. Naval Academy began as an economics major.

"I choose the Naval Academy because my grandfathers served in the military, and I hoped to play lacrosse at the academy, which I did my freshman year," Ostrofe said. "I was an economics major, but I also took as many pre-med classes as my schedule allowed. When I graduated in 2007, I was assigned to USS Normandy in Norfolk."

Aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), Ostrofe served as ordnance officer and fire control officer, and he earned the designation as a surface warfare officer. He deployed with the ship while it served as the flag ship of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 and completed NATO's first circumnavigation of Africa in support of Operation Active Endeavor. In 2009, he served as the Plans, Operations and Medical Intelligence officer for the fleet surgeon at U.S. Fleet Forces Command.

"I really enjoyed doing surface warfare, and I loved being a division officer, but I knew that wasn't going to be my career," Ostrofe said. "A mentor of mine at the time suggested that with my business background, I become a Medical Service Corps officer. I applied for it and was accepted for lateral transfer."

Although Ostrofe had been promoted to lieutenant junior grade, his redesignation into a different corps in 2009 meant becoming an ensign again. He was selected for duty under instruction at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, where he completed the Joint Medical Executive Skills Institutes Program and TRICARE Financial Management Education Program Executive Course.

In 2011, he completed a yearlong administrative fellowship at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and Master's Degrees in Healthcare Administration and Business Administration from Baylor University. During the fellowship, he was the Medical Evaluations Boards division officer.

Ostrofe reported to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) in 2012, where he served as the medical administration officer and Carrier Task Force-50 deputy surgeon. He was responsible for a $6.3 million supply inventory and 60 personnel. During a nine-month deployment, he coordinated more than 100 medical evacuations.

While assigned to NMCP, Ostrofe served as the POMI officer, overseeing deployment readiness, platform assignments and the Command Independent Augmentee Coordinator program.

Ostrofe will attend medical school at Liberty University, and after graduation in four years, he hopes to complete his internship year at NMCP. He has not decided yet what kind of doctor he wants to be, but he is excited about this next step in his career.

"You never truly stop learning, so now I can dedicate my day to that, instead of just an hour or so," Ostrofe said. "The Navy has been really great to my wife and me. With a little bit of luck, good mentorship from the right people and a lot of hard work, the Navy will let you pursue your desired career."

For more news from Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, visit www.navy.mil/local/NMCP/.