Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton's own Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Ahner, NHCP's Pharmacy Department leading petty officer, was recently selected to participate in the Navy's Medical Service Corps In-service Procurement Program.

The MSC-IPP allows enlisted sailors interested in several medical professions to transition to officer after completing the required prerequisites for their programs.

Once prerequisite classes are completed and packages have been submitted, if selected, the sailor will go to a college of choice and complete their degree in their field. After completing the degree, sailors will come back into the Navy as an O-1 or an O-3, depending on the program.

Ahner, who was selected for the pharmacy program, has a few more classes to complete before heading to college in North Carolina but says he is excited for the road ahead.

"I have been going to school after hours for about five years now to get all of my prerequisites done," said Ahner. "I am ecstatic that although all of my hard work is leading to more hard work, it will all pay off in the end."

Because of his daily hard-work and dedication to his job, it did not come as a surprise to fellow staff members or leadership that Ahner was selected.

"HM1 Ahner demonstrates a passion for patient care, leadership ability, and commitment to lifelong learning, which are the hallmarks of success as a Medical Service Corps officer," said Cmdr. Traci Hindman, NHCP's director of clinical support services, who assisted Ahner in perfecting his package. "I look forward to serving with him following his completion of pharmacy school and he will be an asset to Navy Medicine and the Navy Pharmacy family."

Ahner said that becoming a pharmacy officer has been a goal of his since he joined in 2003.

"I always wanted to be a pharmacist so I was really lucky after A-school that I got to pick pharmacy as a specialty. Being able to go to school and become a pharmacist was my ultimate goal" he said. "I think it's the greatest program in the Navy and I'm just happy that I'm almost there."

Ahner will be leaving NHCP in a few months to begin his new journey. Good luck and congratulations.

For more information on the MSC-IPP, visit the following link http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmpdc/professional-development/SitePages/Medical%20Service%20Corps%20Program%20MSCIPP-PA.aspx.

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