FINANCIAL  RESPONSIBILITY As  a  petty  officer  you  will  be  held  responsi- ble  for  your  personal  debts  and  financial  dealings. Always  obey  the  following  cardinal  rules: 1. 2. 3. Never  have  any  financial  dealings  with  pa- tients  or  those  under  you.  Violating  this cardinal rule will always lead to trouble and embarrassment   for   you   and   your command. Always  pay  your  bills  on  time.  Letters  of indebtedness have ruined many a service career,  often  many  years  after  the  debts were incurred. Live within your means and, except under extreme   emergencies,   do   not   borrow money that you can not pay back without upsetting  your  budget. PERSONAL   APPEARANCE Good personal habits, cleanliness, neat hair- cuts, and spotless, correct uniforms are absolute musts in the Hospital Corps. Ours is a profession in which we meet the public constantly, and the medical  public  always  seems  to  be  more  critical of appearance. The personal appearance and atti- tude  of  the  staff  does  much  to  enhance  the  overall reputation of the Navy Medical Department and reinforces  our  role  as  health  care  teachers. INTEGRITY Nowhere in the Navy is the need for personal integrity so great as in the Hospital Corps where we  are  continually  dealing  with  people,  their troubles,  illnesses,  and  personal  problems.  This knowledge  falls  into  the  category  of  “privileged communication.”  We,  as  hospital  corpsmen,  have no right whatsoever to divulge any medical infor- mation, however trivial, to any unauthorized in- dividuals.  Medical  information  is  prime  gossip material. This is sometimes difficult to remember but  should  remain  an  absolute  must  for  profes- sional integrity. Integrity also encompasses adherence to com- mitments, commonly referred to as keeping one’s promise.  Whatever  the  commitment,  whatever  the price,  your  word  is  your  bond—until  broken. One  important  commitment  that  all  corps  per- sonnel  have  is  the  obligation  to  never  abuse  or to tolerate the abuse by others of the controlled medical substances that we have access to. These medications are on the ward or in the mount-out block  for  use,  under  a  medical  officer’s  supervi- sion,  in  the  care  and  rehabilitation  of  patients. Any  other  use  must  not  be  tolerated. LEADERSHIP Naval leadership is based on personal exam- ple, good management, and moral responsibility. All of the personal traits previously discussed are also  leadership  traits.  Success  of  the  Medical Department  rests  heavily  on  the  petty  officer. Good petty officers are the backbone of the Navy whether  they  are  supervising  military  or  specialist duties.  Many  examples  of  effective  leadership  you learn may be by the examples set by officers and senior petty officer. The best way to learn effec- tive leadership is by practicing it. THE  NAVY  ENLISTED ADVANCEMENT   SYSTEM Many of the rewards of Navy life are earned though  the  advancement  system.  Some  of  these rewards  are  easy  to  see.  You  receive  more  pay, job  assignments  become  more  interesting  and more  challenging,  and  you  are  regarded  with greater  respect  by  officers  and  enlisted  personnel. Also, you enjoy the satisfaction of getting ahead in  your  chosen  Navy  career. However, the advantages are not yours alone. The Navy also profits. Highly trained personnel are essential to the mission of the Navy. Each time you  are  advanced,  your  value  to  the  Navy  in- creases  two  ways.    First,  you  become  more valuable as a specialist in your rating; and second, you  become  more  valuable  as  a  person  who  can train  others.  Thus  you  make  far-reaching  con- tributions  to  the  entire  Navy. The  NORMAL  system  of  advancement  may be easier to understand if it is divided into two parts: 1.  Those  requirements  that  must  be  met  for you  to  be  qualified;  that  is,  to  be  con- sidered  for  advancement. 2.  Those  factors  that  actually  determine whether  or  not  you  will  be  advanced. QUALIFYING   FOR   ADVANCEMENT In  order  to  qualify  (be  considered)  for  ad- vancement,  you  must  fulfill  certain  requirements. 1-3