Best way to do this?

I have to process a large number of database records, examine a column
value (can be 10 different values) and set a bean's property depending
on that fields values e.g (vastly cut down)

  ResultSet rs = ps.executeQuery();

  while (true)
    {
        ret = new myBean();

        String propName = rs.getString(2);

        if (propName.equalsIgnoreCase("licence_number"))
        {
          ret.setLicenceNo(rs.getString(3));
        }
        else if (propName.equalsIgnoreCase("return_requirement_id"))
        {
          ret.setReturnReqId(rs.getString(3));
        }
    }

Hopefully its relativily easy to follow what I'm trying to do, my big
problem though is using a "String" to hold the fields value, this
obviously is not a good idea and surely for performance reasons
neither would -

  if (rs.getString(2).equalsIgnoreCase("licence_number"))

or wouldn't it make much difference getting the field value up to 10
times?

A bit lost as to what's the best/efficient way to do this, should I
use a StringBuffer every time? would it be garbage collected? - any
other ideas?

thanks

harry