OCS Flight Physical ----Eye Test Question

[Brook]

Hi everyone,

I haven't been able to find an answer to this question after hours of looking online. I am wondering if the color test that they give at MEPS is the same one as the one administered for the OCS flight physical? The one at MEPS (or at least the MEPS I went through) was a variation of the Ishihara and it was in a black binder/book with a star + snake ambulance symbol on the cover. I will try to find an image of it online, I haven't been able to find the name or manufacturer of it yet though. I missed one of the plates so I passed, but still it disheartened me a bit...I guess I'm in the ~1% of females who have slight color deficiency.

I ask because I want to know if I will be able to pass whatever Ishihara dot test they have at OCS. The standard Ishihara brand dot tests that most Optometrists have are super easy compared to the one I took at MEPS, so I guess the MEPS one is more precise in screening for deficiency. It would be nice to, if in fact OCS is using a different book than the MEPS one described above, to find a doctor who has the OCS test just to see if I would be up to Navy standard for the OCS color test. I am also very familiar with the FALANT test.

Thank you all

 

[RoamingBiologist]

Color Test was mega easy, I wouldn't worry about it at all. They will conduct whatever, and any medical tests they feel like if you are going Aviation or Nuke. So best advice I can give, just don't be surprised if they sign you up for a bunch of medical exams randomly.

 

[AB6]

Color Test was mega easy, I wouldn't worry about it at all. They will conduct whatever, and any medical tests they feel like if you are going Aviation or Nuke. So best advice I can give, just don't be surprised if they sign you up for a bunch of medical exams randomly.

Hi, could you be more specific? I'm also very curious about what the OP asked as well. Did you go through the medical as an SNA applicant? Super easy but "don't be surprised if they sign you up for more"?

Thanks

 

[Splonk]

Hi, could you be more specific? I'm also very curious about what the OP asked as well. Did you go through the medical as an SNA applicant? Super easy but "don't be surprised if they sign you up for more"?

Thanks

Some days you're just told to go to medical. Some of those times you don't know what for. Anyway, they are pretty thorough. If they notice one problem with the standard tests they do, they will sign you up for more comprehensive exams to make sure you are good to go or not.

As for color vision, all they did was go through plates similar to those at meps. Not sure what the other tests are if you fail it, but they are mentioned on this site.

 

[AB6]

Thanks for the info.

Brook, I think I know what test you're talking about. I will post a pic of it if I can find it online.

 

[AB6]

This is the test I took at MEPS and am sure its the same one as Brook described. I had practiced using Ishihara brand tests at different doctors before going through MEPS but this test was a bit harder for me. I think its designed to be harder and more accurate to screen color problems:

So is that the one they use at OCS? It would be awesome to know so those of us borderline don't have to worry about it until we get there haha

 

[Renegade One]

Things that make me say "Hmmm…". In 30+ years, all I ever took was the two-light FALANT test. 'Course, I was "just an NFO", so maybe...

 

[Brook]

Yes AB6, that is the test I took at MEPS also! I too would LOVE to know if its the same test used at OCS....anybody?

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Yes AB6, that is the test I took at MEPS also! I too would LOVE to know if its the same test used at OCS....anybody?

Brook, going back to biology (that was a long time ago for me) color blindness is normally just seen in males as it is an X chromosome thing, so females would need to have it on both, if you are concerned about genetic color blindness I really wouldn't be unless your dad is colorblind.

 

[Splonk]

Yes AB6, that is the test I took at MEPS also! I too would LOVE to know if its the same test used at OCS....anybody?

That was the test they had. I can't remember anything else relating to color blindness since I got all the plates correct.

 

[Brook]

Brook, going back to biology (that was a long time ago for me) color blindness is normally just seen in males as it is an X chromosome thing, so females would need to have it on both, if you are concerned about genetic color blindness I really wouldn't be unless your dad is colorblind.

Hi Sir,

After I took the test at MEPS I went back to an Optometrist and asked them if I had an actual color deficiency problem or not. I don't remember which plate I failed on the test but the doctor told me it was probably a plate that tested for blue deficiency since according to him thats the most common one among females. He said that or either I was having a "bad day" since all the other Ishihara tests I've ever taken I have passed 100%. I think I am just over analyzing a non-issue and much thanks to Splonk for confirming its the same test used at OCS.

Thank you all

 

[Renegade One]

...color blindness is normally just seen in males as it is an X chromosome thing...

...but the doctor told me it was probably a plate that tested for blue deficiency since according to him thats the most common one among females.

"Color" me confused...

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Hi Sir,

After I took the test at MEPS I went back to an Optometrist and asked them if I had an actual color deficiency problem or not. I don't remember which plate I failed on the test but the doctor told me it was probably a plate that tested for blue deficiency since according to him thats the most common one among females. He said that or either I was having a "bad day" since all the other Ishihara tests I've ever taken I have passed 100%. I think I am just over analyzing a non-issue and much thanks to Splonk for confirming its the same test used at OCS.

Thank you all

between enlisted and officer applicants never had a female be found to be color deficient or color blind, had a few that missed a few plates that when done again were passed, some of those MEPS guys go fast because in most cases color blindness doesn't DQ you for most enlisted programs, same thing with depth perception, and that always bugged me.

It was probably just a bad day or the guy went too fast.

 

[TimeBomb]

There are many forms of color blindness. Red-green color blindness, the most common form, is most prevalent in males due to the genetic abnormality being present on the X chromosome. Since normal males have only one X chromosome, the abnormal gene is not offset by a normal gene, as would be the case in a normal female. Since there's only the one abnormal gene, the only product produced is the abnormal protein that leads to the observed trait.

Blue-yellow color blindness is less common, but the genetic mutation causing blue-yellow color blindness is not carried on the X chromosome, but rather on an autosome (not one of the sex chromosomes), and as such is seen in equal prevalence in males and females. It is also inherited in a dominant fashion, meaning that you need only one copy of the bad gene to cause the trait to manifest. According to the NIH website, red-green color blindness has a frequency in males of Northern European ancestry of about 1 in 12; females about 1:200. Blue-yellow color blindness has an incidence of about 1:10000, and because of the genetics, is equally distributed between males and females.

Probably more than you ever wanted to know.
R/

 

[exNavyOffRec]

There are many forms of color blindness. Red-green color blindness, the most common form, is most prevalent in males due to the genetic abnormality being present on the X chromosome. Since normal males have only one X chromosome, the abnormal gene is not offset by a normal gene, as would be the case in a normal female. Since there's only the one abnormal gene, the only product produced is the abnormal protein that leads to the observed trait.

Blue-yellow color blindness is less common, but the genetic mutation causing blue-yellow color blindness is not carried on the X chromosome, but rather on an autosome (not one of the sex chromosomes), and as such is seen in equal prevalence in males and females. It is also inherited in a dominant fashion, meaning that you need only one copy of the bad gene to cause the trait to manifest. According to the NIH website, red-green color blindness has a frequency in males of Northern European ancestry of about 1 in 12; females about 1:200. Blue-yellow color blindness has an incidence of about 1:10000, and because of the genetics, is equally distributed between males and females.

Probably more than you ever wanted to know.
R/

actually I find genetics fascinating so this is interesting to me!