exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
unknown it just depends on what the psych consults say.
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The Doctor is in! Ask a Flight Surgeon!
- Thread starter FlightMD
- Start date
unknown it just depends on what the psych consults say.
Is this something that happens after MEPS? Who is the say that I have to go see psych consult? I'm assuming it goes that I apply at MEPS for a waiver for my depression history and such, and then the waiver people will request that before they give one?
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
The easy route would be MEPS says come on in, then after the physical they would put you in for a psych consult, there are many things that "trigger" a psych consult, depression, meds are some of them, once you have the consult your paperwork goes to N3M, if they like what they see then they will grant a waiver, if not they could come back and say they want more info, and then after they get that info they will make a decision.
jcj
Registered User
If the physician who made the bipolar diagnosis really was unlicensed and practicing fraudulently at the time he made the diagnosis, you may wish to have handy the records to confirm that when you get your psych workup, etc. You should check with the state medical board of whatever state he was practicing in when this happened. Most state medical boards keep records going a long ways back, and most can be obtained by public record request just for the cost of the photocopying. In my state you have to be a resident of the state to file a public records request, so you might need to get a buddy or a lawyer who lives in the state to make the request for you depending on which state it is. Many are now also available online.
But if it was a big deal, there should be official records which they keep for a long time. And if so, they're easy to get.
But if it was a big deal, there should be official records which they keep for a long time. And if so, they're easy to get.
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
EMTpilot
Well-Known Member
Hello Dr.,
Thanks for being a fantastic resource for all us wannabes out there. I'm in the process of filling out all the paperwork to go to MEPS and after reading through AW and other forums I am having a tough time finding consistent answers that pertain to my specific Hx:
I am currently a 25 year old male that has no remarkable medical history to speak of besides two incidents of receiving therapy and medication. The first was back in 2008 during the fall of my junior year of college. I was pretty miserable with my major, not running well on my cross country team, and doing poorly so I left mid semester. Both of my parents are docs and one even went back to get a masters in family therapy so they insisted that I see a doctor and sort out my life to be back in school by the beginning of 2nd semester. Long story short, I saw a psychiatrist for just under 2 months and took Wellbutrin during that time. He diagnosed me with a mild and temporary anxious adjustment disorder and has even said the meds were not necessary but probably helpful. I made it back to school that next semester and eventually graduated with a better GPA in a more difficult major. I went on to start my own business, volunteer as a 911 EMT, get a pilot's license, and become a rescue scuba diver...stress was clearly not a chronic problem.
January 2013 I had a horrendous break up with a gf of many years and I had trouble thinking about anything but the break up. My thoughts mildly obsessed about it (as most people would in such a case). Different song, same dance: see doc, meds to stabilize any potential issues, and then therapy to sort out the real problem. Parents insisted I see a doc and sort my life out in case something worse was going on. I saw a doc from January-July and was initially given Prozac. I found that the Prozac actually made me feel worse so he switched me to Zoloft. In July I stopped all meds because I didn't feel they provided any benefit to me. I was diagnosed again with a temporary anxious adjustment disorder that he claims is normal for people after major life changes such as the loss of a loved one, a divorce, major break-up, etc. and they they usually last 6-12 months. I have been off the meds now for 8 months and have been doing better than ever.
My recruiter was not too pleased to hear this story but I obviously am not going to hide anything like that on my MEPS forms. Both doctors are writing letters for me stating that the treatment, the diagnosis, and that I am good to go mentally and physically. Both agree that the incidents were temporary things and the meds were never seriously needed but helpful. What are the rules on getting a waiver for something like this? Is it even possible? My morale sank pretty hard when I realized that my dream may die because of some therapy that was nice but certainly not necessary. Also, if I get told no by the MEPS docs is there a way I can appeal that? Thanks again.
Thanks for being a fantastic resource for all us wannabes out there. I'm in the process of filling out all the paperwork to go to MEPS and after reading through AW and other forums I am having a tough time finding consistent answers that pertain to my specific Hx:
I am currently a 25 year old male that has no remarkable medical history to speak of besides two incidents of receiving therapy and medication. The first was back in 2008 during the fall of my junior year of college. I was pretty miserable with my major, not running well on my cross country team, and doing poorly so I left mid semester. Both of my parents are docs and one even went back to get a masters in family therapy so they insisted that I see a doctor and sort out my life to be back in school by the beginning of 2nd semester. Long story short, I saw a psychiatrist for just under 2 months and took Wellbutrin during that time. He diagnosed me with a mild and temporary anxious adjustment disorder and has even said the meds were not necessary but probably helpful. I made it back to school that next semester and eventually graduated with a better GPA in a more difficult major. I went on to start my own business, volunteer as a 911 EMT, get a pilot's license, and become a rescue scuba diver...stress was clearly not a chronic problem.
January 2013 I had a horrendous break up with a gf of many years and I had trouble thinking about anything but the break up. My thoughts mildly obsessed about it (as most people would in such a case). Different song, same dance: see doc, meds to stabilize any potential issues, and then therapy to sort out the real problem. Parents insisted I see a doc and sort my life out in case something worse was going on. I saw a doc from January-July and was initially given Prozac. I found that the Prozac actually made me feel worse so he switched me to Zoloft. In July I stopped all meds because I didn't feel they provided any benefit to me. I was diagnosed again with a temporary anxious adjustment disorder that he claims is normal for people after major life changes such as the loss of a loved one, a divorce, major break-up, etc. and they they usually last 6-12 months. I have been off the meds now for 8 months and have been doing better than ever.
My recruiter was not too pleased to hear this story but I obviously am not going to hide anything like that on my MEPS forms. Both doctors are writing letters for me stating that the treatment, the diagnosis, and that I am good to go mentally and physically. Both agree that the incidents were temporary things and the meds were never seriously needed but helpful. What are the rules on getting a waiver for something like this? Is it even possible? My morale sank pretty hard when I realized that my dream may die because of some therapy that was nice but certainly not necessary. Also, if I get told no by the MEPS docs is there a way I can appeal that? Thanks again.
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
The standard wait is 3 years from the last time psych meds were taken.
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
yes that is the first step, they will come back with either "come in", "not justified" or "RBJ and a date xx/xx/xx"
EMTpilot
Well-Known Member
In the case of a "not justified" is there any recourse available to the applicant? Thanks again for the replies.
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
yes, your recruiter can submit the documents directly to N3M for review, if they believe there is a chance they might grant a waiver they will come back with "continue processing", however I never saw a case involving psych meds where a "not justified" was turned to "continue processing", in most psych cases N3M became the stumbling block or made us jump through hoops resulting in delays in up to a year.
N3M really tightened up after the Army doc shot up those soldiers in Texas.
jcj
Registered User
Sorry - just read this & first chance to reply.
Caveat - I'm not a psychiatrist
In just about every disease of situation I can think of (psychiatry or not), just treating for several years without some type of reasonable followup is inappropriate. Bipolar disorder or depression would certainly require frequent followup.
Yes, in theory a physicians who's license is revoked or suspended shouldn't be able to prescribe. as a practical matter, it depends on the drug (and how long ago). Example - ADD/ADHD is often treated with adderrall or ritalin - they are DEA Class II drugs and have the tightest control of any prescribable drug. they require written prescription, no refills and federal law limits to a 6 month supply although many states limit to a 30 day supply with a personal physician visit required before another prescription is written. So no physician with license or DEA number problems is going to be able to prescribe those drugs for long as the pharmacists check those very closely because of abuse potential.
But most other drugs prescribed for psychiatry don't really have much abuse potential and therefore have no special DEA controls - and so although they are supposed to be prescribed by a physician, they are in the same control classification as antibiotics, BP meds & the like. This includes Prozac, Wellbutrin, lithium and most other antidepressants. No DEA registration is required to prescribe these, just a valid medical license. So it wouldn't surprise me if a physician with license trouble who was still practicing was able to get his/her non-controlled prescriptions filled for a while - especially a few years ago when computerized records were less common. Most of the drugs commonly used for bipolar disease or depression are not DEA controlled.
I'd like to think that our system is pretty good at figuring out who is a doctor and who isn't. But there are still to this day occasional mind-boggling examples of individuals who practice without a license or training, or after their license has been disciplined. They are usually caught earlier these days, but they still happen.
If it is true that the physician involved in this was practicing without a license or with a restriction on his/her license, and they were caught & disciplined for it, there will be a substantial paper trail which will all be public record documents. Besides checking with the state medical board involved, another way is to check the physician out on HealthGrades (www.healthgrades.com) - if they are practicing or have been in practice recently they'll probably be in there. Helathgrades used to have a lot of problems (in fact, once a long time ago they did once list me as being a board certified psychiatrist as well as a board certified surgeon) but lately I've found them to be pretty accurate. They have disciplinary records for most states listed, and it's free.
vladivostok391
Lieutenant, U.S. Navy
I have a MEPS-related question, but first, quick background... 30 y/o male, non-prior, PRO-REC'd for Intel in February of this year. Regarding MEPS, I just had my medical exam done at a Naval Medical Center instead of at an actual MEPS facility (my recruiter scheduled it there for timing and proximity reasons), so therefore my pre-med was a little different than the typical MEPS experience (not sure that it matters, but thought it's worth mentioning). More to the point, I had LASIK last May, and included all associated pre- and post-op paperwork when I went to the Naval Medical Center. I was cleared by the doc there following my examination and physical - he signed me off and basically said I was good to go, and didn't seem concerned about the LASIK. My question is, where does my paperwork go AFTER this stage? The doc signed off on my paperwork and as far as he was concerned, I'm cleared. So, will someone higher up the ladder review my paperwork and say, "woah, this guy needs a vision and/or LASIK waiver"? Or am I essentially good-to-go and all cleared (pending results of bloodwork / urinalysis of course) for entrance into OCS?
Please pardon if this is a bit of a dumb question. I've found plenty of info about people who are NOT cleared by MEPS - their paperwork gets sent through CNRC N33 for waiver review. BUT - what about people who ARE cleared in the MEPS stage? Is that it, are we good to go, or will someone higher up still review the paperwork after the MEPS doc has okay'd me? Thank you greatly for the clarification - just want to know what to expect next in this process!
Please pardon if this is a bit of a dumb question. I've found plenty of info about people who are NOT cleared by MEPS - their paperwork gets sent through CNRC N33 for waiver review. BUT - what about people who ARE cleared in the MEPS stage? Is that it, are we good to go, or will someone higher up still review the paperwork after the MEPS doc has okay'd me? Thank you greatly for the clarification - just want to know what to expect next in this process!
After a military facility clears you(whether its MEPS or a branch clinic), your paperwork is submitted to N3M for verification on whether your medically qualified for a commission. If a waiver is needed N3M will handle it accordingly and submit for one. Once they finish their review and waivers come back as approved or not, your recruiter will receive a letter saying your medically qualified or disqualified.
I read that your applying for intel but for those who are applying for special programs, such as aviation, disregard the above because the process is different.
Notorious Nate
Well-Known Member
Beta Thalassemia Minor, any way around it?