The Doctor is in! Ask a Flight Surgeon!

[Atreyu098]

How do you go about trying to redesignate down at API? I was DQ'd from pilot from ROTC and am commissioning into NFO. But I KNOW I can pass the test. I barely failed, like missed one letter. So if I get down there and qualify, what do I do next? How do I go about getting the paperwork in and what not.

 

[BleedGreen]

How do you go about trying to redesignate down at API? I was DQ'd from pilot from ROTC and am commissioning into NFO. But I KNOW I can pass the test. I barely failed, like missed one letter. So if I get down there and qualify, what do I do next? How do I go about getting the paperwork in and what not.

well if you can show that you are in fact medically qualified for pilot, the CO can put in a redesignation package for you IF you have the highest overall GPA in the class. They'll mention this on your first day of API and give you more details if you express your interest.

 

[Atreyu098]

Hey one last question,

I am getting a second chance at an eye exam test tomorrow morning. It's basically a make it or breakit to get my SNA slot back. I have a small astigmatism that makes me get 9/10 letters correct at 20/40....so im literally right on the cuff. ANY advice to maybe add to my routine today besides hydrate and get to bed really early? This is huge for me and would appreciate ANY tips.

 

[Jimboslice]

NAMI question.

I am currently in A-pool waiting to class up for API. I have already been physically qualified by NAMI while at OCS. I just had my NAMI appointment in Pensacola to get my up-chit. I have no medical issues and no red flags, but for some reason myself and a buddy of mine had to go through a whole physical and have to go back for "part 2" next week. Most people are getting their up-chit tomorrow. I was curious if anyone knows why we had to go through a whole physical and if anyone has any info on what "part 2" is.

 

[BleedGreen]

NAMI question.

I am currently in A-pool waiting to class up for API. I have already been physically qualified by NAMI while at OCS. I just had my NAMI appointment in Pensacola to get my up-chit. I have no medical issues and no red flags, but for some reason myself and a buddy of mine had to go through a whole physical and have to go back for "part 2" next week. Most people are getting their up-chit tomorrow. I was curious if anyone knows why we had to go through a whole physical and if anyone has any info on what "part 2" is.

Not sure why you would have to repeat the whole physical again but most students have to go to NAMI twice in Pensacola, no matter the commissioning source or when their last physical was.
Part 2 is when you sit down with the flight surgeon for the patient interview portion. That takes place the next day because the flight surgeon is usually waiting for all your lab results, x-rays, etc to be processed.

 

[Jimboslice]

Not sure why you would have to repeat the whole physical again but most students have to go to NAMI twice in Pensacola, no matter the commissioning source or when their last physical was.
Part 2 is when you sit down with the flight surgeon for the patient interview portion. That takes place the next day because the flight surgeon is usually waiting for all your lab results, x-rays, etc to be processed.

Its not really the whole physical again if you were already cleared. Everyone from OCS only had to do vitals, labs, and eye exam. Some people didn't even have to do vitals. My part two is scheduled for next week for some reason instead of today. Why is it that most people get a part 2 exam, but some don't?

 

[BleedGreen]

There's a part 2 if for some reason they couldn't complete everything in one day. That usually means there waiting for lab results to come back. I don't know why some have to get repeat labs and others don't That probably varies from patient to patient.

 

[utswimmer37]

Ill throw this one out there...If you fail acuity at OCS but pass DP and then select NFO are you able to go get lasik or PRK in the downtime between Commission and IFS and re-designate back to SNA or is that it and just swallow that pill?

 

[BleedGreen]

Ill throw this one out there...If you fail acuity at OCS but pass DP and then select NFO are you able to go get lasik or PRK in the downtime between Commission and IFS and re-designate back to SNA or is that it and just swallow that pill?

I think your getting a little confused on the sequence of events. Students are commissioned upon graduation from OCS, so their isn't a wait between commission and IFS (in a normal situation). Your next stop would be IFS and API in P'cola. Lately students are classing up for IFS then API rather quickly but even if there was a wait, the Navy isn't going pay for LASIK and then med down a student for six months when they haven't invested any money in you. Besides that, the Navy doesn't know for sure if your going to make it through the training pipeline so paying for the LASIK and your six month salary while your med down doesn't make sense to the bean counters. From what I've been told by a few different flight surgeons is they won't entertain the idea of PRK/LASIK until your first fleet squadron.

 

[utswimmer37]

Appreciate it. I only asked because people are seeing 3-5 month waits so I figured it was worth the question. That's kind of what I was thinking though. Thanks again.

 

[utswimmer37]

Blood pressure question: if you are one or two points above 140/90 is that it for you or is there a possibility of a waiver of some sort, as in if you are physically sound in every other area? I would assume a 141-143/80 heart is the same as a 139/80 heart and a two to 3 point difference could be due to the equipment, how the cuff is placed, etc. Wasn't sure how cut and dry that standard is.

Edit: Physically sound meaning PFT through the roof, good cholesterol, resting pulse in the high 50's, 12-13% body fat, not on any meds

 

[utswimmer37]

aslo do you have the option of a manual reading if they do the first with electronic?

 

[TimeBomb]

MBP,
There are some related comments on this topic elsewhere on this thread. Best advice I can give you is don't rely on a waiver of standards to get you through the physical examination process. Get your BP down (lay off salt, alcohol, energy drinks, and consider dietary modification) and stay out of the process altogether. Don't give people a stick to beat you with.
R/

 

[utswimmer37]

MBP,
There are some related comments on this topic elsewhere on this thread. Best advice I can give you is don't rely on a waiver of standards to get you through the physical examination process. Get your BP down (lay off salt, alcohol, energy drinks, and consider dietary modification) and stay out of the process altogether. Don't give people a stick to beat you with.
R/

I appreciate the feedback and maybe I just needed to hear it. I've noticed I flux like crazy based on my diet so I can control it. Thanks for the advice.

 

[NicNakPaddywhak]

I have a question regarding medical waivers. I took the ASTB-E, went to MEPS, everything seemed to go fine, and got notice that I had been NPQ'd due to a kidney stone.

I had discovered a small (2mm) kidney stone in April 2013 in my left kidney when I had some mild blood in my urine. The x-ray was negative, but the CT scan found it. At that size, my then-urologist suggested that it would pass itself, and that I might not even notice it passing. I had assumed it passed, but N3M requested an additional scan that revealed that the stone was still there.

Last week (August 2014), I had the stone surgically removed via ureteroscopy (turns out, the urologist I got referred to is a retired Navy Doc, deployed in Desert Storm). I'll have the stent removed this week, and should get another CT to confirm the "all-clear" next week.

According to the NAMI waiver guide, an applicant "must be stone free for 12 months" prior to applying for a medical waiver. Which makes sense, since stones that recur in that period would be indicative of a significant problem with recurring stones.

My question is this: is there any way around waiting the full 12 months? My case being that I monitored the stone for over a year, the stone that was removed was the same size (2mm) as the stone discovered, and that I have made several significant lifestyle changes since finding the stone (i.e. picked up a rigorous exercise program, dropped a significant amount of weight, bumped fluid intake, went on a low-sodium diet).

If it does take a year of waiting to go to board as an SNA, I am more than willing to do so. I am just trying to get some feedback/experience from the fine men and women of AirWarriors.

Any advice/input is greatly appreciated.