Aviation Medicine

This is mostly aimed at the other medics, but I'd like to hear from some retrainees on the forum. The other week, a patient came to my office for a special duty clearance with a very short turnaround. The member had previously applied for an unrelated job and was medically cleared by the person I replaced. He obviously wasn't selected, so he applied for a different position. As he had been approved relatively recently for the first job, he thought it would be a pretty quick review process and relative formality for me to review his record and generate his 422. He's not wrong in that assumption; if another 4E reviewed and cleared him, I hoped the clearance process woul…

Had a kid ask me a question about dental req'ts. Recent OTS rated board select for RPA pilot. He has four lower back teeth broken off to the roots, non-restorable, but not painful or any observed decay. Will he pass the dental exam, or will they require him to have them pulled to eliminate the roots? I know cavities require fixing before they'll pass you, but I don't know about teeth that are simply broken to the gum line.

FYI for the general Air Force population: The new AFI 10-203 published the other month switched the PT restrictions on an AF 422 from the Exercise Physiologist back to the PCM (your normal doc) and everything is documented on the AF 469. So the AF 469 generated at your appointment for whatever condition you have can include, all on one form, the Duty Restriction (what you can't do at work), Mobility Restrictions (whether you can deploy), Fitness Restrictions (what PT activities you shouldn't perform), and Fitness Assessment Exemptions (self-explanatory). This is essentially switching back to the procedures in 2006. The reason this may not have been announced or impleme…

F16md I appreciate your answering my question a few weeks ago regarding my doctor prescribing me the blood pressure medicine; even though the response was not what I hoped. I have since been having blood pressure checked at both the doctor's office and my own personal machine I bought(while off the medecine), and it has been normal My aunt is a pharmacist and good friends with the local hypertension specialist. If he says that I don't need the medication, and that the other doctor's decision was hasty. What are my chances of being passing the physical. I have only been on the medication for two months and I saw in the regulations that you included in your response; i…

Hey guys, I hate to start a new thread but searched for a while and didnt find anything exactly like what I was looking for. Your insight would be greatly appreciated. I have an upcoming FC1 at Wright-Patt the first week of December. I believe I am right on the boarderline regarding my refraction error and am unsure which way it will go. That is my only issue. Other than that I should be completely fine during the FC1. My question to you is, since I am 26 and 1/2 years old and will be 27 in May 2013, I was wondering what options I have if I DQd because of my refraction error. I have not had PRK but would be willing to get it done ASAP after the FC1. I am a civ…

I just comissioned and am suppose to be going to IFS in a few months. I just found out i have a rare condition that requires back surgery. Basically i have a hole in my vertabre and i have to have them stick some pieces of bone graph in there to stimulate bone growth and fill in the hole. The doctor said that i should be able to be doing physical activity in a month and that it should heal up to be 100% but that will take a while. Is there anyway this would be waiverable. If i have to push back dates will I automatically lose my slot? (I'm suppose to start UPT in Jan.)? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm also wondering if there's anyway i could keep t…

All, Please welcome a new moderator to the forum. Deaddebate has been hanging out for a while and providing advice, so I've given him the official title. I'm sure he will continue to give the same quality of contributions that he has previously, the only difference is that he now has the ability to bitch-slap the profile of anybody who feels the need to act like a prick to him.

I just recently discovered via research on Google that I have a Pilonidal cyst. I'm a current/qualified AF pilot and was wondering if anyone here has had or known of someone who successfully dealt with this issue and returned to fly? It looks like it's a pretty simple procedure. I just don't want to talk to a flight doc before I can get some feedback.Anyone? Here's what I found in AFI 48-123 regarding the issue. 6.44.20.9. Pilonidal cyst, if there is a history of inflammation or discharging sinus in the 2 years preceding examination. Surgery for pilonidal cyst or sinus is disqualifying until the wound is healed, there are no referable symptoms, and no further trea…

Greetings, First off I know this isn't necessarily a flght question but this seems a good place to get the answer I'm looking for, so forgive me if I'm wasting time. I've been searching through numerous AFI's and AFPAM's about this issue, but I cannot seem to find a straightforward answer. I know that for a SMOD physical, normal color vision is a requirement. However, is it possible to get a waiver? Has anyone ever heard of it? The only waiver guide I can find says a waiver will not be granted for a flight physical. I'm highly interested in the 13SX field (Missile side to be exact) but I'm green weak and I cannot pass a PIP exam. Other than that I don't th…

Please only respond the baseops way, straight and to the point Passed MEPS physical but my right ear was borderline on the max decibel level. Scheduled for fc1 in December. My question is if I am 'slightly' over on the decibel level is that a waiverable scenario or auto DQ? Any previous experience or flight doc knowledge would be more than appreciated.

Hey guys, If I have monofixation disorder, what is the liklihood I could get a waiver to become a USAF Combat Systems Officer? I don't think I could pass that depth perception test and am just curious if they would waiver it or just disqualify me. If I can't would Navy NFO work? Thanks, George

So I went to WPAFB for my FC1 physical earlier this summer. I did not do well on the depth perception tests. I passed everything else. Once I failed the OVT, they had me go through the other battery of depth tests, and again, I was spotty - getting things right but not consistently enough. I left there being told I was DQ'd. I started doing a lot of research on depth perception - mainly on the mil forums - and started doing eye exercises everyday. Last week I was on TDY at Maxwell. At the advise of some of the ROTC officers there, I went over to the base clinic and asked them to test me on Depth Perception. I explained my situation to the technician, who said that som…

Does a Cyst on my head make me ineligible to apply/being selected to UPT?? If not, does having it removed have any type of consequences on my chances of being selected??

I went through my FC1 physical at Wright Pat a few months ago. They determined that I have an enlarged spleen (splenomegaly). They said that this is disqualifying until I can determine its cause. Since then I've had 4 rounds of blood work, ultrasound, CT scan of abdomen and pelvis, and a bone marrow biopsy. Besides a slightly enlarged spleen (17 cm), I'm completely healthy. My blood, CT scans, and bone marrow are perfect. Is this waiverable and if so what can I do to help prove my case? Thanks!

Hi, I am a USAFA cadet, but I have taken the OVT depth perception test many times for solo flight considerations. The results were failures, so I am wondering if one needs to pass the OVT to be CSO medically qualified?

About ten years ago when I was a young teenager I had low blood pressure which lead to dizziness and occasional fainting when standing up too fast. I never had any periods of unconsciousness, nor did I suffer any head injuries (I'd typically just land on a couch or sit down on the floor if I felt one coming on). I refuse to lie to a direct question, like those about blood pressure and fainting spells, so I plan on disclosing this info. I have had totally normal blood pressure ever since. Should this be a problem trying to get a UPT or CSO training slot through OTS? Ditto for Navy pilot/NFO.

So when talking to an AD Air Force Officer recruiter over the phone I found out I had a medical DQ and was not eligible to apply. However, my AFRes recruiter recently told me that I was indeed eligible if I were to fill out a waiver. I then called my AD recruiter back and he simply stated that "The Active Duty is ran completely different than the Reserves/Guard." So do all requirements vary (AFRes/ANG/AD)? Or did the AD recruiter just not want to go through the hassle of going through the waiver process? I'm guessing my best bet to find out about the ANG would be to call my local unit. Thanks, Hawk

What is the reg on braces during OTS and Flight Training and are the invis-align braces allowed?

I am an air traffic controller and therefore have a class II medical. I have two CONUS TDYs coming up where I will need to fly across the country. I know it is somewhat ironic but I get very nervous when I fly . I am considering asking the flight doc for something to take the edge off for these flights. I can be DNIC during the TDY as I won't be doing any controlling. I'm just afraid that even being a nervous flier might have some negative impact on my medical. I decided to post this issue here to hopefully get some insight from fliers and medical professionals before deciding to actually bring this up with the flight doc or not. Thanks in advance for any info/opinions…

Question about allergies. I have seasonal allergies (ragweed,pollen etc.) but they are easily controlled bt OTC meds. I am not worried about that but when I was very little (I don't remember it, but was told by my mother), I had a mild skin reaction to penicillin/amoxicillin. I have been told my parents for my entire life that I am allegic to these, and have told all my doctors etc that I am. I am not sure if it has been actually tested and/or documented that I am allergic to these but either way. If I am allergic to these, is this disqualifying? Should I be worried? I was just hired by an F-16 Unit and am naturally, frantically going through anything that could go …

Was looking through the forum and only found passing mention to it. was wondering what exactly was waiver-able about it, if anything at all? im going in for a eye test before i start my journey, in the past i have been border line for depth perception issue but i also have slight myopia that may have contributed to it. im going in for a retest to make sure even with the correction there is no issues with depth perception/diplopia . if i do have confirmed diplopia, am i pretty much screwed when it comes to flying?

I’m currently a 20 year old Sra in the reserves at Charleston I am a crew chief on the C-17. I have five months left for I receive my bachelors in professional aeronautics. I hold a private pilot’s license with around 90 hours. I am going for my commission to become a pilot in the air force, air force reserve, or air guard whichever accepts me flying anything I can obtain I’m not trying to be picky just trying to get my foot in the door and I am fine flying anything that flies. I have great health with no problems but I do have the trait of sickle cell it is a trait and not the disease and it does not and has not ever affected me. This is common amongst African Americans.…

I'm a rated airlift pilot in the Air National Guard (8 years) and after 32 years of perfect health, I suddenly started having achy joints in my hands and feet several months ago. It was never bad enough to affect my flying but I decided to mention it to my family docter as I could tell something was not right. He refered me to a rheumatologist who diagnosed me with psoriatic arthritis. He put me on an anti-inflamatory called sulfasalizine which seems to have taken care of the problem. I feel fine but after investigating the air force regs, I'm wondering if I have a prayer of getting a waiver for this condition. Has anyone had any experience with this or have any s…

Has anyone had to do a High/low contrast test for their PRK waiver? I had a waiver through the Navy, but the Air Force wants this test for the AF waiver. I called MCAS Miramar and they dont know what this test is. Has anyone been through this process in southern CA? I am fighting a clock to get back to UPT to avoid going through t-6's again.

Is there any precedent for flyers taking Naltrexone? AFI 148-123 gets no hits.