Aviation Medicine

My son is a firstie at Camp USAFA and learned yesterday that his waiver for drusen, submitted his third degree year, was denied. At the time the wavier was submitted, he was lead to believe the condition was wave-able. In fact, he received his pilot slot last year. The news yesterday was quite a blow. I've reviewed the Waiver Guide updated Nov 07, and have learned that for FC I/IA individuals, the condition is not eligible for waiver. Two questions: Is there any sort of appeal process or other avenues available to "fight" the denial? Would drusen prevent him from cross-commissioning and flying with another branch? He's taking things in stride and is scrambli…

Good afterrnoon gentlemen, I have an optic neuritis disorder only on my left eye. I can see well, I'm just a little sensitive to light on my left eye and can't see the color red as I can with my right eye (about 10% greyer). I've done some researching and can't find if waivers exist for this condition. Can anyone shed some light based on experience?

While I was boxing recreationally, a blow to my right eye gave me, in additional to a swollen black eye, a blowout fracture in the orbital floor. I wasn't knocked out by the hit. I was lucky in that there was no muscle entrapment, and the double vision I got AFTER swelling (but not after the hit) went away three days later. My vision is still 20/20 in both eyes and the doctors found no damage to the eye itself. However, in order to decrease the chance of getting a sunken eye due to the size of the fracture, I'm going to be getting surgery to insert a medpor mesh material to seal up the fracture. My doctor told me he advises against scuba diving after such damage to the e…

Is it possible to stay on flying status after donating a kidney?

Any flight docs on here that I could PM with an orthopedic questions? Thanks for the help.

I used to have Osgood Schlatter Disease in my left knee when I was younger. However, it's been around 5 or 6 years since the pain has gone away. As of now, there is no pain whatsoever and I can move my knee around freely just like before I had OSD. My question is, will I still be able to pass the medical in the Air Force if I wanted to become a pilot? The doctors wouldn't even know I had OSD, unless they saw my left knee which has a very slight bump to it. I don't think they'd even notice the bump unless I told them. Any help would be great! Thanks! Jon C.

I had a benign osteochondroma (bone tumor) removed from my lower femur. By definition, an osteochondroma is a benign tumor. It's more or less a small branch that shoots off during bone growth and development, and is capped by cartilage. Tumor was removed, they double checked in the lab, no cancer. No kind of therapy needed and never a problem since. I have a 3-inch scar on my leg from where they took it out, and I've stayed very active and healthy since then; no broken bones, etc. Today I got a call from Brooks saying they needed further documentation about treatment, doctor's visits, etc. Nothing major, but the gentlemen started mentioning "waiver" and "disqualificat…

I have a hypothetical question here :) So say I was having foot pain a couple months ago so I started taking my sister's old Oxycodone prescription for about a week. The recommended dose was 1 tablet and I began taking 2 tablets by the last few days and then stopped after that week. Would this disqualify me from ROTC and if I would be able to get into ROTC would it disqualify me from a pilot position? And if for some reason I didn't do ROTC and did OTS, would it disqualify for an OTS pilot slot?

Hey Everyone, Any input/advice on my issue will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! I am currently a high school junior (almost 18 years old) and am applying to the Academy and ROTC. I got accepted for a SAME (Society of American Military Engineers) Summer Camp at the Air Force Academy which I will be attending. Not to brag but I have a tremendous record and stand a very good chance of getting into the Academy OR getting an ROTC Scholarship. Situation: Back when I was 11 or 12 years old I saw a psychologist for about 2 months. The shrink basically told me that I suffered from "panic attack disorder" and that I would have to take medication, etc. My f…

Hey everybody, 17OT04 AD Pilot Select, had a flight physical at JBLM in February. The civilian contractor I had to deal with kept putting off scheduling me because of my medical history, thinking I would fail and would consistently ask me during the process "how I made it through MEPS." Fast forward three months, still no word on my physical. I knew I would need a waiver for LASIK and childhood asthma. The thing is, I'm slated to go to OTS late June. Really unsure who I can speak with regarding this, or if I'm really at the mercy of this "backlog" situation. I've never heard of anyone else online going through JBLM for a flight physical, so I'm a little concerne…

Hello all, Currently a Rated Pilot flying for the ANG. I recently discovered a small mass along my jawline that I had originally believed to be an inflamed lymph node. Not an area I would usually inspect on my person, so it was a bit surprising to notice something that seems to have been there for a while. To my ignorance I thought it was something that would go away. Several weeks later, and after no change, I decided to bring it up to my Flight Doc. Flight Doc suggested it was an irregular mass and issued a referral to an ENT of my choice. After my consultation with my ENT he described the mass as a tumorous growth on the parotid gland. I am curr…

Hello all, I searched the PRK/LASIK thread and was unable to find an answer to this question as the reference I have is only 2 years old, but sorry if it has been asked before. I'm an Army guy and got LASIK in my right eye almost 5 years ago to get in standard for my Army flight physical. I am in the process of submitting applications to ANG/AFR units. I've seen the LASIK checklist with the required pre and post-op exams. I had post-op exams after I got my eye done, but the timeline was different the the Air Force's (if I remember it was 1, 2, and 3 months then I got the waiver, not 1, 3, 6, and 12 months). I can probably get a copy of all of the paperwork, but while…

My flight doctor told me I am the only flyer in the AF with my type of autoimmune disorder. Actually, my autoimmune disorder has become so widespread that Congress was lobbied by an organization in California to fund research for a cure. Congress granted the request for funding. There is a medical center in San Francisco who can help. I was scheduled to go there but I had a TDY, training, and a subsequent PCS out of California prevent me from going. I am going to retire in 3 years and I wanted to know if I could request a PCS back to that area for treatment once I've been on station for 2 years minimum? I will not die without treatment. On a scale of 1 to 10 my …

I want to become a fighter pilot. I have peanut and pine nut allergies. They are not severe or anything. I do not need any medication for them. Worst that happens is that I vomit. Nothing else. Would it be difficult to get a waiver in the Air Force? (I want to try to get into an Academy, preferably the AFA) Thank you!

I am a member or AFROTC Det. 159 and have just been selected as a pilot candidate. I am worried that my pectus excavatum surgery will DQ me when I go to Brooks AFB next month for my Flying Class I. I was curious to know if anyone can give me advice on what I could do to be able to pass this. I have made contact with the doctor that did the surgery for a consult, but not sure if there is other documents that I can bring to help myself out. I would appreciate any help that anyone can give me, maybe even someone that has been through this situation before. P.S. I like the board and think that this is a great resource. I will advertise to the other members of my detachment…

I am curious if anybody has gone through NAMI in pensacola for UPT at whiting field. I have already passed the fc1/mfs and wonder why I have to do the Navy's screening now. Seems unfair to have to go through two medical screenings just because I am joint training. Not really worried, but anytime you have to do ANOTHER screening you never know what a doc can find. Have hardware waiver as is and dont want to have to go through another test.....sigh..

I have been diagnosed with a medical condition that is disqualifying for ALL initial, untrained (which I am) FCs, and is not waiverable. However, it is not a permanent condition, medically (it can be controlled), though the Air Force might view it as such, given that it is in my history and could resurface in the future if I do the wrong things...namely, eat the wrong foods for a long time. My question is, does anyone know if an "X" in the MSD or a "NO" in Waiver Guide means a PERMANENT disqualification/non-waiverable status? Or, does it just mean non-waiverable so long as the condition exists? Is there some way to determine if the Air Force medical standards system …

Hello, I was disqualified during my Class I Flight Screening after selection, and I'm currently applying for a Class III now to try and be an ABM. I understand that some conditions are permanently disqualifying from rated positions, but I have no idea if mine is (esophoria). Any idea where I can find out if I can even apply again? I've tried calling AFPC/AETC, and the base that performed the physical, but I haven't gotten much apart from the issue that DQ'd me the first time. If anyone has any info, thank you!

Hi all, I am considering once I graduate from graduate school pursuing a pilot slot. I have a rather unique and personal medical question and would appreciate if any flight surgeons would be willing to shoot me a message. Thanks, StressedOutGradStudent

Finding absolutely zero information on this process except from the very generic information that AFPC pushes out. I reached out to them and received additional clarification on the actual process, but not necessarily what is/isn't permitted or accepted to be submitted. I'm currently a 2d Lt with only about 4.5 months TIS and therefore I don't have much to show in terms of Air Force accomplishments or awards. I doubt they care about any performance from AFROTC or that I was already selected for a pilot slot beforehand. DQ'ed from FC1 without waiver and attempting to push for an Exception to Policy. Background info: AD 2d Lt; Commercial Single/Multi + Flight Inst…

Hey Docs or anyone else who can help, I was awarded a pilot slot for the active duty, but just found out from the the people who gave me my F1C down at Edwards that I have exoporia which is supposed to be a divergence of my eyes at near vision. Now I'm not at all knowlegable in areas of vision problems because I've never had any, but I just don't want to give up on my dream without a fight. Is there anything at all that I can do or do just have to accept the inevitable. Your responses will be greatly appreciated. :confused:

AN ANSWER TO END THIS THREAD I am almost 5 weeks post-op and I am getting my ducks in a row to make a waiver application for PRK. I just talked to my helpful contact at Brooks regarding the issue discussed above. You MAY apply for the waiver/FC1 as early as 3 months post-op but must have the cyclopentolate (dialted) exams at 3 months and 6 months instead of 6 months and 12 months. You will be required to have a 12-month exam as well but your waiver should be approved/declined before then. See section 5.1 of the doc pilot2B posted earlier. I believe this is the root of the confusion - you MAY NOT actually go to Brooks for MFS/FC1 before you are 12 months post-op,…

I've passed my flight physical, but I see once one arrives at your UPT base you have to go through a few more medical exams before you're officially medically qualified. I see the list as "Audiogram, Optical, PHA, and Dental". Is this experience pretty similar to getting your initial flight physical done all over again, or more like a typical check-up with your doctor? I'm not a huge fan of things completely out of my control, so some more information on this process is appreciated. It's been a while since I had my flight physical so hopefully I'm still able to pass all those tests the same.

I know this topic was somehwhat covered but I just thought I would ask so I could clear it all up. I had a pilonidal cyst surgically removed this past week and was wondering how that would affect my flight physical down the road. I looked it up in the AFI for Medical Standards for Flying Duty and it states "Pilonidal Cyst, if there is a history of inflammation or discharging sinus in the 2 years preceeding the examination. Surgery for pilonidal cyst or sinus is disqualifying until the wound is healed, there are no referable symptoms, and no further treatment or medication is required." The surgeon that performed my surgery stated that it will heal in a month or so, which …

Ok, so here is a really weird questions, but one that I think is interesting. A lot of cadets at my Det want to be pilots, but a few of them are decided to go to Med school to be Flight Surgeons! I have a friend in the Navy who is a flight surgeon, (dang good one too! I guess he almost got flight surgeon of the year for the whole Navy!) This friend gets to fly F-18's and all too! What a deal! My question is: Have you ever heard of anyone being a pilot for 10 and then going to Med school after that? To either be a doc and/or flight surgeon. Highly unlikely I know, but just wondering. I do know that many people change careers and go to med school in their late 30'…