Need some advice, please/Early what are my chances?

[Delta747-400]

I (F/22) am an aspiring fighter or B1 pilot in the ANG or Reserves.

TBAS: Not yet taken

AFOQT: Not yet taken

Education: Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Engineering at Dartmouth College (graduating March 2023). GPA 3.30. Recruited Varsity Rower (NCAA DI)

Flying: 130 hours, have my PPL, complex endorsement, working on my instrument rating. 

Career: Two internships at Johnson Space Center. Will likely be taking a career as an ISS flight controller/engineer post college.

Medical: Will need to get Lasik. Had a bad doctor misdiagnosis me for an autoimmune disease a few years ago but that is being remedied. Will be getting a first class FAA medical if that means anything. 

Qualms: I am nervous that even having that diagnosis at one point will bite me in the butt forever. 

Any advice regarding the medical situation would be appreciated. 

Edited August 21, 2022 by Delta747-400
typo

[7thokage]

I (F/22) am an aspiring fighter or B1 pilot in the ANG or Reserves.
TBAS: Not yet taken
AFOQT: Not yet taken
Education: Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Engineering at Dartmouth College (graduating March 2023). GPA 3.30. Recruited Varsity Rower (NCAA DI)
Flying: 130 hours, have my PPL, complex endorsement, working on my instrument rating. 
Career: Two internships at Johnson Space Center. Will likely be taking a career as an ISS flight controller/engineer post college.
Medical: Will need to get Lasik. Had a bad doctor misdiagnosis me for an autoimmune disease a few years ago but that is being remedied. Will be getting a first class FAA medical if that means anything. 
Qualms: I am nervous that even having that diagnosis at one point will bite me in the butt forever. 
Any advice regarding the medical situation would be appreciated. 

The diagnosis will bite you if there is a paper trail. Worst case - I would recommend looking up the Air Force waiver guide and cross-checking what was diagnosed to that. If there is no record of it… well… it never happened.

In the meantime, I would work on gathering paperwork with detailed proof of it being a misdiagnosis (doctors providing written documentation). Make sure you study up for the AFOQT and TBAS. I’m sure you will do well as long as you find a squadron you mesh with personality wise


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[Delta747-400]

Thanks for the response. I have looked at the waiver guide before for the disease, and unfortunately it's not in my favor. There isn't a formal piece of paper that exists saying that I have/had this disease. What does exist is record of a few high inflammation markers in my blood. However, I've learned that that's pretty common even in healthy people. After just a couple blood tests, the doctor just slapped me with a certain autoimmune disease, even though I only had one mild symptom. After consulting with another doctor and doing some independent research to better understand my health and situation, I found several non-medication ways to fix the inflammation, and I've been symptom free for about a year and a half.

So I guess my clarification question is, if I can get the doctor who gave the diagnosis, whether formally or informally, to write a letter saying that I don't have this disease (which is one of the things I'm trying to do), then that could fix pretty much everything? 

Thanks.

[7thokage]

Thanks for the response. I have looked at the waiver guide before for the disease, and unfortunately it's not in my favor. There isn't a formal piece of paper that exists saying that I have/had this disease. What does exist is record of a few high inflammation markers in my blood. However, I've learned that that's pretty common even in healthy people. After just a couple blood tests, the doctor just slapped me with a certain autoimmune disease, even though I only had one mild symptom. After consulting with another doctor and doing some independent research to better understand my health and situation, I found several non-medication ways to fix the inflammation, and I've been symptom free for about a year and a half.
So I guess my clarification question is, if I can get the doctor who gave the diagnosis, whether formally or informally, to write a letter saying that I don't have this disease (which is one of the things I'm trying to do), then that could fix pretty much everything? 
Thanks.

No documentation stating you have the disease is great news for you. That means a diagnosis never happened when you apply to the Air Force.

As for the history of the markers in your blood work - that’ll be up to the Air Force to decide to investigate further or not. If they even consider it an issue, they will ask for further information. I have a feeling that because there was never a diagnosis, you won’t have an issue. However, If it popped up in your flight physical/MEPS bloodwork they would for sure do additional testing/investigate if levels aren’t within normal.

In my opinion (I’m not a doctor), all you need is *any* doctor to give you a written letter stating your results are normal. Then, I wouldn’t even bother presenting that to the AF unless they specifically ask for clarification.


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[brabus]

6 hours ago, Delta747-400 said:

There isn't a formal piece of paper that exists saying that I have/had this disease

4 hours ago, 7thokage said:

I wouldn’t even bother presenting that to the AF unless they specifically ask for clarification

These are key statements - DO NOT over share info, in fact treat the process like an interrogation and only answer the min required. Sure get that letter if you can, but under no circumstances should you let the AF know you have it unless it’s the absolute last card you have to play. If they ask you if you’ve ever been diagnosed with…the answer is no, because you have no official diagnosis. Do not answer, “no, but I did have this thing happen a couple years ago…” A single, unnecessary off-hand comment/additive to an answer could tank you. Don’t lie, but also don’t offer up additional info they didn’t very explicitly ask you for - and anything that doesn’t exist in official record never happened.

[Duck]

Best advice: “They may be a doctor, but they aren’t YOUR doctor”


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