Medical DQ Air Force

Published

Little hx about me

45 y/o

Nurse Practitioner

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I recently completed my physical. All went well until the very last part; review of lab results. The flight surgeon told me she was going to bump it up to her C.O. but I am pretty sure I received a DQ due to thrombocytopenia. It was not something I tried to sneak by with, everyone even my recruiter was advised of my condition prior to my physical.

Questions:

1) What is the time frame for sending a DQ up to the Air Force Surgeon General?

2) Anyone have a similar event they would like to discuss?

Any information would be very much appreciated.

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Specializes in Peds Neuro/Neurosurgery/General.

I am not sure about anything as far as an answer to your Q but I wanted to add to it....I am looking into going USAF reserves as a flight nurse. I am starting to get my packet together now....

Anyways, I have heard multiple different things about the medical background check and MEPS. (to be honest, including not to disclose some stuff which I am not really willing to do since I would never want to get kicked out later for something like that, not really worth it plus I dont want to go in under false info)

I have read up on some things but am wondering what the process is like. I have been upfront with my recruiter but I am just wondering if anyone has any experiences with this and what I should expect?

Do they check all your medical records?? What is the security clearance of a reserve flight nurse since I have heard that 'this' is what determines how in-depth your "medical and background check" are....and how is that even possible to check all that. Ha.

Thanks in advance. I am kind of scared of being DQ's for a medical struggle with depression back many years ago. I would not even know where to go to get those records at this point now....any help on what to do/expect is appreciated.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
Little hx about me

45 y/o

Nurse Practitioner

----

I recently completed my physical. All went well until the very last part; review of lab results. The flight surgeon told me she was going to bump it up to her C.O. but I am pretty sure I received a DQ due to thrombocytopenia. It was not something I tried to sneak by with, everyone even my recruiter was advised of my condition prior to my physical.

Questions:

1) What is the time frame for sending a DQ up to the Air Force Surgeon General?

2) Anyone have a similar event they would like to discuss?

Any information would be very much appreciated.

In my limited experience it usually takes about a month or less to get an answer back about a medical waiver. The real question would be what is the cause of your thrombocytopenia, if it is idiopathic and doesn't cause you any trouble I don't see why the AF wouldn't give you a waiver.

Good Luck!

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
I am not sure about anything as far as an answer to your Q but I wanted to add to it....I am looking into going USAF reserves as a flight nurse. I am starting to get my packet together now....

Anyways, I have heard multiple different things about the medical background check and MEPS. (to be honest, including not to disclose some stuff which I am not really willing to do since I would never want to get kicked out later for something like that, not really worth it plus I dont want to go in under false info)

I have read up on some things but am wondering what the process is like. I have been upfront with my recruiter but I am just wondering if anyone has any experiences with this and what I should expect?

Do they check all your medical records?? What is the security clearance of a reserve flight nurse since I have heard that 'this' is what determines how in-depth your "medical and background check" are....and how is that even possible to check all that. Ha.

Thanks in advance. I am kind of scared of being DQ's for a medical struggle with depression back many years ago. I would not even know where to go to get those records at this point now....any help on what to do/expect is appreciated.

The only medical information that MEPS gets is the medical information you give them. They don't go door to door searching for medical providers that may have seen you. MEPS/the military will only know what providers/hospitals that you have seen by what you put down on your paperwork.

Security clearance and medical physicals have basically nothing to do with one another. As a flight nurse you will have to pass your MEPS physcial and then a flight physical.

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Specializes in Peds Neuro/Neurosurgery/General.

Thanks so much.....what is the difference bw the MEPS and Flight Physical other than being seen by two diff docs? Do I have to sumbit two different sets of paperwork or does the flight physical look into past medical records? (and if so, more in-depth)

Do they happen around the same time?

Can they see if you ever had an inpatient admission for depression/abuse when I went to receive some help? (in my case some teenage issues that happened 7 years ago for depression) I have continued on to get 2 college degrees and work as a nurse now so obv not anything that has 'disabled' me from living my life.

I am just wondering what I background check all entails. Again, please do not think that I am wanting to get away with anything - integrity first as an officer - just more curious at this point since this concern of mine has raised many questions.

Thanks so much.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
Thanks so much.....what is the difference bw the MEPS and Flight Physical other than being seen by two diff docs? Do I have to sumbit two different sets of paperwork or does the flight physical look into past medical records? (and if so, more in-depth)

Do they happen around the same time?

Can they see if you ever had an inpatient admission for depression/abuse (in my case some teenage issues that happened 7 years ago) when I went to receive some help?

I am just wondering what I background check all entails. Again, please do not think that I am wanting to get away with anything - integrity first as an officer - just more curious at this point since this concern has raised many questions.

Thanks so much.

MEPS is where just a generic physical to get into the military is performed. A flight physical addresses the specific medical regulations required in order to able to fly in the AF. Usually the MEPS physical and flight physical do not happen around the same time.

As far as medical goes...in general the military/MEPS know exactly what you put down on your paperwork. It might take longer to get a waiver, but in general if something even has a remote chance of popping up again in the future it is a good idea to put it down and go through the waiver process.

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in my limited experience it usually takes about a month or less to get an answer back about a medical waiver. the real question would be what is the cause of your thrombocytopenia, if it is idiopathic and doesn't cause you any trouble i don't see why the af wouldn't give you a waiver.

good luck!

it's totally idiopathic. i have had the "condition" over 4 years and have had my spleen checked, bone marrow checked, and every type of lab work. my hematologists are stumped but we agree with it being asymptomatic we are not doing anything aggressive....

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MEPS is where just a generic physical to get into the military is performed. A flight physical addresses the specific medical regulations required in order to able to fly in the AF. Usually the MEPS physical and flight physical do not happen around the same time.

As far as medical goes...in general the military/MEPS know exactly what you put down on your paperwork. It might take longer to get a waiver, but in general if something even has a remote chance of popping up again in the future it is a good idea to put it down and go through the waiver process.

I skipped MEPS and had an Air Force flight doc do my physical.

Part of my initial paper work filed included my medical records. They did not seem overly concerned when I told them they were incomplete and more were being shipped. At my physical they did not even ask for them.

I have been led to believe: Don’t lie but don’t volunteer too much if any information. If you have your medical records and they request them it’s their responsibility to look through them. I knew for a fact my thrombocytopenia would show up when they tested

Flight physical way more intense from what I have been told and comes after MEPS from what I have read... MEPS is usually the weed out physical for everyone.

Go here and you may get find some more answers: http://www.airforceots.com/portal/index.php

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Specializes in Peds Neuro/Neurosurgery/General.

Thank you both....and I am sorry JDCitizen for kind of "taking over" your post.....reading back through I kind of realized that. Thanks for this info. I have been led to believe the same thing....I never had a PMD per-say and really dont have that many medical records so I dont know "what" I will give them really.

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Papers should have been sent to the SG this week? I am guessing because I had previously been told that they had already been sent. There was some kind of screw-up and my blood work expired before they could "type it". Yes I know my blood type but they wanted it for themselves. So here I wait again! :angryfire From what I am told once the SG makes the decision it's final for that branch. Anyway I am warming up plan B... :banghead: So you may see more posts.

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Specializes in ICU- adults, Flight RN peds/neo.

good luck jdc

cb

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good luck jdc

cb

hello olderthandirt2 (and a say that with a smile)

i noted you are a phd student.. how is it? i have been told there are some clinical based programs around (versus the research based ones)... when i asked mr. air force recruiter about educational opportunities (allowing for phd) his eyes glazed over....

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