meps and medical records

[sammitate]

So my recruiter told me I should send my medical records to get them approved before going to meps. I'm hoping to commission in the Army Nurse Corps. I was in an accident in March of this year and was hospitalized--no surgeries/scars; just some broken bones that are healed. I've started getting all my medical records and realized that somehow depression made it on to the list of my medical history which is completely incorrect. I've never had or been diagnosed with depression. I do have a history of anxiety, but I don't currently take any medication for it and have never needed counseling, psych evals, etc. and it is no longer relevant to my life--it was back in college, I was in nursing school, and was working 2 jobs (nights), going to school full time, doing clinicals, and taking my father for chemo and radiation by day when I was off work. Needless to say, it was a temporary thing, but now its in my history. Does the medical board or meps have the ability to pull my medical records or do they just go off of what records I provide to them? I know mental health is in the spotlight now, which is why them seeing these things on a history would probably PDQ me, even thought depression is incorrect and anxiety is no longer an issue. I have an appt with my PCP talk to her about getting depression removed from my history and anxiety as well since idk how the depression even got on there. I used my own clinical judgement and left both of things off of any forms I've filled out as I don't have any problems with anxiety even under high stress situations and it does not affect my life. However, if the army is able to access the medical records themselves, it's on there. Does anyone know how long you have to be off of anxiety medication to get approved or passed/cleared through medical?

[jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA]

You want to be honest with MEPS, but be fair to yourself too. Were you ever formally diagnosed with anxiety by a mental health provider? Did you ever receive mental health therapy from a psychiatrist, etc? Were you ever on anti-anxiety drugs? If answer to all those is NO, then I wouldn't mention it. If some are YES, then you probably should go through the waiver process.

MEPS relies on the records that you give them. They don't pull any records themselves. Honestly, if you aren't taking any meds now, aren't seeing a mental health professional now, and haven't had any recent issues, then I would say it's a non-issue. I suspect if you told them about your anxiety, you would qualify for a waiver but have to go through a long process of getting that waiver. It's up to you. I doubt they would find out if you don't tell them based on what you're telling me; it is perjury to lie on the MEPS form.

I suspect they would want your records of this accident but not care much if you can pass a PT test now.

[Guest374845]

Concur with jfratian, but am I understanding correctly that depression is on the problem list in your EMR records from the accident that you have to submit? If that is the case, upon seeing it MEPS will probably just kick it back to you via your recruiter requesting additional documentation or info. A nice note from your PCP on office letterhead attesting to what you stated here is sometimes all that's required.

You are correct however that mental health is scrutinized, so be prepared to have to push this.