Additional Medical Screening
 

I was talking to an American Airlines guy on the hotel shuttle today. He mentioned that when he was hired he had to do an extensive medical screening done by American, even though he already had his First Class Medical. This was 8 years ago. Does American still do this? Is it common at the majors for them to do something similar to this? What about NorthWest?

Thanks for the info

If you make it to day 2 at Delta you get a full medical screening at a clinic not far from the hiring center. I would classify it as being closer to my initial DOD physical than my FAA Class I's. They took plenty of blood and even did an EKG.

I don't think AA has hired since 2000/2001, so who knows. UPS use to but stopped since at least Jan 2007.

I was also told that the result from this check would not disqualify you. However, two weeks ago proved different as an applicant had some sort of issues with the EKG and did not get hired. When I did mine at DAL, they told me I had a little too high cholesterol. It was the first time I had it checked, so it was good info and I fixed it.

Do they check your vision?

UNDGUY

At DAL, Yes, on the vision stuff...standard "stand on the line" and tell me what letters you see, then a few depth perception tests, color and another type of distance/near vision test where you are looking in a projector and have to tell the difference in a series of circles. As stated above it was very close to the first physical I had to come in the AF.

I flew with a captain at AirTran who was hired at Delta some 7 years prior and then 2 weeks later "failed" his Delta medical, even though they never told him why. He was a former F16 driver and seemingly in great health.

FWIW UAL reqires a 1st class medical - nothing more

Pre ADA

In the past airlines conducted extensive medical screening BEFORE a job offer was made. You passed or failed against largely unknown criteria. The results of your physical were NOT made available to you. You could be turned down and never know if it was medical or something else.


Post ADA

The process has become very transparent. Typically if a medical evaluation is made it comes AFTER a conditional job offer. If you have a legitimate problem of course you are toast and your next FAA exam would require disclosure of the problem.

The sticky for the company is now they have a hard time turning someone down who legitimately can hold a Class 1 but has the high potential to lose it over time. That was the goal of pre-ADA screening/evaluation which now is much more difficult to do with the exception of BMI.

As a result many airlines have abandon the medical and accept the FAA Class 1 as proof of medical qual for the job. The focus going forward will be to eliminate or reduce medical retirements to protect themselves from potential losses.

www.aircon.org

As of 2004 Eagle still did the full AMR astronaut physical (all day process). I know several healthy young people with current first class medicals who were denied emloyment after the medical.

AA/Eagle did a lot of smoke-and-mirrors crap with their interview process and medical, and I think it was done that way to obscure hiring practices of questionable legality. A valid 1st. class was no guarantee at all.

I heard a rumor that eagle dropped the physical though.