Medical Never Submitted
02-06-2019, 10:13 AM
#1
On Reserve
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Nov 2018
Posts: 10
Medical Never Submitted
Hi all,
I "recently" visited my AME in December (my first time attempting to get a medical) and was deferred due to being on an SSRI. Due to the government shutdown and the allegedly already slow pace of the FAA, I was prepared to not hear anything back from them for some time.
I have recently been accepted into a 0-hero program contingent upon my ability to receive a first class medical, so I called the FAA to check on the status of said medical.
It turns out that my AME never actually sent in the deferment and I've been waiting around for almost 2 months for nothing?
? Has anyone else been in a similar situation? What should I do? I can't keep pushing this back or they're going to revoke their offer for me to be in this academy.
I "recently" visited my AME in December (my first time attempting to get a medical) and was deferred due to being on an SSRI. Due to the government shutdown and the allegedly already slow pace of the FAA, I was prepared to not hear anything back from them for some time.
I have recently been accepted into a 0-hero program contingent upon my ability to receive a first class medical, so I called the FAA to check on the status of said medical.
It turns out that my AME never actually sent in the deferment and I've been waiting around for almost 2 months for nothing?
? Has anyone else been in a similar situation? What should I do? I can't keep pushing this back or they're going to revoke their offer for me to be in this academy.
02-06-2019, 01:24 PM
#2
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 39,277
I imagine the process might be gooned up because of the shutdown.
I would start with your AME, once you've confirmed that he did his part, then follow up with the FAA.
Also, if you're CURRENTLY on an SSRI, you have a long road ahead of you and the odds are not good. If you took SSRIs in the past (not recently) and are fully recovered, you should get approved. May need a psych eval with a letter to the FAA but your AME should know that.
I would start with your AME, once you've confirmed that he did his part, then follow up with the FAA.
Also, if you're CURRENTLY on an SSRI, you have a long road ahead of you and the odds are not good. If you took SSRIs in the past (not recently) and are fully recovered, you should get approved. May need a psych eval with a letter to the FAA but your AME should know that.
02-06-2019, 02:08 PM
#3
Perennial Reserve
Joined APC: Jan 2018
Posts: 11,502
That ^^^^
If you are CURRENTLYtaking an SSRI, even if it is one of the four specific SSRIs that they MAY approve, you still have a long road ahead of you.
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...tidepressants/
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...tification.pdf
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...tification.pdf
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...tification.pdf
Basically if you have been on the RIGHT SSRI and totally stable for six months you can BEGIN the process. It will not be quick, it won’t be cheap, and special issuance is anything but assured.
They were in fact barely getting this program up and running at all despite considerable external and internal opposition to it when the GermanWings tragedy occurred.
https://www.thejournal.ie/germanwing...57148-Mar2016/
If you are CURRENTLYtaking an SSRI, even if it is one of the four specific SSRIs that they MAY approve, you still have a long road ahead of you.
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...tidepressants/
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...tification.pdf
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...tification.pdf
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...tification.pdf
Basically if you have been on the RIGHT SSRI and totally stable for six months you can BEGIN the process. It will not be quick, it won’t be cheap, and special issuance is anything but assured.
They were in fact barely getting this program up and running at all despite considerable external and internal opposition to it when the GermanWings tragedy occurred.
https://www.thejournal.ie/germanwing...57148-Mar2016/
02-07-2019, 09:29 AM
#4
On Reserve
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Nov 2018
Posts: 10
I only took the SSRI for 2months total and have been off of it since early October. Due to me being off of it, would you expect that the deferment process wouldn't take much to it? I also sent in a supporting letter from my PCP.
02-07-2019, 10:04 AM
#5
Perennial Reserve
Joined APC: Jan 2018
Posts: 11,502
Originally Posted by adamhope95
I only took the SSRI for 2months total and have been off of it since early October. Due to me being off of it, would you expect that the deferment process wouldn't take much to it? I also sent in a supporting letter from my PCP.
You might not require as detailed, prolonged, or expensive a work up as otherwise, and your odds on eventual approval may be better, but I would be utterly astounded if they passed you without having you at least see a psychiatrist and with the backup of cases from the government shutdown still being worked, a prompt resolution seems unlikely.
Sorry, wish it were different for you, but I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you.
02-07-2019, 01:02 PM
#6
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 39,277
Originally Posted by adamhope95
I only took the SSRI for 2months total and have been off of it since early October. Due to me being off of it, would you expect that the deferment process wouldn't take much to it? I also sent in a supporting letter from my PCP.
When they get around to it, it will presumably get denied due to not enough time off meds, and you'll need to figure out how long you have to wait and what exactly they will need.
Your AME should be able to handle simple stuff like this, and explain it to you, but you may need to hire an aeromedical consulting company, especially if there are complications.
03-12-2019, 12:23 PM
#8
On Reserve
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Nov 2018
Posts: 10
Quick update:
-I left an angry voicemail message for my AME as soon as I found out that the FAA had no record of my deferral.
-Called FAA the following Monday, I knew something was different because this time when I gave her my name, DOB, etc. she actually seemed like you was pulling up something. I told her I called previously and there was no record and she says "oh, this is weird... it says you took the exam on the 28th of December but I'm not sure why it was just sent to us as they are only allowed to hold these for up to 10 days". She also mentioned that there was a note in my file from my AME stating "never received paperwork from client"; he had mentioned he would hold it for 7 days to allow me to have time to visit my PCP and ask for a supporting letter. I got the letter, sent it to my AME, and received confirmation that he received it on 1/3/2019.
-FAA asked me to fax the supporting letter to them because they didn't have it, I sent it immediately after the phone call ended. She asked me to call back in 2 weeks just to double check that they received the fax and had it uploaded & scanned into their system. I told her I was supposed to be starting flight training on 3/15 and she flagged my file for priority.
-3/11/2019: 2 weeks pass, I call back to follow up to check to see if they received my fax; they hadn't and she asked me to call back this Friday. She then asked if I had responded to the letter they had sent me dated 2/28/2019 (I hadn't, but checked my mailbox after I got off the phone and there it was). Letter is just requesting a "current history and clinical examination from treating physician".
I have my appointment with the doctor Friday and then will call the FAA to fax the report over along with making sure they have my previous fax. Hoping this won't take too much longer but glad I'm finally hearing from them! Do you all think there might be another step after this one? How likely is a HIMs visit going to be requested?
-I left an angry voicemail message for my AME as soon as I found out that the FAA had no record of my deferral.
-Called FAA the following Monday, I knew something was different because this time when I gave her my name, DOB, etc. she actually seemed like you was pulling up something. I told her I called previously and there was no record and she says "oh, this is weird... it says you took the exam on the 28th of December but I'm not sure why it was just sent to us as they are only allowed to hold these for up to 10 days". She also mentioned that there was a note in my file from my AME stating "never received paperwork from client"; he had mentioned he would hold it for 7 days to allow me to have time to visit my PCP and ask for a supporting letter. I got the letter, sent it to my AME, and received confirmation that he received it on 1/3/2019.
-FAA asked me to fax the supporting letter to them because they didn't have it, I sent it immediately after the phone call ended. She asked me to call back in 2 weeks just to double check that they received the fax and had it uploaded & scanned into their system. I told her I was supposed to be starting flight training on 3/15 and she flagged my file for priority.
-3/11/2019: 2 weeks pass, I call back to follow up to check to see if they received my fax; they hadn't and she asked me to call back this Friday. She then asked if I had responded to the letter they had sent me dated 2/28/2019 (I hadn't, but checked my mailbox after I got off the phone and there it was). Letter is just requesting a "current history and clinical examination from treating physician".
I have my appointment with the doctor Friday and then will call the FAA to fax the report over along with making sure they have my previous fax. Hoping this won't take too much longer but glad I'm finally hearing from them! Do you all think there might be another step after this one? How likely is a HIMs visit going to be requested?
04-05-2019, 08:20 AM
#9
On Reserve
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Nov 2018
Posts: 10
I finally received a letter from the FAA requesting a current psychiatric evaluation by a psychiatrist with "aerospace psychiatry and/or familiarity with aviation standards".
I have called dozens of offices by now and not a single doctor says that they have any experience in this field. My AME referred me to a place that only does physical therapy and the secretary was very confused when I showed up and explained my situation (not sure why I was sent there in the first place).
Does anyone have any suggestions with this? I was expecting to see a HIMS AME but because the letter states that if I don't see a psychiatrist with these standards, their report 'may' be less useful.
How can I communicate to a psychiatrist what the FAA is requesting when they say aerospace psychiatry?
I have called dozens of offices by now and not a single doctor says that they have any experience in this field. My AME referred me to a place that only does physical therapy and the secretary was very confused when I showed up and explained my situation (not sure why I was sent there in the first place).
Does anyone have any suggestions with this? I was expecting to see a HIMS AME but because the letter states that if I don't see a psychiatrist with these standards, their report 'may' be less useful.
How can I communicate to a psychiatrist what the FAA is requesting when they say aerospace psychiatry?
04-05-2019, 09:02 AM
#10
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 39,277
Originally Posted by adamhope95
I finally received a letter from the FAA requesting a current psychiatric evaluation by a psychiatrist with "aerospace psychiatry and/or familiarity with aviation standards".
I have called dozens of offices by now and not a single doctor says that they have any experience in this field. My AME referred me to a place that only does physical therapy and the secretary was very confused when I showed up and explained my situation (not sure why I was sent there in the first place).
Does anyone have any suggestions with this? I was expecting to see a HIMS AME but because the letter states that if I don't see a psychiatrist with these standards, their report 'may' be less useful.
How can I communicate to a psychiatrist what the FAA is requesting when they say aerospace psychiatry?
I have called dozens of offices by now and not a single doctor says that they have any experience in this field. My AME referred me to a place that only does physical therapy and the secretary was very confused when I showed up and explained my situation (not sure why I was sent there in the first place).
Does anyone have any suggestions with this? I was expecting to see a HIMS AME but because the letter states that if I don't see a psychiatrist with these standards, their report 'may' be less useful.
How can I communicate to a psychiatrist what the FAA is requesting when they say aerospace psychiatry?
Contact an aviation medicine consulting company, they will retain or know one or more appropriate psychiatric providers. You might have to travel to one.
AMAS is one such company, there are others you can google: https://www.aviationmedicine.com/
Sounds like the timeline might be drawn out enough that you'll have enough time off meds, if the FAA lady didn't say anything about that they might just give you a 1C without further delay, once you get the exam done.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
