My OKC Aeromedical wait.
 

Here is my recent (early 2021) wait time for the FAA to process my 1st class medical.

Day 1: FAA medical (AME said it would take 2 weeks to two months to get medical)

Day 7: AME faxed in documents and cover letter OKC. He is very meticulous - he wants to make sure it’s right the first time - which is fine by me.

Day 14: OKC said documents were scanned into system
(Called every two weeks. (Call in the morning, the wait times seem shorter) Each time they said “scanned into system will be reviewed in order in which they were received.” I don’t think they can say anything else and each time they were very polite. I checked the registry every day. https://amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/airmeninquiry/Main.aspx

Day 55: Medical showed up on Registry, called OKC and they emailed medical to me. They can fax it but said the email comes through better. They also mail it. From OKC mail takes about 5 days.

In my case I already had an SI for the condition. I had another procedure done which required OKC review. My AME said if you fax in documents to OKC it takes seven days to scan in, if you mail them it takes OKC 30 days to scan them in. (YMMV)

If I had to do it over again, once they said it has been scanned in I would not have called for about a month. Checking the registry is just as good. If it had gotten to two months after being scanned in, I would have been a bit more insistent trying to find out where exactly they were in the process.

Good luck to those of you who are waiting.

Just curious, if it’s deferred or something will it say that or just whatever class?


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I’m not sure I follow your question.

If OKC doesn’t like what you sent in, they’ll send a letter asking for further tests, etc. In which case you don’t get a medical.


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You mentioned checking the status.

On the link you posted, when you put in your info, it lists your medical. In my case it says “First,” I was curious if yours said “deferred”or something else.


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Ah, I understand.

The registry stated “No medical information available.”


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I checked the registry regularly. At one point the information changed to reflect the new medical validity but when I called CAMI in OKC and my AME they did not have the approval. So it was a bit puzzling that the FAA Airman Registry updated my medical but the folks issuing it had not done so in their system?

Just as an aside to this discussion: I have recently been talking to a specialist at my regional office regarding a letter I got from FAA about my recent medical (their error with my info that this specialist is helping me correct). This person informed me that right now there are a total of 9 doctors nationwide with FAA who deal with these issues. No wonder there is such a long wait.

I have found the Regional Flight Surgeons (RFS) to be very helpful in resolving and clarifying issues when they do come up.

Just curious, what was the date on your medical, when you saw the AME or when finally issued by OKC?

I think it depends a lot on if it's a renewal versus initial, your SI condition, and the provided documentation. They will not budge on what they require and in the correct format. It's normal to take 3 months for an initial SI issue. Some conditions and new medications have a waiting period. Do call them weekly and ask them to email you any letters or other requirements. In my most recent case, they sent me a letter requesting an additional test, which took over two weeks to get to me. Luckily, I was in touch with my RFS (Regional Flight Surgeon) office who told me about it and sent me a copy. So I did the test two days after the letter was sent (without having actually received the letter in the mail). I took my exam on the 13th, sent one test result on the 21st via overnight mail, medical was issued on the 26th via email along with SI authorization letter. So 13 days for me. I have found my experience with CAMI and the RFS to be very helpful and professional. There is a wealth of information in the FAA AME guide that lists protocols and has lot's of guidance materials that can come in handy. Your AME should be the main person guiding you through this but you can help your case tremendously by being well informed. Also for SI, find an AME who has experience in handling SI.

And regarding the Airman Registry. Don't rely on it. It showed that I had a medical 24 hrs after my examination which was incorrect. The RFS said that it does happen on occasion. The only sure way of knowing is when you have one in your possesson.