FAA medical Block#13/#18 clarification
 

Another user posted a statement about being concerned that failing a military administered flight physical might have an adverse effect on any future FAA class of medical sought from the applicant.
I'm starting a new thread for information and discussion because I wanted to make sure that the topic wasn't lost in the original thread's flight training emphasis.

USMCFLYR

Are you sure that question in asking about military physical exams too?

USMCFLYR

Not sure if you were directing this at my post; but for those others reading this thread, don't worry about military flight physicals (or any other military physicals) affecting the future of any FAA medical.

Block 13 of FAA Medical Form 8500-8 specifically states:
[Emphasis added]

Personally, I was rejected numerous times for the military flight physical before finally making it through the wickets and it has never been a problem with me getting 1st Class FAA medicals.

USMCFLYR

I think he's referring to line 18 Medical history where there is a yes/no box for "medical rejection by military service" and/or "military medical discharge".

Due to an unusual medical circumstance I got let go by the Air Force just a couple weeks before OTS (a medical condition that is disqualifying for all military service, not just flying), and so I had to check that box, and it has not been a problem for me. However, I go to a AME who knows the ropes down in Oklahoma City very well and I explained the situation to him once and he knew the right way to word the description of the medical issue not to flag anything, and now on medicals he just writes something like "Previously reported, no changes." I guess if you already know your medical condition is disqualifying it would be best not to open a can of worms with the Feds.

Good catch Bellanca.
I see this the same way as you present it in the bolded statement above.
If I was rejected for military service completely I think Block 18(s) would apply, same as if I were kicked out (discharged) from the military for a medical issue I would mark Block 18(r). If my only issue were not passing the military flight physical, then I would not check either of those boxes.
Yes - much in dependant on having an AME who knows how to work with CAMI and uses the right 'language'. I use the "previously reported" line on every medical now.
I'm sure that you don't mean in the last sentence though that you should hide a disqualifying condition from your AME when filling out the Form 8500-8.

USMCFLYR

I meant if it is disqualifying from military service, if it is one of the many medical issues that the military does not allow but the FAA does not have a stance on. What I mean is that if someone has a medical condition that they know the military will reject them for, they would probably be better off with not attempting to join the military and having to check the box that they were rejected from military service. I'm not suggesting hiding anything from the feds, but I've heard too many stories of people getting screwed over because their AME didn't know what to do with a checked box, requiring them to go to great lengths to get their medical back.

I agree that if you never actually got rejected by the military you don't have to check the box even if you knew about a condition which would be a problem for the military.

I would also take this to mean a documented formal rejection, with a military medical exam involved. A discussion with a recruiter where either he or you subsequently decided to not proceed with an application would not count since recruiters are not doctors.

But you will probably need to report the medical condition when you apply for an FAA medical.

As long as you have been diagnosed with a medical condition.
Just because you second cousin has something similar dosn't make it factual either.

USMCFLYR

I definitely don't want to make it sound like I'm advocating omitting information or lying.

Basically what happened to me was I got attacked by a swarm of bees, and had about 100 stings, so obviously had a bad reaction to the amount of venom and then went into kidney failure as my body tried to get the toxins out of my body. I was hospitalized so I still would have to report that regardless. There was no permanent kidney damage, just an overload of toxins that had to be dealt with at one time. And the the allergic reaction was due to the extreme amount of venom coursing through my body. However, the Air Force made it sound as if I had a chronic kidney problem and a life-threatening allergy to bee stings (although to be fair a civilian doc at the hospital took it upon himself to prescribe me an epi pen in case I run into a large swarm of bees again).

It is a very unusual case, and something I'm extremely unlikely to run into again. But the overzealous medical review board I think was trying to weed me out and cut ties with me before they spent money on putting me through OTS and UPT because they viewed this is as a potential problem that might get in the way of me fulfilling my 10 year contract. Given the reasons they gave for denying me my spot, it could have been quite difficult to get my medical back and I was very fortunate to have one of the AOPA forum AME's as a family friend and lucked out that it FAA didn't deny any of the paperwork with everything that the AME put together with my case. Now it is not an issue.