So you've made it through the majority of the application process. You application is finished, you finally got in touch with that roommate you lived with 7 years ago to finish off the EPSQ, all of your letters of recommendations made you look like the second coming, your transcripts are flawless and your ASTB scores were competitive. The only problem you have right now is medical. MEPS won't see you because of one medical reason or another and your recruiter seems to have tried everything, and still nothing works. How do you get seen by medical if you can't even get in the door? You condition(s) may not be disqualifying but MEPS is screwing up the process. How do you proceed?
If this sounds like something you're going through right now, don't worry there's light at the end of the tunnel. First it's good to understand how the medical process works.
MEPS (military entrance processing station) is an Army run facility. They work with all the military services to get anybody and everybody in the military. Academy types go through DODMERB, everybody else goes through MEPS. They are the canned medical examiner, which means when you are either medically qualified or disqualified that paperwork STILL needs to go through Navy's BUMED for an additional medical clearance. Why is this important? MEPS could potentially disqualify you from service, BUT the Navy may qualify you if they feel you're within BUMED's guidelines of capability to serve. The flip side of that, BUMED may also disqualify you for certain communities, such as aviation, if your MEPS medical screen didn't go so good. Typically what happens is BUMED disqualifies you from said program pending additional supporting documents or appointments. Clear as mud?
Here's the scenario, you're finished with your package, you need to go to MEPS but they're not allowing you to physical because your medical background is checkered with broken bones, asthmatic conditions that didn't extend past your 13th birthday, and that minor surgery you had when you were a kid. You couldn't get any of your paperwork from your Docs because it was such a long time ago, but you walked away from the last civilian physical with a clean bill of health, so what now? You need to talk to you recruiter about putting you in CHCS mini-reg. What you'll do then is go to a medical facility with your necessary medical documents (DD 2801/2), and your recruiter will have to walk you around the facility to get everything you need. This can best be accomplished on a reserve weekend at any military facility that gives out military physicals. Your recruiter cannot, I repeat cannot, submit your names to CHCS, it's limited to specific medical personnel. Your recruiter needs to have a good contact at a medical facility to make this happen. This is not illegal or against Navy policy. This is the same thing that happens with MEPS, but you're doing it with the Navy vice the Army.
Let me make this clear, please do not go around MEPS unless you have to. This method of obtaining a medical exam should not be used in lieu of a MEPS physical. It takes time away from your recruiter, Navy medical staff, and most importantly YOU. So only suggest this to your recruiter if you meet the above criteria.
Although this works, you may still have some problems. If your NPQ'd from MEPS, good chances are you'll be NPQ'd from this physical as well, so don't think you'll slip by the Docs; that's not the point. The point is to get around the MEPS foregoing all the hassles you've already faced trying to get your physical.
When doing this if your recruiter is not familiar with the process, he or she needs to make sure they understand what is needed for a COMMISSIONING PHYSICAL. Here are the basics: Blood work (HIV, cholesterol, HEPATITIS, sugar levels, etc.), urinalysis (creatine, protein, etc), pregnancy test for females, eyes, vision, ears, sound, anthro’s for aviation, height, weight, DENTAL, and I think that's about it. Lastly, the signatures for the Doc at the end - you need to make sure he/she signs off on everything, dental if he/she can.
Finally, your recruiter needs to go back to get the lab results from your urinalysis and your blood work. This will finish off your medical documentation. Be advised you still may have to go back to the facility to get things you may have missed in the process that's required by BUMED. This is what happens when you skirt the MEPS system, but it's better than waiting around for something that won't happen.
If you're prior enlisted you should've received an end of enlistment physical. That physical is good for 2 years. So you can use that in lieu of a MEPS physical. ALSO, if you're a Reservist in the IRR, or a drilling Reservist, you can get a commissioning physical by yourself, without the help of your recruiter. YOU DON'T NEED TO GO TO MEPS!!
Again, please use this only when necessary. I hope this serves you well in obtaining your physical, on your path to receiving your commission in the US Navy. If your recruiter has any questions regarding this post please have them contact me at zachary.guerra@navy.mil. Good luck.
Please visit my other posts on Naval Aviation at:
http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?p=231005#post231005
If this sounds like something you're going through right now, don't worry there's light at the end of the tunnel. First it's good to understand how the medical process works.
MEPS (military entrance processing station) is an Army run facility. They work with all the military services to get anybody and everybody in the military. Academy types go through DODMERB, everybody else goes through MEPS. They are the canned medical examiner, which means when you are either medically qualified or disqualified that paperwork STILL needs to go through Navy's BUMED for an additional medical clearance. Why is this important? MEPS could potentially disqualify you from service, BUT the Navy may qualify you if they feel you're within BUMED's guidelines of capability to serve. The flip side of that, BUMED may also disqualify you for certain communities, such as aviation, if your MEPS medical screen didn't go so good. Typically what happens is BUMED disqualifies you from said program pending additional supporting documents or appointments. Clear as mud?
Here's the scenario, you're finished with your package, you need to go to MEPS but they're not allowing you to physical because your medical background is checkered with broken bones, asthmatic conditions that didn't extend past your 13th birthday, and that minor surgery you had when you were a kid. You couldn't get any of your paperwork from your Docs because it was such a long time ago, but you walked away from the last civilian physical with a clean bill of health, so what now? You need to talk to you recruiter about putting you in CHCS mini-reg. What you'll do then is go to a medical facility with your necessary medical documents (DD 2801/2), and your recruiter will have to walk you around the facility to get everything you need. This can best be accomplished on a reserve weekend at any military facility that gives out military physicals. Your recruiter cannot, I repeat cannot, submit your names to CHCS, it's limited to specific medical personnel. Your recruiter needs to have a good contact at a medical facility to make this happen. This is not illegal or against Navy policy. This is the same thing that happens with MEPS, but you're doing it with the Navy vice the Army.
Let me make this clear, please do not go around MEPS unless you have to. This method of obtaining a medical exam should not be used in lieu of a MEPS physical. It takes time away from your recruiter, Navy medical staff, and most importantly YOU. So only suggest this to your recruiter if you meet the above criteria.
Although this works, you may still have some problems. If your NPQ'd from MEPS, good chances are you'll be NPQ'd from this physical as well, so don't think you'll slip by the Docs; that's not the point. The point is to get around the MEPS foregoing all the hassles you've already faced trying to get your physical.
When doing this if your recruiter is not familiar with the process, he or she needs to make sure they understand what is needed for a COMMISSIONING PHYSICAL. Here are the basics: Blood work (HIV, cholesterol, HEPATITIS, sugar levels, etc.), urinalysis (creatine, protein, etc), pregnancy test for females, eyes, vision, ears, sound, anthro’s for aviation, height, weight, DENTAL, and I think that's about it. Lastly, the signatures for the Doc at the end - you need to make sure he/she signs off on everything, dental if he/she can.
Finally, your recruiter needs to go back to get the lab results from your urinalysis and your blood work. This will finish off your medical documentation. Be advised you still may have to go back to the facility to get things you may have missed in the process that's required by BUMED. This is what happens when you skirt the MEPS system, but it's better than waiting around for something that won't happen.
If you're prior enlisted you should've received an end of enlistment physical. That physical is good for 2 years. So you can use that in lieu of a MEPS physical. ALSO, if you're a Reservist in the IRR, or a drilling Reservist, you can get a commissioning physical by yourself, without the help of your recruiter. YOU DON'T NEED TO GO TO MEPS!!
Again, please use this only when necessary. I hope this serves you well in obtaining your physical, on your path to receiving your commission in the US Navy. If your recruiter has any questions regarding this post please have them contact me at zachary.guerra@navy.mil. Good luck.
Please visit my other posts on Naval Aviation at:
http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?p=231005#post231005