HELP!! PRK!!

[kevin]

i was just reading about the mandatory time frame to enrollment after prk. i got professionally recommended two weeks ago and havent had prk done yet because my recruiter told me you didnt have to have it done until after selection (vs the old application process). then he springs on me that i need to be medically qualified and all that jazz within 90 days post recommendation or they will most likely pull the rec from me. i cant have prk till apr 29th, so there's no frieckin way (3 months wont happen till 4 months post rec!!). plus, im -6.00 diopters, which apparently means 180 days instead of just 90!? am i totally screwed now? to think i got this far when slots are so hard to come by and then get janked cause of misinformation with the app process....im pissed! s.o.s. to anyone with info, thanks.

kevin

 

[Meridiani]

Kevin, your recruiter was misinformed. That sucks. You will have to wait 6 months after your PRK surgery to apply for a waiver, and then you're only eligible if your vision has been stable for at least a month. You do not need to have the waiver before you're selected, but I do believe that you need to have had the surgery so that you're eligible for a waiver when the time comes. If you want SNA, you'll probably have to reapply.

 

[kevin]

thanks for the info...do you by any chance know how having been recommended once before would affect me in applying again...help, hurt or neither? screwed AGAIN by a recruiter mistake...if this was baseball the inning would be over. thanks again.

 

[Meridiani]

Well, I have to believe that a previous recommendation can only help you. BTW-you might try calling the aviation community manager and telling him/her your situation. Perhaps they'd be willing to be flexible...dunno, but it couldn't hurt to ask.

 

[kevin]

yea, im willing to do anything. how would i find contact info for that person?

 

[txpike]

kevin, have they given you an ocs date yet? Talk to your recruiter and he should be able to talk to the committee about holding your professional recommendation until the PRK time frame is over.

 

[akamifeldman]

Here's my question: I'll need PRK also, but I'm still in high school. When could I get the surgery, when I'm in NROTC or USNA or after that?

The Three D's of Aviation: Never do anything Dumb, Dangerous, or Different!

 

[kevin]

txpike,
no, they havent given me a date yet...they said it would be a year or more from now. is that good or bad in this situation?

 

[Meridiani]

That would be good! If they give you an OCS date even though you're currently not physically qualified (eyesight), you're good to go! A year is plenty of time to get the surgery and wait for waiver eligibility.

____________
Stacy
____________

 

[kevin]

ok, i just talked to my recruiter and he said they wouldnt hold the spot for me. but he's told me a bunch of stuff that isnt correct, so id like to call the air group myself. do you know of anyone who had a spot held for him or her?

 

[kevin]

meridiani,
problem is, they didnt give me a date yet (officially). they just said it would be a while (12-18 months). i just talked to the air group and they sent me right back to the recruiter = square one. looks like i'm reapplying in 6 months. thanks recruiter.

 

[txpike]

kevin, since you are already professionally rec. you might as well see if they accept you for SNA. The worse they can say is no and reapply later, which you are going to do anyways. I got accepted in Jan. and got an OCS date for Oct. 18. I decided to get PRK while I waited out the ten months until I leave and my recruiter talked to the board in middleton, tn and they said they would hold my slot until my PRK time was done. So there is hope for you.

 

[kevin]

txpike,
thanks for the info. i dont think my recruiter will do that for me as he already said they wont hold it for me (granted he didnt even ask...i dont know if he hates my guts or what but this hasnt been a good experience). my question for you is...how did you get selected for sna after your recommendation without being medically qualified. did you meet eye requirements before having prk? i assume not, but im just curious because i thought you had to have your prt, security info, and medical all done prior to getting selected.

 

[absolutVU]

Akamifeldmen,

You have so much time to get your PRK! I'm getting commissioned in May and got the surgery in November--I don't recommend cutting it this close by any means-- but anytime you have the money and I would say before getting your commissioning physical Spring of your junior year, since I just had to have mine redone and am still waiting on the paperwork...I also have to have another exam at the end of the month to make sure I am stable--so, just realize it'll take some months after the surgery before you can get totally cleared.

Andrea

 

[txpike]

kevin, I did meet the eye requirements before the application and reason I wanted to get PRK was if you have anything worse 20/20 you will have to wear glasses while in flight school. I had 20/30 pushing 20/40, so I was in the range for SNA but I would had to have glasses. Nothing worse than walking around OCS and flight training with glasses on. Just FYI, I recommend getting a true flight physical before you go to OCS. Not the one they give to you at MEPS ( which is nothing compared to the real thing), the reason is because this will be the physical they give to you at NOMI before OCS. Which is where alot of SNA's get disqualified. I went down to Corpus and got a full flight physical and that is where the flight surgeon said I would have to wear glasses. They did not tell me that at my MEPS physical for my SNA application. You cannot let the system beat you. Good luck!