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PRK advice for an age waiver candidate

sameer

sameer

Registered User
Hello all -- I'm looking at applying to be an Officer in the Marine Corps, and I am 31 years old so I need an age waiver. My OSO said that given my age it is unlikely that I'd get an aviation placement, but he said I could still apply anyway, so I figure I'll apply. I'm reading here about the various waiting times that are required for PRK waivers but given that I'm already pretty old I don't want to do the PRK and then wait until I'm stabilized before proceeding with this career change. I don't want to get the surgery unless it will help me get a pilot position.

So then my question is if I get into aviation without PRK, when would be a good time to get the PRK done? I imagine that if I get PRK before OCS then I would have to wait until I'm stabilized before starting at OCS right? So maybe it would make sense to get PRK between OCS and TBS, and then after TBS and before flight school I would be able to apply for the waiver? Or do I have to pick between NFO and pilot before flight school?

Thanks!
 
BarrettRC8

BarrettRC8

VMFA
pilot
Have you looked into the contact lense program? I guess its pretty new, but my eyes aren't good enough un-correctable and had a Major in the Marine Corps call a friend at NOMI to ask about options and that was one of them.

From what I've been told, you have to have a prescription at least 6 months old, not have worn your lenses for at least 30 days and then go in to get a vision test. Bring both your glasses and contacts. They make you put in your contacts, test your vision. Put on your glasses, test your vision. Then test your vision once more with your contacts. If correctable to 20/20 then your vision is waiverable with resorting to PRK.
 
sameer

sameer

Registered User
more on contacts

Speaking of contacts, anyone have any advice on how to get over my eyelid reflexively closing everytime I stick my finger in my eye? Somehow my left eye is fine, but for my right eye my lid starts having convulsions trying to shut so I can't put the lens in. Its so frustrating! Anyone know where you can buy those eyelid openers that they used in a clockwork orange?
 
BarrettRC8

BarrettRC8

VMFA
pilot
You get used to it. It took me 45 minutes to put contacts in the first time. Takes about 5 seconds each eye now. Keep practicing.
 
sameer

sameer

Registered User
Thanks. I had my appointment today and I finally got them in, but then I couldn't get them out! And time was tight because I had to go run to a doctor's appt to get my immunizations for this trip I'm taking over the next three weeks! I was so close, but not quite. I will be able to nail it when I get back though.

I had the eye exam people check my uncorrected vision too though and it was really close - 20/30 in one eye and 20/50 in the other. For the 20/50 eye I could -almost- read the 20/40 line, and I think if I made an educated guess I could have pulled it off. Does anyone know how accurate do you have to be in reading the line for it to count? Does it only count if you can name every letter on the line correctly? Or if you miss one or two of the letters will it be ok?
 
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