PRK/Lasik

[JonSmith89]

From what I've heard, the Naval Academy students can receive free refraction eye surgery (PRK/Lasik) before earning their commission. Has anyone on here gone the OCS route with the Navy paying for the surgery before joining? If so how did the process work for you?

Thanks!

 

[TrevDog]

Are you in the Navy now?

I just had watch with an O-1 that had eye surgery done at the Naval Academy becz she was "looking into aviation". I don't know about getting it done before you join the Navy. But I would say no.

If you are enlisted right now I can tell you how to get your paperwork in. It's super easy.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

If you are not already in the Navy then no. There are also wait time requirements such you must wait 6 months after surgery before getting medically cleared. If going OCS some districts will not submit a package until the 6 months has passed, some will submit if the 6 months will be complete about the time the board results come back.

 

[JonSmith89]

I should have added that I am in college starting my junior year. I wanted to see if there was a way to get the procedure done and Navy paid before the end of college and the start of OCS.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

There is also more that goes into it than getting the procedure and waiting the 6 months, your pre surgery vision comes into play as well, if you are outside the limits for commission before surgery you can't get waivered, but that has to be really really bad vision.

 

[JonSmith89]

A close family friend that is a O-5, works with NAMI and checked my eyes. All are within limits. I just hope the Navy doesn't take the people that get the surgery and throw them to the side because of it.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

If your eyes are within limits than why get surgery?

 

[JonSmith89]

Within limits to get the refractive surgery I meant. Other than having nearsightedness everything else with my eyes are good to go.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

The limits to get surgery are not the same as the limits to come in the Navy, I know people who's eyes were -10 that rec'd the surgery but the limit for entry in URL is -8

 

[ajohn921]

OCS/NROTC have to get the surgery done at a civilian clinic and pay for it themselves. If you are active or at the Academy, the Navy will send you to a naval hospital to have the procedure done.

Waiver wise, it depends on your pre-operative reports. I had PRK done the beginning of August and just had a waiver submitted to NAMI (three months post-op) because I was within -6 diopters.

You can find the waiver guidelines for laser surgery here. Go to section 12.15
http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/navme...ments/Waiver Guide - Ophthalmology 100505.pdf

 

[exNavyOffRec]

OCS/NROTC have to get the surgery done at a civilian clinic and pay for it themselves. If you are active or at the Academy, the Navy will send you to a naval hospital to have the procedure done.

Waiver wise, it depends on your pre-operative reports. I had PRK done the beginning of August and just had a waiver submitted to NAMI (three months post-op) because I was within -6 diopters.

You can find the waiver guidelines for laser surgery here. Go to section 12.15
http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/navmedmpte/nmotc/nami/arwg/Documents/Waiver Guide - Ophthalmology 100505.pdf

We must always remember this is just a guideline, I had a person that should have been waivered per the manual but was not.
OCS applicants have a 6 month wait after surgery, and unless N3M gives them a thumbs up or deems them waiverable NAMI will not see the record.

 

[egd33]

If going OCS some districts will not submit a package until the 6 months has passed, some will submit if the 6 months will be complete about the time the board results come back.

I dealt with that exact situation. The first 3 NRD's I spoke to (closest in proximity) all said I had to pass MEPS before I could put in a package to the board and there was unfortunately no way around it (my home NRD had just changed to this policy as the recruiter told me in the past they had people with PRK go to board and get selected prior to 6 months). I kept calling and the closest recruiter in the 4th NRD (5+ hours away one way) was willing to work with me after hearing my GPA and scores and we put in my package for the August boards. Got picked up for pilot and then had my 6 months post op come up about a month later. Got the waiver from N3M and FS was in the system very soon after and should be heading to OCS in a couple months (FS letter has been waiting to be signed for over a month now, hoping that goes through soon!). Was not easy considering I was out of the country on exchange for my last semester until the end of June (even had to have PRK done overseas and had been calling recruiters using skype...regular phone calls though not video chat) and had to take the ASTB right after returning, but it all worked out in the end. Persistence pays off.

I do wish you had been around on these forums back when I was dealing with all this though. From reading your posts you are definitely a great resource for everyone going through the process now and I am sure have clarified things for a lot of people.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I dealt with that exact situation. The first 3 NRD's I spoke to (closest in proximity) all said I had to pass MEPS before I could put in a package to the board and there was unfortunately no way around it (my home NRD had just changed to this policy as the recruiter told me in the past they had people with PRK go to board and get selected prior to 6 months). I kept calling and the closest recruiter in the 4th NRD (5+ hours away one way) was willing to work with me after hearing my GPA and scores and we put in my package for the August boards. Got picked up for pilot and then had my 6 months post op come up about a month later. Got the waiver from N3M and FS was in the system very soon after and should be heading to OCS in a couple months (FS letter has been waiting to be signed for over a month now, hoping that goes through soon!). Was not easy considering I was out of the country on exchange for my last semester until the end of June (even had to have PRK done overseas and had been calling recruiters using skype...regular phone calls though not video chat) and had to take the ASTB right after returning, but it all worked out in the end. Persistence pays off.

I do wish you had been around on these forums back when I was dealing with all this though. From reading your posts you are definitely a great resource for everyone going through the process now and I am sure have clarified things for a lot of people.

If the timeline for a person that came to me was similar to yours I would and have worked with them, of course a few years ago they had boards more frequent but less selections each board, I had one person from submission to leaving for OCS was just under 4 months, back then we had to wait until they were closer to the 6 month time.

When N3M clears a person they also stick a note "defers to NAMI for suitability in aviation programs", we had a person cleared by N3M for Pilot after surgery, then while in OCS was not cleared by NAMI and had to redesignate, this is what always makes me nervous about eye surgery.

 

[egd33]

If the timeline for a person that came to me was similar to yours I would and have worked with them, of course a few years ago they had boards more frequent but less selections each board, I had one person from submission to leaving for OCS was just under 4 months, back then we had to wait until they were closer to the 6 month time.

When N3M clears a person they also stick a note "defers to NAMI for suitability in aviation programs", we had a person cleared by N3M for Pilot after surgery, then while in OCS was not cleared by NAMI and had to redesignate, this is what always makes me nervous about eye surgery.

Yeah, I fought so had to make the August boards because of the infrequency of them lately. At that time, there as no telling when the next board would be. Of course now we know of January, but being done with that part of the process is such a relief either way.

I know I am not completely out of the woods until I pass the flight physical, and even though pilot is definitely my number one choice, I would willingly redesignate if forced to (I just do not hope it comes to that, though I have had no issues thus far and read 20/20 near and far in my physical without correction with perfect score on color vision test and depth perception as well).

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Yeah, I fought so had to make the August boards because of the infrequency of them lately. At that time, there as no telling when the next board would be. Of course now we know of January, but being done with that part of the process is such a relief either way.

I know I am not completely out of the woods until I pass the flight physical, and even though pilot is definitely my number one choice, I would willingly redesignate if forced to (I just do not hope it comes to that, though I have had no issues thus far and read 20/20 near and far in my physical without correction with perfect score on color vision test and depth perception as well).

Of course issue can come up at OCS with anyone, not just pilots, I have known of knee issues, food issues, vision issues and others coming up while guys are in OCS forcing people to redesignate out of URL.