Thought I'd give everyone that's in the application a word of caution, ESPECIALLY aviators. Medical up here in Newport is very different than Pcola, primarily because the doctors here aren't yet familiar with the intensity of the physical training at OCS, but also because NAMI is still in Pcola, yet you take your flight physical here on day 2 of indoc week.
I showed up with class 02-08 on 08 Sep 07. Although I had been cleared at MEPS as having 20/20 eyesight (6 months after PRK), I failed the eye exam on day 2. I fought the system for about 4 weeks, had myself re-examined twice, and eventually managed to get ahold of one of the flight surgeons at NAMI. He told me that basically, MEPS had DQ'ed me for having too much astigmatism for aviation, but that the Navy had given me a waiver anyway. Basically, the waiver was only good to get me into the program - the flight surgeons won't waive the problem I have, so my options were to redesignate or NPQ from OCS. I've been here 8 weeks now, and I'm in student pool waiting to leave here next week. I get to go home, have another surgery, and wait 6 months to even REAPPLY for another waiver, then reapply to the program, then start back at the seawall....
Obvious that sucks. But the real problem is that this isn't an isolated incident; the Navy knew I wouldn't pass my eye test here, but they brought me anyway, assuming I'd redesignate. The guy across the hall from me in student pool is color blind; somehow he "magically" passed at MEPS, only to come all the way to RI from TX to be told he'll never be a Naval Officer unless he wants Supply. Apparently, officers are in high demand right now, and people are sliding through at MEPS, only to get here and have problems - everything from eyesight to a guy that showed up with severe scoliosis. All of my problems could have been avoided if they weren't hurting so badly for numbers - I could have had the 2nd PRK hit, waited 90 more days, and prevented all of this wasted time and hassle that the last 2 months have amounted to.
My advice is this: be proactive with your own medical profile. DONT show up with a PRK waiver for aviation just assuming that everything will be alright. Go find a civilian optometrist that can give you a GOODLITE 10x10 chart exam and make sure you see 20/20 out of EACH EYE using less than the limits of correction (they're posted everywhere on here). Don't bother coming if you can't do this. The 5 letter projection charts that they use at MEPS are worthless. YOU HAVE TO PASS A GOODLITE TEST WITH 20/20 -0 (ALL LETTERS CORRECT) TO QUALIFY FOR PILOT.
One final note is to be prepared to take your eye exam after 2 nights of very little and very broken sleep. It sucks, and hopefully they change that soon, but as of now...that's how it works. As for people with other physical problems, I had a torn muscle in my back - to which the doctor prescribed Motrin 3x a day, said I would be fine, and to "try and stay off of it, and don't do any strenuous physical activity such as pushups". Anyone that knows anything about OCS knows what a ridiculous recommendation that is. Basically, take care of your issues before you get up to RI. Don't expect things to work like clockwork up here...it's definitely still a work in progress.
As for myself, it's back home to visit the laser again...then, maybe, back to visit the Seawall in a few months...
I showed up with class 02-08 on 08 Sep 07. Although I had been cleared at MEPS as having 20/20 eyesight (6 months after PRK), I failed the eye exam on day 2. I fought the system for about 4 weeks, had myself re-examined twice, and eventually managed to get ahold of one of the flight surgeons at NAMI. He told me that basically, MEPS had DQ'ed me for having too much astigmatism for aviation, but that the Navy had given me a waiver anyway. Basically, the waiver was only good to get me into the program - the flight surgeons won't waive the problem I have, so my options were to redesignate or NPQ from OCS. I've been here 8 weeks now, and I'm in student pool waiting to leave here next week. I get to go home, have another surgery, and wait 6 months to even REAPPLY for another waiver, then reapply to the program, then start back at the seawall....
Obvious that sucks. But the real problem is that this isn't an isolated incident; the Navy knew I wouldn't pass my eye test here, but they brought me anyway, assuming I'd redesignate. The guy across the hall from me in student pool is color blind; somehow he "magically" passed at MEPS, only to come all the way to RI from TX to be told he'll never be a Naval Officer unless he wants Supply. Apparently, officers are in high demand right now, and people are sliding through at MEPS, only to get here and have problems - everything from eyesight to a guy that showed up with severe scoliosis. All of my problems could have been avoided if they weren't hurting so badly for numbers - I could have had the 2nd PRK hit, waited 90 more days, and prevented all of this wasted time and hassle that the last 2 months have amounted to.
My advice is this: be proactive with your own medical profile. DONT show up with a PRK waiver for aviation just assuming that everything will be alright. Go find a civilian optometrist that can give you a GOODLITE 10x10 chart exam and make sure you see 20/20 out of EACH EYE using less than the limits of correction (they're posted everywhere on here). Don't bother coming if you can't do this. The 5 letter projection charts that they use at MEPS are worthless. YOU HAVE TO PASS A GOODLITE TEST WITH 20/20 -0 (ALL LETTERS CORRECT) TO QUALIFY FOR PILOT.
One final note is to be prepared to take your eye exam after 2 nights of very little and very broken sleep. It sucks, and hopefully they change that soon, but as of now...that's how it works. As for people with other physical problems, I had a torn muscle in my back - to which the doctor prescribed Motrin 3x a day, said I would be fine, and to "try and stay off of it, and don't do any strenuous physical activity such as pushups". Anyone that knows anything about OCS knows what a ridiculous recommendation that is. Basically, take care of your issues before you get up to RI. Don't expect things to work like clockwork up here...it's definitely still a work in progress.
As for myself, it's back home to visit the laser again...then, maybe, back to visit the Seawall in a few months...
