Basic Med 101

[Terry M - 3CK (Chicago)]

PPL. Last 3rd Class medical was issued in 2007. Haven’t really flown since I was laid off in 2008.

Ready to pursue a basic Med signoff. What do I do?

My PCPs office said he can do it.

Do I do the online stuff first? Go to the doc 1st? Try to lose 50 lbs first?

 

[Salty]

This tells you exactly what to do in what order.
https://www.aopa.org/advocacy/pilots/medical/fit-to-fly-pilots

 

[Terry M - 3CK (Chicago)]

@Salty but what happens at the doctor? Digital exam?

I was on the AOPA site earlier. Was wondering if anyone had first hand experience. Thanks. I’ll look at the FAQ again.

 

[Salty]

No digital exam. Read the checklist. It specifies “not-digital”.

Mine was about as close to “your not dead, where do I sign” as it could get. But they had full access to my records for a decade, so im sure that helped.

 

[frfly172]

Think I’m going to go basic med this time.

 

[AggieMike88]

No digital exam for me, but doc did perform an exterior exam of the exhaust port.

Exam really not much different than any other routine physical.

 

[schmookeeg]

No digital exam for me, but doc did perform an exterior exam of the exhaust port.

Exam really not much different than any other routine physical.

I'm still baffled by their adding this non-digital examination to the basic med checklist. It's the only thing on basic med that is unique and not also on the CDL physical.

Exactly what could be wrong with my balloon knot that brings down an aircraft, and can be seen from across the room by a doctor? The imagination boggles and is horrified.

 

[Terry M - 3CK (Chicago)]

I’m 45. What if he wants a colonoscopy?

 

[biplanebob]

I'm still baffled by their adding this non-digital examination to the basic med checklist. It's the only thing on basic med that is unique and not also on the CDL physical.

Exactly what could be wrong with my balloon knot that brings down an aircraft, and can be seen from across the room by a doctor? The imagination boggles and is horrified.

We are pilots.....in addition to being one, he needs to verify that we have one, LOL

 

[bflynn]

Colonoscopy is at 50.

BasicMed with your doctor should be a "fog the mirror" type exam. That's the magic, you're dealing with someone who already knows you.

 

[biplanebob]

And the big plus for Basic Med is that you and your personal physician can proactively take care of your health instead of worrying about how it will affect reporting on a FAA medical certificate.

 

[Palmpilot]

I'm still baffled by their adding this non-digital examination to the basic med checklist. It's the only thing on basic med that is unique and not also on the CDL physical.

Exactly what could be wrong with my balloon knot that brings down an aircraft, and can be seen from across the room by a doctor? The imagination boggles and is horrified.

They didn't "add" it to the BasicMed checklist; they just copied the form that was previously used for an FAA medical. What they didn't copy was instructions to the AME, which happened to mention that the anal exam coud be omitted based on medical history.

Congress did this, so I wouldn't assume that any deep thought went into the decision.

What I can't figure out is why some people are so concerned about a doctor looking at that part of their body.

 

[AggieMike88]

I'm still baffled by their adding this non-digital examination to the basic med checklist. It's the only thing on basic med that is unique and not also on the CDL physical.

Exactly what could be wrong with my balloon knot that brings down an aircraft, and can be seen from across the room by a doctor? The imagination boggles and is horrified.

According to @Brad Z, it was the Congress critters, not FAA, who created the list of exam items, and they were using a significantly older version of what needs to be examined than what many of us today are used to.

 

[AggieMike88]

What I can't figure out is why some people are so concerned about a doctor looking at that

I agree. I just bent over, spread em, and gave the doc a wink.

 

[midlifeflyer]

I'm still baffled by their adding this non-digital examination to the basic med checklist. It's the only thing on basic med that is unique and not also on the CDL physical.

I suspect it is in the BasicMed checklist simply because it is part of the "regular" FAA medical exams. And with the same lack of requirement for a digital exam or much more than, "do you have one" as opposed to "are you one."

 

[murphey]

PPL. Last 3rd Class medical was issued in 2007. Haven’t really flown since I was laid off in 2008.

Ready to pursue a basic Med signoff. What do I do?

My PCPs office said he can do it.

Do I do the online stuff first? Go to the doc 1st? Try to lose 50 lbs first?

If your PCP is like mine, he already knows most of your info needed for the Basic Med exam and may have already done other BM exams.

 

[murphey]

I’m 45. What if he wants a colonoscopy?

Talk to AggieMike. He’s now our resident expert.

 

[Stewartb]

You take the online course, take the test, and take a form to your appt for the doctor to sign. The checklist for the physical is simple. If you use your regular physician they may go beyond the list requirements. I think separation of primary physician and BasicMed doc is as good an idea as it was to not use your regular doc for a flight physical. I want them to have different roles and responsibilities.

My dad died of colon cancer. Avoidable. I've had several colonoscopies. No big deal.

 

[schmookeeg]

They didn't "add" it to the BasicMed checklist; they just copied the form that was previously used for an FAA medical. What they didn't copy was instructions to the AME, which happened to mention that the anal exam coud be omitted based on medical history.

Congress did this, so I wouldn't assume that any deep thought went into the decision.

What I can't figure out is why some people are so concerned about a doctor looking at that part of their body.

I used a CDL place for my BasicMed, and I spent a lot of time explaining, educating, and cajoling them into giving me the basicmed signoff. They do the turn and cough routine, so it's not a matter of modesty, he's already seen the wedding vegetables at that point -- it was the maneuvering I had to do to get the doctor off of his routine and to figure out how to deviate from his "I do 100 of these a day" exam to this custom "some ahole wants me to inspect one" routine. Even doctors don't seem to enjoy being forced to think.

My thinking is that aligning the two exams will make BasicMed vastly more accessible. I've had a devil of a time finding practitioners on the west coast, and my being a contractor and hopping around on different health plans doesn't help, as I don't have a regular PCP to request it of. (I tried twice, refused twice -- due to shortish patient history) -- I know BasicMed was a huge victory and I don't want to nitpick at it, but I think the next refinement should be to figure out if these two exam procedures can be merged. Then CDL doctors don't have to think hard, and nobody has to explain away liability concerns about big scary airplanes.

 

[Brad Z]

According to @Brad Z, it was the Congress critters, not FAA, who created the list of exam items, and they were using a significantly older version of what needs to be examined than what many of us today are used to.

As others mentioned, it was Congress that selected the 1999 version of the 8500-8 medical certificate application form as the basis for the comprehensive medical examination checklist.

 

[steingar]

I've been keeping the 3rd class. It's a bit more expensive, but I still have hopes of flying to Canada and Guatemala.

 

[A_Valkyrie]

I used a CDL place for my BasicMed, and I spent a lot of time explaining, educating, and cajoling them into giving me the basicmed signoff.

I did the same thing. The doctor had no problem doing the exam and signing, but he was wondering why there were 0 parameters for things like eyesight, hearing, etc. If you look at the exam, there is no PASS/FAIL or anything like that...just a box that says EXAMINED. The doctor said he didn't see anything with my health that would be a problem and he signed, we talked about being a private pilot and airplanes afterwards. I spread the word locally that he did the exam so hopefully more airmen would go to him.

When he came to the checkbox for an anal exam he laughed about how ridiculous that was. He did a brief check to make sure I had one and continued down the checklist