New pilots - Medical Information

mscard88

mscard88

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From @AggieMike88: New Link:
https://tinyurl.com/ame-consult

Have a good look at this before you start training. Excellent advice from an Aggie, surprisingly ;);) jk Mike. @Ted DuPuis can this thread be earmarked or something? Thanks.

Answers here are for both the benefit of the OP and any other lurkers that come across this information.
  1. No Homeland or TSA required to visit the Aviation Medical Examiner (AME)
  2. Before setting your appointment with the AME, thoroughly review all of the questions regarding medical history, doctor visits, medications, and law enforcement encounters. Keep in mind that the preamble is "Have You Ever In Your Life...". These questions can be found by googling for the current FAA Form 8500-8, or starting on Page 24 of the MedXpress User's Guide
    • If any of these questions requires a yes answer, or you have had a bad run in with law enforcement, or you had taken medication for a psychiatric condition (including anxiety, depression, ADD/ADHD), do not proceed to the AME.
      • You may have a live hand grenade in your medical past.
      • And proceeding to the AME without being properly prepared is like pulling the pin.
    • For the item you answered yes to, start researching what it is that the FAA wants to know about you and these conditions, medications, doctor visits.
    • Only proceed to the AME once you have gathered 100% of any and all required documentation the FAA is going to want on these conditions, medications, doctor visits.
  3. Only proceed to the AME once you know 100% (and then some) that the AME will issue your certificate in the office and not deny or defer you.
    • You want to avoid deferral and denial at all costs. These happen when the applicant is not properly prepared and "bombs" into the office not knowing that their history is going to cause problems.
    • Deferral means that the AME cannot issue in the office and must send your application to Oklahoma City (FAA Central) to be decided on. Expect a reply of some form (issue, denial, or need more info) in about 12-16 weeks.
    • Denial means that something about your history is going to keep you from your dream of flight.... forever.
  4. If you have questions about your medical history or the process of the FAA approving your application,
    • call the AME to setup a consultative office visit.
    • You will be asked to pay his fee, but that's okay since you are taking up his time
    • You may be asked to fill out the online MedXpress in advance.
      • This is okay, however, after printing out the paper copy, grab scissors and remove the confirmation number that appears at the bottom of the form.
      • While in consultative mode, in no circumstance will you surrender this confirmation number
      • The confirmation number is needed to make the exam go "live". But going live means the AME can only issue, deny or defer. You are here to avoid denial and deferral.
    • If after completing the consultative visit, the AME says he can issue you right then and there, now you can surrender the confirmation number.
    • If after completing the consultative visit, the AME says your application would be deferred due to X, Y, and/or Z, discuss with him what it is you need to go obtain and bring back that will satisfy the FAA and allow the AME to issue your certificate.
If your situation is crazy messy or crazy difficult, do not proceed to the local AME. Seek out one of the very senior difficult case AME's such as Dr. Bruce Chien, www.aeromedicaldoc.com. Dr. Bruce (and AME's like him) are well known to manage the case before the FAA is told about it. And do it in a way so that when it is sent to the FAA, the chance of issuance is near 100%. If there is a whiff of denial, the file will not be sent in.

--Mike Farlow
--Denton Truck and Auto Parts
--Denton, TX
--940-387-5202 || 800-245-0647
-- website Facebook
 
Last edited:
Good advice,sums up most of the questions asked by new posters.
 
Perfect!
Sticky It!!!
Point the new recruits here first to help them avoid dream killer.
 
Great idea! Suggest that we get the forum docs, especially Dr. Bruce, to have a crack at making any tweaks or additions and then sticky it.
 
I would also add if the AME is NOT willing to do a consult, find another AME. I ran into this a few years ago. Paid the fee, and the front office required the magic number. The physician refused consults. Had I known in advance, would have found another AME. Fortunately, this was before the kidney stone episode that sent me to Dr Bruce.
 
mscard88 said:
If your situation is crazy messy or crazy difficult, do not proceed to the local AME. Seek out one of the very senior difficult case AME's
Click to expand...

This is a fantastic post. I just want to point out that there are conditions that will prevent the AME from issuing, and will require a deferral with no way around it. If you have one of those, follow the point I quoted above carefully. There are AMEs out there who have your interests at heart and will work with you to maximize your chance of getting the Special Issuance you need. Find one, Dr. Bruce or otherwise, and do what they ask. This may require new appointments with your care providers to button up questions around medications, diagnostic tests, etc. Explain to those care providers what you need and why, and ask them to word their notes in a way that leaves no doubt that they support your ability to safely fly an aircraft. Get all of your records and organize them neatly. Keep in mind that you will need to discontinue medications that are forbidden by the FAA, so be prepared to work with your doctors to find safe alternatives, and prove you have gone 90+ days off of the forbidden meds.

A deferral isn't a death sentence. It's just more work / effort / expense / time to get issuance. Don't give up.

-se
 
Adding to what Sierra Echo said just above, the really good difficult case AME’s will work the Special issuance angle if it applies, even if it does require a deferral. However the really, really, REALLY good ones won’t send anything I until they know with certainty that the submission will make it through the long review process and the issuance happens.
 
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