Question about HIMS vs regular AME

[Chris Charanza]

So i'm going through the process of obtaining a 3rd class medical (2nd attempt) Back in 2013 I was deferred and ultimately denied then after i wrote them they sent the letter of what I needed to do but at that point I scrubbed the whole thing and just moved on with my life. Well fast forward 9 years and I've decided I want to give it a go so i went and got the old letter from the FAA and I know I have to take a nueropsychological (because of past adderall usage) and I am certain i'll have to do a sleep study or a maintenance of wakefulness test to address sleep apnea from back in the day. I've made a few calls and have an appointment for the nueropsychological testing on April 12th. The psychologist I spoke with in Houston told me to go ahead and do another physical so that when he requests my records they have a current application on file. What i'm trying to figure out now is whether I should just go to a normal AME like i was applying for the 1st time knowing that I'm going to be deferred and it's just part of the process so I can get the application on file for the nueropsychological testing and I've already put the wheels in motion as far as getting another sleep study or do I need to schedule an appointment with a HIMS AME. I am not dealing with drug or alcohol abuse as it's more I was on a medication that was prohibited and in 2013 they were going to make me do the nueropsychological and sleep study. I'm just trying to get ahead of it and have as many things taken care of from the previous application since I'd assume those things will still need to be taken care of.

 

[SkyChaser]

You don't really want to just get your physical and get deferred by any old AME. It will go smoothest if you take care and find an AME experienced with airmen like you and who is willing to help you get as much as possible sorted out *before* you submit your application to the feds.

I don't know your whole situation, obviously, but if you were taking Adderall for ADHD or something similar, the FAA is actually doing requiring that test to prove that you were essentially misdiagnosed. If I were you, I would be looking for an AME like Dr. Bruce Chien (on the board as bbchien), so you don't get a denial again due to not having everything in order correctly before submitting. Next best thing would be finding an AME in your area that has dealt with other airmen with similar problems as yours and can help you get your ducks in a row. Especially now, with all the backlogs at OKC and doctors, etc., that approach will probably be terribly frustrating and maybe impossible to meet the FAA demands on time.

That's just my two cents, though. Hopefully someone better informed will be along to talk with you!

 

[Chris Charanza]

You don't really want to just get your physical and get deferred by any old AME. It will go smoothest if you take care and find an AME experienced with airmen like you and who is willing to help you get as much as possible sorted out *before* you submit your application to the feds.

I don't know your whole situation, obviously, but if you were taking Adderall for ADHD or something similar, the FAA is actually doing requiring that test to prove that you were essentially misdiagnosed. If I were you, I would be looking for an AME like Dr. Bruce Chien (on the board as bbchien), so you don't get a denial again due to not having everything in order correctly before submitting. Next best thing would be finding an AME in your area that has dealt with other airmen with similar problems as yours and can help you get your ducks in a row. Especially now, with all the backlogs at OKC and doctors, etc., that approach will probably be terribly frustrating and maybe impossible to meet the FAA demands on time.

That's just my two cents, though. Hopefully someone better informed will be along to talk with you!

I've actually had some correspondence with him which has helped lead me to this point. I told him the specifics of what was going on and he gave me some guidance but we never really got into whether i should go to a HIMS AME or just an AME and I didn't want to bother him anymore with it. I have 3 regular AME's where I live but the nearest HIMS AME is about an hour south of here. I'm basing everything with logic that everything else remaining the same, i.e. i have no new conditions that I didn't have then and yes I will be disproving ADHD. i had a good 20 minute telephone conversation with the psychologist in Houston about the process etc. His logic was it would seem strange for him to be requesting records for a file that is that old and that it would work better to have a new application on file. What the FAA told me in 2013 was pretty straight forward as far as what they needed from me, i just never moved forward with it. At the time my blood pressure was marginally high as well and the 3 things that they wanted from me were the nueropsychological testing, a sleep study or maintenance of wakefulness test and to check my blood pressure over the course of so many days or if my blood pressure was under control a letter from my doctor stating as much and stating the blood pressure lowering medication I take. Knowing now what I was too dumb to check on back then I am not taking anything that is on their no fly list and it's a matter of checking the boxes they have for me and i figured since nothing has really changed since then other than no longer being on the no fly medications I was thinking it's not overly complicated and I just didn't know whether a HIMS AME were necessary although at the end of the day it certainly wouldn't hurt going with a HIMS AME as it's logistics and scheduling more than anything from my perspective.

To your point of not being able to meet the FAA demands on time, that is exactly why i'm taking all the steps outlined in the previous correspondence from the FAA because I'm 100% certain they are still going to require at least what was on that letter. I am fully prepared for this to take forever, I've prepared myself for the process to take at least a year and if it can be done quicker then that's just a bonus. Thank you for your response.

 

[brcase]

I didn't want to bother him anymore with it

\

Bother him with it!!!
At some point he will advise you to work with your local AME (HIMS or Otherwise) or to pay him for his services. Even if he doesn't ask for payment, I would recommend sending him something to say Thank You.

Either way his advice will be well worth whatever it costs you.
Brian
CFIIG/ASEL