Disqualifying Medical Condition?

[Calfox21]

First off, I wanted to say thank to everyone that posts on this forumn. It's been extremely helpful in deciding whether to apply for HPSP or not. So I have a question about disqualifying conditions. Does anyone know if a breast reduction is disqualifying? Also, if anyone has a link for the site that list all the conditions, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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[notdeadyet]

Helps to know which service. For Army, it's only disqualifying if the surgery was within the past 6 months.

 

[Calfox21]

Sorry, you're right. I should specified that I'm applying for both the Army and the Air Force. The surgery was over 7 months ago, and will be longer by the time I get to boards.

 

[opr8n]

i cant imagine a reduction would be disqualifying

 

[NavyFP]

Ultimately, not disqualifying.

 

[EMS5]

Same question, different problem...
I tried to enlist out of high school however I have a seizure disorder so that was a no go. Is the same case still going to apply as a physician/officer?

Muchas thanks

 

[erg923]

What about mild asthma? I have this diagnosis (flared up after a bout of upper respiratory infections several years ago), but no real clinical symptoms any longer. Last PF test showed mild expiratory coving. No brochoidilator response. Please tell me this wouldn't be medical disqualifying?

 

[NavyFP]

What about mild asthma? I have this diagnosis (flared up after a bout of upper respiratory infections several years ago), but no real clinical symptoms any longer. Last PF test showed mild expiratory coving. No brochoidilator response. Please tell me this wouldn't be medical disqualifying?

Probably disqualifying, but you might get them on a good day.

 

[erg923]

seriously, thats not waiverable? I dont even have any symptoms of it!?

 

[DocArmy]

I decent list can be found in the USUHS catalog. Go to their site and download the pdf. One of the appendices is all of the medical conditions that are disqualifying.

 

[manraj76]

What about mild asthma? I have this diagnosis (flared up after a bout of upper respiratory infections several years ago), but no real clinical symptoms any longer. Last PF test showed mild expiratory coving. No brochoidilator response. Please tell me this wouldn't be medical disqualifying?

Sorry according to http://www.usuhs.mil/adm/catalog/USUCatalog.pdf history of Asthma is disqualifying.

Question of my own. Anterior cruciate/posterior cruciate ligament with or without repair (comprehensive
evaluation required if repaired at least 10 months prior to DODMERB
examination) What exactly does that mean.

 

[erg923]

sorry....i should have been more specific, by question really is, is it waiverable? especially since my pft showed no brochodilator response....

This is really a pain because i simply developed this after an acute bronchitis infection last year..this is not an ongoing issue and i have had no wheezing since i went on brief steroid treatment immediately following this bronchitis and upper respiratory infection. I short, I know alot of thing are waiverable, is this one?

 

[haujun]

sorry....i should have been more specific, by question really is, is it waiverable? especially since my pft showed no brochodilator response....

This is really a pain because i simply developed this after an acute bronchitis infection last year..this is not an ongoing issue and i have had no wheezing since i went on brief steroid treatment immediately following this bronchitis and upper respiratory infection. I short, I know alot of thing are waiverable, is this one?

It appears that you have dx of asthma and you recently have experienced asthma exacerbations. I am not sure if this is waiverable. Are you able to exercise without any issue? No hx of hospitalizations or intubation? No hx of allergy? Please remember that even if your condition is waiverable you need to understand that being in the military you will not be able to control the environment you are in and you may be subject youself to increased amount of asthma triggers.

 

[J-Rad]

The question is: do you really have "mild asthma"? This takes an actual history to flesh out as "asthma" really is a clinical diagnosis. Why wasn't your episode simply a singular episode of viral-induced bronchospasm? Now if the previous pulmonary history is most c/w asthma, that's one thing, but if not I would suggest going back to the diagnosing doc and ask this and potentially request a second opinion, which is always your right.

 

[notdeadyet]

The question is: do you really have "mild asthma"? This takes an actual history to flesh out as "asthma" really is a clinical diagnosis. Why wasn't your episode simply a singular episode of viral-induced bronchospasm? Now if the previous pulmonary history is most c/w asthma, that's one thing, but if not I would suggest going back to the diagnosing doc and ask this and potentially request a second opinion, which is always your right.

Good advice, this. Being given an inhaler post-virus doesn't necessarily mean it's asthma, and some docs are guilty of using shorthand in describing illnesses to patients. If you explain your situation to your doc and ask him if he really meant that you now suffer from asthma.

 

[erg923]

It appears that you have dx of asthma and you recently have experienced asthma exacerbations. I am not sure if this is waiverable. Are you able to exercise without any issue? No hx of hospitalizations or intubation? No hx of allergy? Please remember that even if your condition is waiverable you need to understand that being in the military you will not be able to control the environment you are in and you may be subject youself to increased amount of asthma triggers.

Exacerbation? Wouldnt that require that I had a prior history of asthmatic symptoms before the episode im refering to?

 

[turquoiseblue]

i am on levothyroxine qd...is that disqualifying? i tried to apply for the navy and they said they wouldn't take me with that..since im on chronic meds. is that true they won't take me even though i'm stable? what about the army or airforce?

Thanks!

 

[mdmed2012]

Likely yes. Single seizure with potentially-identifiable cause may allow a waiver, but diagnosis of a seizure disorder is unlikely to be waived. You can always try though, I've seen some incredibly hideous conditions given waivers that were approved by BUMED.

My brother was thinking about joining the service until he had a single seizure back in June due to an astrocytoma. It was surgically removed a few weeks later. Any chance he could get a waiver since the seizure was due to an identifiable cause? Or is the history of an astrocytoma with surgery a show stopper?

 

[AF M4]

My brother was thinking about joining the service until he had a single seizure back in June due to an astrocytoma. It was surgically removed a few weeks later. Any chance he could get a waiver since the seizure was due to an identifiable cause? Or is the history of an astrocytoma with surgery a show stopper?

Ummm...so he had brain surgery...yesterday? Dude, I'm going to try and avoid being insensitive here, but do they know what grade it is, if they got it all and if he'll be requiring further treatments like radiation therapy? Astrocytomas, even grade I's can progress and if you're looking at a grade II his risk of recurrence and progression is still significant. Getting into the service is waaaaaay off the radar my friend, he should focus entirely on getting better and staying that way.

 

[mdmed2012]

Ummm...so he had brain surgery...yesterday? Dude, I'm going to try and avoid being insensitive here, but do they know what grade it is, if they got it all and if he'll be requiring further treatments like radiation therapy? Astrocytomas, even grade I's can progress and if you're looking at a grade II his risk of recurrence and progression is still significant. Getting into the service is waaaaaay off the radar my friend, he should focus entirely on getting better and staying that way.

I have already told him what you have suggested and he aware of his prognosis. At this point I think he knows it is a pipe dream. I assumed it would be off the radar but I told him I would ask. Thanks for your input.

 

[notdeadyet]

I'm not sure everyone understands that basically every medical condition is disqualifying, and that almost every condition can potentially get a waiver.

Plenty of medical conditions are not disqualifying. And while some medical conditions can potentially get a waiver, many flat out won't.

The question is what the consulting specialist recommends, and what kind of mood the officer at BUMED is in when he looks at the waiver request.

Agreed. Which is why it's important to make sure you have the right diagnosis.

Not sure above Navy-side, but for Army, childhood asthma is not disqualifying. Post-13yo asthma is. The poster would be wise to make sure he had an asthma diagnosis. Otherwise, he may unnecessarily require a waiver which may very well not be given to him.

 

[Gastrapathy]

http://mw2.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hyperbole

 

[J-Rad]

My point was that if the diagnosis was never in the chart and the word "asthma" was thrown out as part of a DDx discussion, then there may be no point in bringing it up in the entry process.

And wouldn't the "which persists" part be relevant to the situation in question (From the standpoint that if I were to go to the diagnosing doc, I might argure to him/her: justify the diagnosis or chart that I don't have asthma. And then I wouldn't mention it)

 

[Gastrapathy]

Yeah, hyperbole. Always easy for the specialists to blow off the problems of those in the OPFOR craphole . . . when was the last time you dealt with asthma anyway?

For those who are interested, the list of disqualifying conditions can be found at: http://www.med.navy.mil/directives/...NMED CHANGE 126 with changes incorporated.pdf

For asthma, the general standard (though not exhaustive) is given as, "Reliable diagnostic criteria may include any of the following clements: substantiated history of cough, wheeze, chest tightness and/or dyspnea which persists or recurs over a prolonged period oftime, generally more than 12 months."

Dude. I think you missed my point. I was suggesting that you were making the point that many conditions are disqualifying and waiverable and used "nearly all" as a little hyperbole to make your point.

I bet I do more general IM (asthma included) than a GMO does. Attend on the wards, proctor clinic, etc. And there are plenty of IM subspecialists out there in operational land masquerading as GMOs or general internists. My time is coming around again shortly.

 

[IlDestriero]

If you are planning on trying to conceal a condition, or have selective memory about your medical history, think about this.
You join the Navy to see the world. They send you to Afghanistan, Lybia, Iraq, Djibouti, etc. You get a cold, you have a severe asthma flare, you're F'd and so are your troops. What happened to my synthroid???! Oh crap! Yeah, just go to the pharmacy. Being in the military is no joke. Being deployed and responsible for the health of your troops is no walk in the park. Astrocytoma? You're delusional to even ask. Maybe if surgery was 10 years ago.
If you develop problems after you're in, that's a different story.
And, if they find out about your fraudulent enlistment, you are seriously, seriously f'd. Enjoy explaining your dishonorable separation to the civilian employers.
One of my old colleagues was not deployable due to severe asthma, supposedly worse after she had a baby? Sure, why not. Too bad for her partners that had to deploy in her place. Fair? I would have boarded her out. She's a liability to the department. Worst of all, she wanted to be career navy. 20 years of dodging deployments and screwing over her peers. She was no rocket scientist either. Don't be that girl.
The military is not for everyone.

 

[J-Rad]

You're a GI who proctors general IM clinic? Never seen that.

I won't presume to speak for the IM side of the house, but if their practice mirrors that in Navy (and other services), then this would be common. When I was in residency, all the peds subs (except Neo and PICU) were expected to do two 2-week blocks as inpatient (i.e. Gen Peds) attending per year. They were also expected to precept 1/2-1 day per month in the Peds Acute Care Clinic.

 

[militaryman]

All army medical condition questions can be checked by reviewing Army Regulation 40-501 found by a google search for "AR 40-501". Chapter 2 of the regulation will tell you which conditions are disqualifying for an officer commission. Asthma, seizures, ACL tears are all discussed in the regulation.

If you are planning on trying to conceal a condition, or have selective memory about your medical history, think about this.
You join the Navy to see the world. They send you to Afghanistan, Lybia, Iraq, Djibouti, etc. You get a cold, you have a severe asthma flare, you're F'd and so are your troops. What happened to my synthroid???! Oh crap! Yeah, just go to the pharmacy. Being in the military is no joke. Being deployed and responsible for the health of your troops is no walk in the park. Astrocytoma? You're delusional to even ask. Maybe if surgery was 10 years ago.
If you develop problems after you're in, that's a different story.
And, if they find out about your fraudulent enlistment, you are seriously, seriously f'd. Enjoy explaining your dishonorable separation to the civilian employers.
One of my old colleagues was not deployable due to severe asthma, supposedly worse after she had a baby? Sure, why not. Too bad for her partners that had to deploy in her place. Fair? I would have boarded her out. She's a liability to the department. Worst of all, she wanted to be career navy. 20 years of dodging deployments and screwing over her peers. She was no rocket scientist either. Don't be that girl.
The military is not for everyone.

 

[J-Rad]

I realize that I mistakenly left out a word: should have read "mirrors that in navy pediatrics", though it may have been evident, apologies for the mis-wording. However, to your point, Tired, yes, ideally subspecializing would bring you more fully out of the generalist realm. But you do what you need to do to get the job done, so in the Navy peds program I trained in, the wards were frequently run by the subs (actually, my last year, after two of our generalists went off to fellowship, the wards were almost always run by the subs doing their two weeks of inpatient-attending time. I know Army and AF peds also do this.