Army HPSP Summer Training -- Health Screening Question

[frugopl]

Quick question: I've recently signed my HPSP contract and will be going to Fort Sam for BOLC. However, I went to student health 2 weeks ago for a routine physical and they detected a systolic heart murmur. It was never there before. Never had any symptoms. Had an echo done following the student health visit and it was all normal, so it's fair to say that this is a physiological murmur. I've been working out a lot lately, which is a possible explanation. Will this cause problems once I get to Fort Sam and have a medical screening? I did not have this when I was at MEPS. I keep hearing that a murmur is usually a DQ, but since it emerged after MEPS, I'd like to get an idea of how this will be handled.

All advice is appreciated!

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[colbgw02]

I didn't have a physical at BOLC.

 

[HighPriest]

Here's my advice: don't say $#!T until you're done with your residency, then bring it up at your first duty station and tell them you can't do PT because you get chest pain. Stick to that story.

 

[frugopl]

Here's my advice: don't say $#!T until you're done with your residency, then bring it up at your first duty station and tell them you can't do PT because you get chest pain. Stick to that story.

Only problem with this advice is that the murmur is quite obvious . Decreased venous return seems to almost silence it though (standing up while performing Valsalva).

 

[HighPriest]

There's yer trick

 

[frugopl]

I didn't have a physical at BOLC.

If that's the case, then this won't be an issue. I figure if they have me for a few years, they won't bother giving me a separation after investing time and money into me, so it's a matter of buying time.

There's yer trick

As hilarious as that would be, I'm pretty sure even a medical resident would pick up on the fact that I am forcefully holding my breath during a physical...

 

[HighPriest]

Honestly, if you can do PT, no one is going to show you the door.

 

[Homunculus]

c'mon people. we all know how this would go if he tried to game the system.

FP: you have a murmur. my interns don't hear most, it must be bad.
frugopl: yeah and I have chest pain with exercise.
FP: here's your cardiology consult and temporary profile.
frugopl: sweet, I may get outta this thing!
Cardiologist: your ekg, echo and stress test were normal. this is a physiologic murmur. no soup for you.
frugopl: x ADSO

I wouldn't sweat it. people have worse who are still on active duty. accession vs retention standards.

good luck

--your friendly neighborhood AMEDD = hotel california caveman

 

[frugopl]

c'mon people. we all know how this would go if he tried to game the system.

I wouldn't sweat it. people have worse who are still on active duty. accession vs retention standards.

good luck

Glad to hear it.

Mind if I ask on what you mean by "accession vs retention standards"? Does a medical profile affect your chances of being promoted even if said profile does not affect your PT scores?

 

[colbgw02]

He means that the standards for letting someone in the military are higher than for keeping someone in the military, from a medical perspective, that is. If you've commissioned, then you're subject to retention standards, so it will take quite a bit to get kicked out.

For promotion purposes, passing the PT test, to include weight standards, is really all that matters. The promotion board has no visibility of your score, and if you're on a profile that requires an alternate event or modified test, then you won't receive a score anyway. It's just pass/fail.

 

[deuist]

Honestly, if you can do PT, no one is going to show you the door.

Nah, even if you can't do PT, they won't show you the door. Plenty of O-5's at my current base haven't passed a PT test in years.

 

[HighPriest]

Nah, even if you can't do PT, they won't show you the door. Plenty of O-5's at my current base haven't passed a PT test in years.

This is also true