ADD/ADHD in Navy or AF Military Medicine

[NavyMed2014]

Hello everyone,

I am interested in pursing Navy or AF HPSP. I was diagnosed to have a learning disability by a psychologist (Ph.D.) in order to have access to testing accommodations in college. All the tests were written or academic based, no physical of any sort such as CT, MRI, blood work or anything like that. I had the option to take medication, but I refused to. The college I attend currently has record of learning disability but I do not know if it is on my medical records, how can I find this out? Also, will that military care for the HPSP if I have ADD but never received medication? I have >3.75 G.P.A. in college so it is not like I am struggling to do well in classes. Can the military check and ever find out about my ADD if I have never had medications? Should I tell the recruiter about it or just not talk about it? I have heard they can really screw one up if they find out that that person has ADD and did not tell the whole story of their medical past.

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[DeadCactus]

My understanding is the main issue is if you've been on medication for ADHD. Even that can be waivered if you've been off the medication for the past 12-months and demonstrated adequate performance. Since you've never been on any medications, I don't think you have much to worry about...

 

[backrow]

or special
accommodations in the previous 12 months."

This is a very important line out of MANMED. If you are allowed special accommodations (eg extra time, test in different room, etc etc) then you need to stop that for at least 12months prior to completing your medical exams for accession into any of the military branches.

 

[NavyMed2014]

This is a very important line out of MANMED. If you are allowed special accommodations (eg extra time, test in different room, etc etc) then you need to stop that for at least 12months prior to completing your medical exams for accession into any of the military branches.

So I should tell my recruiter about this and place it on my application when I apply for HPSP, right? Since, I do get extra time and am in a different testing room. Will I have to stop that in my senior year of college before I sign HPSP?

It would just make sense that I do not mention this because it is not a serious medical issue and I have never taken medications. Can and will they find out later on in my career that I had ADD and give me dishonorable discharge or force me into crappy GMOs (instead of the good ones like Flight Medicine) and residencies (giving me no choice but family medicine) because I have a "learning disability." Honestly, would some thing like this show up on my medical records and how would the military know or find out? Also, what will they do to me if they find out I have ADD and I am 2 years into payback duty?

 

[Cooperd0g]

Didn't you post somewhere else about having a 35 MCAT? Did the MCAT testing people give you accommodations? If you are doing so well in school, stop using ADD as a crutch to get accommodations for taking your tests. Then you can be judged on how well you actually can perform under normal circumstances. If being on medication for ADD is a disqualifying condition I seriously doubt USUHS would give accommodation since you would already be a commissioned officer.

 

[NavyMed2014]

Didn't you post somewhere else about having a 35 MCAT? Did the MCAT testing people give you accommodations? If you are doing so well in school, stop using ADD as a crutch to get accommodations for taking your tests. Then you can be judged on how well you actually can perform under normal circumstances. If being on medication for ADD is a disqualifying condition I seriously doubt USUHS would give accommodation since you would already be a commissioned officer.

No, I do NOT have a 35 MCAT and I NEVER claimed that I did, I can only work toward such a high score. I do not plan to go to USUHS, I plan to do HPSP. If I stopped using accommodations on testing one year before my medical examination (could someone explain when this is...after my first year of medical school?) would I still have to report it on the application? How does the military find out about people with ADD? Through self-reporting, but how do they confirm it?

 

[backrow]

Did USUHS give special accomodation to ADD students? Just curious.

I don't remember any allowances for special accommodations; however, a diagnosis of ADD made after commissioning is not disqualifying and I can't recall if the military has to follow ADA which would require them to.

 

[NavyMed2014]

(1) Yes, you still have to report it. They ask if you have ever had any problem.

(2) If you don't tell them, eventually you start having problems with it. When you go to the mental health person, because you know your ADD is the reason you're failing in school/internship/whatever, they tell you it is unlikely you developed ADD as an adult, and since you were fine as a child, they think it's actually depression or anxiety. Then you tell them actually you did have ADD until the year before you came on active duty, that way they'll give you the right medicine. Instead they crush with a UCMJ charge (fraudlent entry is a crime in the military) and you end up discharged with a felony conviction on your record.

Problems don't go away just because you try to hide it. And these conditions are considered "disqualifying" because they actually interfere with the performance of your (military) duties.

For the life of me, I don't understand why anyone would fail to report something so important, knowing that they will have problems, and knowing that they are basically commiting a crime.

Why would I want to tell them that I have had ADD in the past if I am trying to keep it from them? Again, I never took or will take medications for ADD.

Also, I have heard that those with ADD have difficulty getting the residency they want even though they have the scores, grades and recommendations (the higher ups think they can not handle Ortho, or Radiology or Anesthesiology, they get the worst billets for GMOs and almost never get to do FS or DMO, and end up with Seabees or on a Cruiser ship, everyone that looks on their records and sees ADD thinks "looks like we got a slow one." Having it on there is like asking to get screwed by the military every time a good opportunity opens up.

 

[backrow]

Why would I want to tell them that I have had ADD in the past if I am trying to keep it from them? Again, I never took or will take medications for ADD.

Honor, Courage, Commitment

If you don't have it, then please don't bother to sign up/apply.

 

[Cooperd0g]

Honor, Courage, Commitment

If you don't have it, then please don't bother to sign up/apply.

Shack!

 

[DeadCactus]

My mistake, I should have checked the full wording before offering an answer.

Also, I have heard that those with ADD have difficulty getting the residency they want even though they have the scores, grades and recommendations (the higher ups think they can not handle Ortho, or Radiology or Anesthesiology, they get the worst billets for GMOs and almost never get to do FS or DMO, and end up with Seabees or on a Cruiser ship, everyone that looks on their records and sees ADD thinks "looks like we got a slow one." Having it on there is like asking to get screwed by the military every time a good opportunity opens up.

Then don't join. It's that simple. Sorry, the color blind kid misses out on some of the cool s--t too. You apparently need special accommodations and the military feels that need affects your suitability for the job.

Either quit the accommodations and prove you can do it, accept that your not fit for the duty you want, or be an idiot and lie on your applications and pray it never gets discovered in a background check. The military's tolerance of liars makes the ADD kid look like the golden child...

 

[AF M4]

+1

Here's a funny story for you. Awhile back, one of the planes from my base got into a bit of trouble overseas. No one hurt, nothing serious, but some mechanical dings and dents that cost enough to launch a safety investigation. So they pulled the files of everyone involved, including medical files. Now one of the enlisted flyers had a very similar name and SSN to some guy working in some totally unrelated shop, and so instead of grabbing my guy's file they grabbed the other one's.

And so they look through the stuff, and note that the wrong guy is taking some ADHD meds, and in one of his primary care visits the doc noted that the patient said it started back in high school. They look at his enlistment paperwork and he very clearly marked "no" where they ask about that diagnosis. So the flight doc calls me up, very concerned, and says hey, what's the deal with your flyer? How did you miss this? I'm confused, and say there's no way, and finally we get around to figuring out that it's the wrong guy. The actual flyer was perfectly healthy. But now, hey, we've got another problem.

So, the guy ended up getting booted out nine months later. He'd done some other dumb stuff too, but this was one that his command could make stick because of the paper trail. Missed out on his veteran's benefits, etc., too, all because some plane he'd never seen got dinged up on a runway in a country he'd never heard of while being flown by a bunch of guys he'd never met.

Long way of saying that you need to be honest, because these kinds of things have a way of coming back at you in ways that you can never predict.

 

[NavyMed2014]

Does anyone know how they treat those with ADD even though they are medical officers and doctors (in terms of the level of respect and what they get assigned to in duties and locations)? I am looking for some personal accounts of people who knew others that have had ADD and had gone through HPSP or were officers. I have heard of enlisted people who had ADD and were placed in low life jobs such as garbage collectors and sorters on base or on a ship. If I do HPSP I do not want to get one of the worst intern slots out there or later get assigned to a GMO on a crappy ship like a destroyer (I probably would not mind carrier or amphibious assault ship) and get turned down for DMO or FS of a Marine Helo Squadron. Or later on in residency end up with no other option but FM or Peds.

I guess what I am asking is will I get treated fairly and EQUALLY? I know this is the military, but people have opinions and outlooks, especially the top commands and detailer who all shape one's residency and career.

 

[Cooperd0g]

I'm going to go ahead and call this guy a troll.

 

[NavyMed2014]

I'm going to go ahead and call this guy a troll.

Thank you everybody for your honest judgement and encouragement for me to do the right thing. I understand that it is not worth 2 years in jail and a felony on my record for not telling them about my ADD. I did not want to be a "troll" I just wanted to know that I would have an equal opportunity regardless of my ADD or not. If I follow up on HPSP I will be honest, as honor is a major component of serving this great nation.

Thank you

 

[JackBNimbl]

I don't remember any allowances for special accommodations; however, a diagnosis of ADD made after commissioning is not disqualifying and I can't recall if the military has to follow ADA which would require them to.

I actually have a similar issue, but I've already been commissioned (since before med school) in the NAVY. I've was dx and tx for ADHD for the first time in my life half way through my second year. I've already done ODS and did extremely well on the boards. I (of course) mentioned my new meds on the health form the NAVY sends out to everyone, and they asked for my doctor's records. The records have been sent and I'm now waiting to hear back from them.

You mentioned the diagnosis is not disqualifying after commission... do you have a source for that? I'm worried I'm going to be booted out of the program- a little reassurance would be nice.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Sir Phoenix]

So I should tell my recruiter about this and place it on my application when I apply for HPSP, right? Since, I do get extra time and am in a different testing room. Will I have to stop that in my senior year of college before I sign HPSP?

It would just make sense that I do not mention this because it is not a serious medical issue and I have never taken medications. Can and will they find out later on in my career that I had ADD and give me dishonorable discharge or force me into crappy GMOs (instead of the good ones like Flight Medicine) and residencies (giving me no choice but family medicine) because I have a "learning disability." Honestly, would some thing like this show up on my medical records and how would the military know or find out? Also, what will they do to me if they find out I have ADD and I am 2 years into payback duty?

No, you should remain silent. The military only knows what you tell them, and if you've done well without medications, that will only complicate your entry into the force. Taking meds is a disqualifer to enter the force if you are already on it, but you can start it after you join without issues. It is actually fairly ironic. I've been in the military for over a decade. They are still trying to do better in regards to doing right by psychiatric diagnoses, because there are more suicides caused by PTSD then is acceptable. (more than zero)

Having honor is different than spilling your guts.

 

[Sir Phoenix]

I actually have a similar issue, but I've already been commissioned (since before med school) in the NAVY. I've was dx and tx for ADHD for the first time in my life half way through my second year. I've already done ODS and did extremely well on the boards. I (of course) mentioned my new meds on the health form the NAVY sends out to everyone, and they asked for my doctor's records. The records have been sent and I'm now waiting to hear back from them.

You mentioned the diagnosis is not disqualifying after commission... do you have a source for that? I'm worried I'm going to be booted out of the program- a little reassurance would be nice.

Thanks in advance.

The regulation for the admission and retention of Soldiers based on their medical problems. If you have ADD and they know about it, and you take meds, you cannot join unless you've been off for a year. If you find out you have ADD after you join, and take meds, they won't kick you out. It's mainly if they find out you knew about it before you joined and lied.

 

[Sir Phoenix]

Thank you everybody for your honest judgement and encouragement for me to do the right thing. I understand that it is not worth 2 years in jail and a felony on my record for not telling them about my ADD. I did not want to be a "troll" I just wanted to know that I would have an equal opportunity regardless of my ADD or not. If I follow up on HPSP I will be honest, as honor is a major component of serving this great nation.

Thank you

It's not equal. It's a tricky mine to navigate, and even without explicitly saying so, it disqualifies many even if they otherwise meet because state recruiters are paranoid with psych diagnoses. If the military doesn't know, I wouldn't tell them. Think of all the people who got in with it because they were never diagnosed, and know that they had a luckier break as far as getting in.