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cancersurvivorfuturedoc

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Does anyone have any experience with successfully completing a waver to be unconditionally accepted to USUHS based upon medical history? Serving in our nation's military as a medical doctor has been a dream of mine for years, but unfortunately my medical history is going to get in the way. I'm a 7 year Hodgkin's survivor and have been told in the past that I will fail the military's physical based upon the fact. Have anyone gone thru the appeal process? What is it like and what are the chances of overturning the result?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

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It was many years ago but I was denied entrance into the Army b/c of medical. Filed an appeal, went back to my civi doc and he wrote a letter of recommendation. He was a former Navy ortho surgeon and the supporting letter was enough to get me in. That said, a lot of it has to do with what they need. I was going enlisted and it was the end of the gulf war, so they needed people with high ASVAB scores to fill medical specialties (among other things). Generally, the more in demand a job is, the harder it is to get a waiver for it since they don't have a problem filling slots. You will likely have a hard time getting a waiver for USUHS b/c you are asking them to put $$ into you. However, if you go to medical school and graduate (and/or do residency) you probably have a much better chance at taking a direct commission, especially if you are in a high demand specialty.
 
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This is just the Navy, but from the P-117 Chapter 15 for standards for enlistment or commission:

(2) Current or history of malignant tumors (V1O), is disqualifying. Basal cell carcinoma is not disqualifying.

However, according to the COMNAVCRUITCOMINST 1131.2(series), if you are more than 5 years out from treatment, a waiver is possible, as the recruiting manual states under conditions not generally waiverable:

(e) History of Cancer with treatment within five
years (except basal cell carcinoma).

A recruiter can help initiate/navigate the waiver process.
 
Does anyone have any experience with successfully completing a waver to be unconditionally accepted to USUHS based upon medical history? Serving in our nation's military as a medical doctor has been a dream of mine for years, but unfortunately my medical history is going to get in the way. I'm a 7 year Hodgkin's survivor and have been told in the past that I will fail the military's physical based upon the fact. Have anyone gone thru the appeal process? What is it like and what are the chances of overturning the result?

Any help is greatly appreciated.


I imagine that different reasons for failing have different paths to waivers and different success rates, but I failed the physical due to my hx of migraines and successfully got a waiver from all 3 branches for USUHS (filed with all 3 bc I was unsure of what branch I was going to prioritize at the time). I had my doctors write letters that addressed the migraines and my managament of them and sent those along to USUHS. Feel free to PM, if you like!
 
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