My son injured his shoulder this weekend. In the pool it appeared to pop out of place a bit for short time but he "re-set" it easily. It has been sore two times before, but not like this. He has his DODMERB physical appointment later this week. Should we delay that appointment and get it checked out by a doctor, inform the DODMERB doctor and hope for the best, or any other suggestion?
Shoulder injury before physical this week
- Thread starter TM2012
- Start date
Has your son seen a doctor before about his shoulder, if so there will a record of that in his medical file and you will need to list it on the medical history form.
This is a tricky question, if your son has not been to a doctor about his shoulder in the past then he has no history that will show up in his medical file. If he goes to the doctor before he goes to dodmerb then you will need to put that on his medical history and tell the dodmerb doctor. The dodmerb doctor will ask him every question that is on the list including any problems with bones or joints, he should be honest ant tell them the truth, especially if he has seen a doctor for his shoulder in the past...Do Not lie on the form, they will find out later.
I guess the larger concern is that you said that he has had pain in his shoulder before, if that's the case he will want that checked out anyway because the rigors of PT and ROTC training will be much harder on his shoulder then swimming.
Sorry I couldn't give you a definite answer to your question.
I am assuming your DS is a senior. IF he really is injured he needs to see the orthopedic as soon as possible if he hasn't in the past to get the real diagnosis. DODMERB will have to have that regardless if they discover it now or later. If you have the diagnosis and a treatment plan already then you can send that in as soon as they ask for it. My DD injured her shoulder in Aug after her DODMERB physical and being qualified. We notified DODMERB, she was DQd but that DOESN'T IMPACT ROTC SCHOLARSHIP DECISIONS OR ACADEMY APPOINTMENTS, you just have to be qualified or have the waiver by I-day for the SAs. In DD's case she was DQd in Oct, completed her applications for SAs and ROTC in November, received her NROTC 4yr in Dec, both senators Noms in Dec, wavier from the USAFA in Dec, Surgery on the shoulder in Dec and now is awaiting anxiously an appointment from one of the academies. We anticipate getting full clearance from the Dr on Feb 20th so we can send that into DODMERB.
Bottomline: See the doctor so you know what you are dealing with now and if you are up front with DODMERB and the SAs or ROTC they will help you thru the process if your DS is a competitive candidate.
mdrob214 gave great advice, one thing I would add, while waivers are possible and SA's and ROTC will work with you through the process, it is not guaranteed. Waivers were more common a few years ago and have been a bit tighter to get in recent years. I pasted a section from a Sticky Thread regarding waivers, it would be a good idea to read the rest of the thread as well. The point is that when going through the waiver process always have a Plan B in case they do not grant the waiver. The waiver process is slow, some have waited months to get a yes or no. I'm not sure if your son is going ROTC or a SA. For a SA as mdrob said you need the waiver by I day, that does not always happen and the applicant may lose their appointment. For ROTC you have until the end of the first semester to get the waiver in order before the scholarship kicks in so you have a bit more time. This is why I suggest a plan B, I read about cadets starting at a very expensive school because of the scholarship they received only to have the waiver denied during the first semester, the student must now pay the tuition and will have to decide if they can stay at the school.
Research everything, make sure you get a good prognosis from your doctor so you can make informed plans. When it comes to Waivers, you hope for the best and plan for the worst.
Good luck.
Wavers in general – Waivers are individually based. A condition, injury, illness, disease, etc., has different effects on a person’s ability to function. This is dependent on severity, frequency, where on the spectrum of the malady the applicant currently may be, etc. So, when the question is asked, “Do they often waive for THIS?” There is NOT going to be a general answer. Also, the Services and programs in that Service waive to the needs of the Service in terms of their mission to access so many folks. If the specific program is MEETING their manpower requirements, medical waivers would be issued in far fewer cases than if a Service/program is increasing the numbers of personnel in the force.
Waiver criteria – The main focus of all waiver decisions is centered on the ability to train, be commissioned, and be world-wide deployable upon graduation. In applying this objective, some of the questions that are considered are: a) Is the condition progressive? b) Is the condition subject to aggravation by military service? c) Will the condition preclude satisfactory completion of prescribed training and subsequent military duty? d) Will the condition constitute an undue hazard to the applicant or to others the applicant will be charged in leading, particularly under combat conditions?