Septoplasty disqualify me?

So the summer of 2011 I had a septoplasty to fix a deviated septum in my nose.

The procedure went great and there are no lasting effects, only that I can breathe normally now. My question is whether this will likely medically disqualify me for USMA? It does deal with breathing, but it is no longer hindered in any way.

I talked to an army guy, and he encouraged me to not even report it, or to say "I don't remember." He said it will greatly lessen my chance of admission. I don't think that's the right route to go.

jarincole said:

So the summer of 2011 I had a septoplasty to fix a deviated septum in my nose.

The procedure went great and there are no lasting effects, only that I can breathe normally now. My question is whether this will likely medically disqualify me for USMA? It does deal with breathing, but it is no longer hindered in any way.

I talked to an army guy, and he encouraged me to not even report it, or to say "I don't remember." He said it will greatly lessen my chance of admission. I don't think that's the right route to go.

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Of course, all information you choose to disclose on the DODMERB medical history form is voluntary. If you don't want to disclose something, don't. It is covered by the Privacy Act (Title 10, USC 133, 3012, 5031, 8013, and Executive Order 9397) and you are under no obligation to tell them anything.

However, the risk you take in "guarding your privacy" is that your deliberate omission or evasion in honestly answering will call into question your integrity, and may lead to serous consequences later.

Failure to disclose the information can be grounds for disenrollment.

What it comes down to: You will need to lie on 5 questions. Are you ready to do that?

HAVE YOU EVER HAD OR DO YOU NOW HAVE:
26. Ear, nose, or throat trouble
27. Sinusitis or sinus trouble

HAVE YOU EVER:
76. Had or been advised to have, any surgical operations?
77. Consulted, or been treated by clinics, hospitals, physicians, healers, or other practitioners for other than minor illnesses?
78. Had any injury or illness other than those already noted?

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There is space to "explain" any of your answers on the form, and if it's really not a big deal as you say, you shouldn't have any worries.

In other words - ignore "the army guy."

Or what happens if while at USMA, you play a game of FB and break your nose, in that moment of pain, you inform them you had this surgery done, and now the jig is up!

Are you willing to risk keeping that secret for as long as you are at the SA, and also in the Army?

However, IMPO a lie by omission is still a lie. The intentional omission for your personal gain smacks in the face what officers are expected to uphold as their morale compass as a leader.

To me the question I would ask is time warp yourself 10 yrs., you are now an O3 in charge of troops, would you have an issue if one of them lied by omission on their medical forms? I suspect you would, so than if that is the case, you need to live by the same standard.

Thank you very much you two for the very informative/ethically challenging answers. Naturally, I will be reporting it; wish me luck!

FWIW, my dd broke her nose twice (>12 years of very competitive sports), and had surgery to repair it twice. When she filled out her dodmerb forms, she reported both breaks, and both surgeries, and when she went to her exam, she brought with her a letter from the ENT saying that her nose was repaired successfully twice, without any residual issues, and is fully healed. No DQ, no remedials requested.

Instead of obsessing about whether you should lie, just tell the truth, take it head on, and get the documentation in order. The fact that something so inconsequential as a nose job is becoming an ethical dilemma is a bit more troubling.

another13mom said:

Instead of obsessing about whether you should lie, just tell the truth, take it head on, and get the documentation in order. The fact that something so inconsequential as a nose job is becoming an ethical dilemma is a bit more troubling.

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I appreciate the pretentious judgement of my character, however my question was predominantly due to a lack of understanding of the DoDMERB process. When someone in the army who is of authority advises something, the only logical response is to seek further guidance (which, of course, is what this forum is for). I ensure you that my moral compass is in tact, and the question was more of an inquiry into the nature of the system than the prospect of cheating it.

The original poster stated that he did not believe that not disclosing this was the appropriate route to take and sought some support from the very smart folks here I don't see how he did anything wrong.

And the point of my post was to reassure you that getting your nose surgically fixed wouldn't be a disqualifier, so take it head on, get your paperwork in order, and don't worry about it. Sorry, but I read your OP as wondering if lying was appropriate - which should have been answered w/o having to ask the question. Good luck...