Being dishonest during medical processing

C

cadet01

New Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2021
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3
Hello,

During my medical process for the ROTC scholarship, I did not mention my condition of an arachnoid cyst.

I enlisted through the National Guard and MEPs as part of a three year scholarship, and felt some pressure from my recruiter to keep quiet about medical conditions. I realize I should have been transparent, and I would appreciate any advice on my next course of action. As of now, I have not started my ROTC curriculum. If I admit that I have the condition and come clean, what are my chances of being disqualified from the program?

... I understand honestly is a core value of officers and the community on this forum. I consider myself an honest person in other aspects of my life, and I realize this decision was entirely mine to make. I deeply regret this choice, and I would appreciate your thoughts on a course of action, and if I should withdraw from the program.
 
This is going to be a tough one for you…but you need to just plow through. Presently you are struggling with the medical condition piece, AND the ethical/lying piece. There is only one you have control over. I would suspect that tending to that one will give you some peace.

If you are considering withholding the info, keep in mind that you do already have existing medical records. Potentially, beginning your program under this withholding of medical info COULD be problematic. Not only literally for you and your peoples health and safely (something happens out in the field), but also for you in the short term during school. What if something happens that lands you in the hospital (broken arm for example), and medical records are requested….and there is that undisclosed diagnosis?? Maybe you get separated. But guess what? At this point in the game, your deception means you are on for the repaying the military for your scholarship. It’s happened before.

Obviously this is eating at you. And it will continue to do so. Part of that is worrying about potentially loosing the scholarship. But even if that happens, it’s not the end of the road. No commentary on how this came about, but you do have options going forward. Listen to @AROTC-dad and reach out, as instructed in your other thread.

There isn’t an easy way out of this. But ignoring it won’t make it go away. Good luck to you!!
 
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No need to post the same query twice, and emphasizing what @AROTC-dad said: The Deputy Director of DoDMERB, Mr. Larry Mullen, has offered to communicate with you privately. He will give you straightforward information.

A group of people on an anonymous Internet forum, no matter how experienced and well-intentioned, will not have the insights he has.

You will take this step by step and see how it plays out. I am glad your better instincts have urged you toward honesty. Even if the worst outcome occurs, you will know you took the harder and more principled path. You will still have the same potential as you did before, there are other roads to follow, and there are threads in this forum with suggestions for scholarship opportunities leading to service in the Federal govt, just not in an armed service. Your life will be filled with obstacles and challenges. Resolve to tackle them with your best ethical effort, and if you can’t go around, over, under or through them, you divert to another road.
 
As always, Capt MJ is correct. I'm TDY to San Antonio and Dallas all week as explained in my Out of Office message:wiggle:
 
Thank you all for the responses,

I am going to speak to my recruiter and I'm fully expecting to be dropped from the program. I have a letter stating that my condition is asymptomatic and documented over a 6 month period, which passes the requirements for nondisqualifying. If I'm lucky there's a chance I'll be able to apply for another branch. Again I very much appreciate your replies.
 
Correct = Do what Deputy Director Mullen suggested in your other thread. :wiggle:
 
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