DoDMERB question...

[readyornot7B02]

I have been found medically disqualified for USNA for the following items:

D155.41 Distant visual acuity not correctable to 20/20 in each eye
D111.10 History of atopic dermatitis/eczema
D156.20 Anisometropia in excess of 3.5 diopters

Medical status has been "Pending Waiver Submission/Review" since 4 Sep 07 and Admission status is "In Process".

My question--are any of these cases easily waiverable?

From searching around this forum I've gathered that submitting a clarification letter for at least the "History of" may help significantly in getting a waiver (most recent case of eczema was years ago), but what can I do for the other two?

My status hasn't changed since September, probably because I haven't pushed enough...any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[RetNavyHM]

The history of eczema can be waived, depending on the severity of the eczema and the last time you had a flare up.

The distant visual acuity not correctable to 20/20 in each eye could be either waived or even removed if, and I'm not telling you to do this at all, you were re-examined by your families optometrist, at your cost, to see if you could be found correctable to 20/20 in each eye with no errors. If you are correctable to 20/20 in each eye with no errors DoDMERB would be able to remove that disqualification, otherwise for USNA it will be difficult to receive a waiver.

When you include the disqualification for anisometropia in excess of 3.5 diopters, I have to believe that your optometrist will not be able to correct you to 20/20. And depending on the refractive error difference between the right and left eyes a waiver is much more unlikely.

Now for what you can do to try and receive a waiver. Remember, what follows are my thoughts, and what I've found to help. It is not a guarantee that if you do what I describe you will get a waiver. This will cost you time and a little money. You will not be reimbursed by the government for any costs that you incur, and you may not receive a waiver. As long as you understand this, feel free to read on.

My suggestion, again this is just my suggestion, would be to take your disqualification letter to your optometrist and discuss it with him/her. If he/she feels that the disqualifications are in error, and that the examining optometrist did not do a thorough examination, feel free to have him/her do a repeat manifest refraction. You can even find a sheet for the optometrist to fill out on the DoDMERB web site, click the "Forms" link and it will be the very first form on the page.

If you wear contacts, make sure you have them removed for 3 days for soft lenses and 21 days for hard lenses. MAKE SURE YOU INCLUDE A STATEMENT THAT THEY WERE OUT FOR THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF TIME AND SIGN IT. Submit all the paperwork to DoDMERB. If they can not remove the disqualification, they will forward it to the waiver authority.

If you still can not be corrected to 20/20 with no errors, and still have anisometropia greater than 3.50 diopters, then a waiver will be difficult to receive. But you will never know if you do not try!

 

[readyornot7B02]

I had made a mistake filling out the exam forms--after looking through my medical records i had never actually been diagnosed with eczema...closest thing is that when i was in seventh grade i was prescribed an over-the-counter ointment to get rid of a small rash on my leg which persisted for about a week. Never did this rash hinder me from my athletics/scholastics/extracurriculars. Have never had any type of "flare up" or rash of any kind since the fall of my seventh grade year.

I figured the best thing to do was write a personal statement to dodmerb and admit my mistake and explain the whole situation (should arrive to them by mail in a couple days). i'm thinking they will request my med records from birth to present; do you agree? I want to get this all sorted out as soon as possible and will gladly send them my medical records to get this false DQ off my file.

After discussing the situation with my optometrist, he looked through my charts and found that in the past three years i have been consistently at LESS than 3.5diopters...he is writing a letter to dodmerb with his personal evaluation and filling out the form for repeat manifest/refraction and will be sending them out by the end of next week. should i also send out a copy of these medical charts which reflect anisometrepia less than 3.5 diopters or wait to see if/when dodmerb requests these records?



retnavyhm, thank you for all the great insight that you have so generously provided to everyone on the forum!

 

[RetNavyHM]

If you can get copies of at least the last 3 years of eye exams to go along with the new manifest refraction it will help.

Best of luck to you!!