Is there a non-scam DoDMERB consultants out there?

2

2024candidate

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The website is exactly what I was looking for and I was disappointed to learn that he had been scamming people, apparently, with the help of his daughter.
 
You're best bet is to seek out a physician who has a military background and is familiar with DoDMERB. You can try your local VA hospital for a referral. Or ask your primary doctor if he knows someone who used to be a military surgeon.
 
AROTC-dad said:
You're best bet is to seek out a physician who has a military background and is familiar with DoDMERB. You can try your local VA hospital for a referral. Or ask your primary doctor if he knows someone who used to be a military surgeon.
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I will definitely do that. Thank you.
 
I might suggest that anyone purporting to be a DODMERB consultant is a scam to some degree. The DODMERB process is pretty straightforward, all you have to do is follow the instructions given. Most candidates get through the process without any outside support. I see a lot of unnecessary handwringing on this Forum, trying to understand the inner workings of the DODMERB/waiver process, trying to guess the meaning of portal changes, worrying about timing, etc, but most of these matters are beyond your control or our need to know. Sure , a consultant might make you feel better, but I am skeptical that it changes the outcome.
 
Old Navy BGO said:
I might suggest that anyone purporting to be a DODMERB consultant is a scam to some degree. The DODMERB process is pretty straightforward, all you have to do is follow the instructions given. Most candidates get through the process without any outside support. I see a lot of unnecessary handwringing on this Forum, trying to understand the inner workings of the DODMERB/waiver process, trying to guess the meaning of portal changes, worrying about timing, etc, but most of these matters are beyond your control or our need to know. Sure , a consultant might make you feel better, but I am skeptical that it changes the outcome.
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I do not agree. Here's how I see it: Yes, they give you confidence that you are not doing anything stupid and going through the process correctly, but that was never really my problem. I agree, the process is overall straightforward, but someone who has worked at DoDMERB or somehow knows the inner workings can give insight into certain requests, their meanings, likelihood of a waiver, and most importantly: how to respond to remedial requests, giving the proper amount of info without giving too much. This may not seem necessary, but for some conditions and AMIs I definitely see where the use of a consultant like this would be beneficial.
 
2024candidate said:
I do not agree. Here's how I see it: Yes, they give you confidence that you are not doing anything stupid and going through the process correctly, but that was never really my problem. I agree, the process is overall straightforward, but someone who has worked at DoDMERB or somehow knows the inner workings can give insight into certain requests, their meanings, likelihood of a waiver, and most importantly: how to respond to remedial requests, giving the proper amount of info without giving too much. This may not seem necessary, but for some conditions and AMIs I definitely see where the use of a consultant like this would be beneficial.
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There have been plenty of discussions on this Forum on whether a Consultant is necessary. My personal opinion is that it isn't, and that to some degree these types of consultants take advantage of parent's vulnerabilities, but If it makes you feel good, by all means spend the money.

As an aside, and I may have said this in another thread, the use of Consultant could actually be detrimental if the DODMERB staff has a bad history with that consultant, or even resents the fact that the Candidate is using a consultant.
 
2024candidate said:
I do not agree. Here's how I see it: Yes, they give you confidence that you are not doing anything stupid and going through the process correctly, but that was never really my problem. I agree, the process is overall straightforward, but someone who has worked at DoDMERB or somehow knows the inner workings can give insight into certain requests, their meanings, likelihood of a waiver, and most importantly: how to respond to remedial requests, giving the proper amount of info without giving too much. This may not seem necessary, but for some conditions and AMIs I definitely see where the use of a consultant like this would be beneficial.
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I disagree. I think the real-life experience of the many contributors here in the forum is far mire valuable, timely, up to date than a single consultant. Who is looking through their own lens. Here, you can get an abundance of advice/recommendations. Many of us have been through it many times. I think that’s far mite accurate than a single consultant. Along with all the published instructions and procedures. I personally would rely on forum participants and original sources than a consultant.

To each their own! Just don’t waste your money on the fraudsters!!
 
DODMERB has its own help line. I would start with that. USNA (and I assume the other SAs as well) has someone dedicated to medical issues. That is also a good source.

There are some conditions that won't be (and shouldn't be) waived. There are some cases where the candidate isn't sufficiently competitive to get a waiver (too many people needing waivers). So, in come cases, no matter whom you consult, no matter what you do, it won't happen for you.

The above said, most people seem to get through the process successfully on their own.
 
2024candidate said:
I do not agree. Here's how I see it: Yes, they give you confidence that you are not doing anything stupid and going through the process correctly, but that was never really my problem. I agree, the process is overall straightforward, but someone who has worked at DoDMERB or somehow knows the inner workings can give insight into certain requests, their meanings, likelihood of a waiver, and most importantly: how to respond to remedial requests, giving the proper amount of info without giving too much. This may not seem necessary, but for some conditions and AMIs I definitely see where the use of a consultant like this would be beneficial.
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you disagree with a seasoned BGO? If your screen name is correct, you don’t even know what you don’t know. A consultant may give you a little more insight into Dodmerb, but that’s about it. There are some folks out there who purport to be able to help with the waiver process, but that’s wrong. DodMerb simply assesses you, applies criteria, and reports your status. They have nothing to do with the waiver. That’s solely up to Admissions and the Superintendent. No consultant can help there. Our 20 got a waiver. We had no clue they had put him forward for it until after it was granted.
Maybe you know something I don’t. I’ve been through this thing twice with our Mids. Talked to the consultant a lot. No way he does anything more than guide you through the obvious.
 
SCMids said:
you disagree with a seasoned BGO? If your screen name is correct, you don’t even know what you don’t know. A consultant may give you a little more insight into Dodmerb, but that’s about it. There are some folks out there who purport to be able to help with the waiver process, but that’s wrong. DodMerb simply assesses you, applies criteria, and reports your status. They have nothing to do with the waiver. That’s solely up to Admissions and the Superintendent. No consultant can help there. Our 20 got a waiver. We had no clue they had put him forward for it until after it was granted.
Maybe you know something I don’t. I’ve been through this thing twice with our Mids. Talked to the consultant a lot. No way he does anything more than guide you through the obvious.
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Many folks on this forum disagree with seasoned BGO's...not sure why. A DoDMERB Consultant is a waste of money. Answer the DoDMERB questionnaire truthfully and let the chips fall where they may. IMHO too many folks are trying to game the system.
 
as a parent of a successful college re-applicant who had to overcome 3 DQ's, i would agree with those who say can be worthwhile to seek some help with the process, especially if one is DQ'd. you don't need to get outside help, and anyone can certainly navigate the process on their own, but if there are any possible issues then the process is more involved than just filling out forms and letting them fly.

if a candidate needs to submit AMI, i think the best advice is to read the actual medical standard document, and make sure that all in the info submitted to DODMERB makes if very easy for them to determine if the standard is met. if the info is fuzzy, or not conclusive, or the way a doctor writes something up allows the reader to infer something that isn't really there, then a DQ can result when it doesn't need to be there. ask me how i know.

if DODMERB needs to make a judgement, they will always err on the side of DQ then let the SA figure it out. they like to say "we are here to get them in, not keep them out", but that is sort of misleading. if there are records submitted that "could" indicate a DQ, they will simply DQ the candidate rather than spend additional time and resources to dig deeper. however, if you identify the possible problem ahead of time, and then seek out more specific or definitive medical records, or more specific statements from the doctor (after showing the standard to the doctor), or possibly additional testing to clear up any possible question, then you have a better chance of avoiding a DQ. that also applies to proactively providing additional information after a DQ.

Totally agree with the others on this board, DODMERB consultants is a SCAM and should be avoided at all costs.

 
A6E Dad said:
if a candidate needs to submit AMI, i think the best advice is to read the actual medical standard document, and make sure that all in the info submitted to DODMERB makes if very easy for them to determine if the standard is met.
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> While BGO's are not supposed to get involved in Medical issues (due to privacy issues), if asked, my advice to Candidates is to find the applicable medical standard, AND BRING IT TO YOUR DOCTOR and ask him/her to assist in responding with AMI that helps clear you. A Doctor is much more qualified to read and understand the applicable medical standard. (One caveat that someone on this Forum pointed out a while ago, you may want to consult with a doctor other than the one that made the initial diagnosis if there is any chance you are challenging the diagnosis; Doctors do not like to be second guessed.).
 
SCMids said:
you disagree with a seasoned BGO? If your screen name is correct, you don’t even know what you don’t know. A consultant may give you a little more insight into Dodmerb, but that’s about it. There are some folks out there who purport to be able to help with the waiver process, but that’s wrong. DodMerb simply assesses you, applies criteria, and reports your status. They have nothing to do with the waiver. That’s solely up to Admissions and the Superintendent. No consultant can help there. Our 20 got a waiver. We had no clue they had put him forward for it until after it was granted.
Maybe you know something I don’t. I’ve been through this thing twice with our Mids. Talked to the consultant a lot. No way he does anything more than guide you through the obvious.
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Not sure why you need to be hostile about this. What I said was logical and my opinion which is only based on what I know. And I said that. In fact, what I said was largely self-evident.
 
A good consultant is like a good plumber, worth every penny. Finding either among the many mediocre practitioners is a painstaking endeavor.

The DODMERB process is exhaustive, but in most cases a candidate can handle it smoothly by remembering two rules - do not provide more information than requested and do not self-diagnose.

Some candidates have medical histories that will get more scrutiny and how questions are answered determines how frustrating the process will be. In such cases, and for those not following the two aforementioned rules, the help of someone knowledgeable with DODMERB is useful. They cannot "undisqaulify" a disqualifying condition; they may be able to save you time, effort, and frustration - just like a good plumber. However, if you don't have a reputable person readily available, finding that knowledgeable person may be more difficult than just working your way through the process.

FYI. I went through five plumbers to fix what I thought was a relatively simple problem (and got five different cockeyed solutions) before finding one who knew what the heck he was doing.
 
jl123 said:
A good consultant is like a good plumber, worth every penny. Finding either among the many mediocre practitioners is a painstaking endeavor.

The DODMERB process is exhaustive, but in most cases a candidate can handle it smoothly by remembering two rules - do not provide more information than requested and do not self-diagnose.

Some candidates have medical histories that will get more scrutiny and how questions are answered determines how frustrating the process will be. In such cases, and for those not following the two aforementioned rules, the help of someone knowledgeable with DODMERB is useful. They cannot "undisqaulify" a disqualifying condition; they may be able to save you time, effort, and frustration - just like a good plumber. However, if you don't have a reputable person readily available, finding that knowledgeable person may be more difficult than just working your way through the process.

FYI. I went through five plumbers to fix what I thought was a relatively simple problem (and got five different cockeyed solutions) before finding one who knew what the heck he was doing.
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TRUE THAT!
 
On a different note, my status was changed to "Waiver Granted".. I made a thread if anyone has knowledge on what that means for multiple DQs.
 
ledebord said:
Can you link to your different thread?
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Does "Waiver Granted" status mean I got the waivers?

Hello. I just checked my portal and it changed from "Under Waiver Review" to "Waiver Granted" (I needed two waivers). Unfortunately, they didn't post any correspondence or anything else and are leaving me guessing here. DoDMERB Technician is away from his desk, I'm guessing for Thanksgiving...
www.serviceacademyforums.com
 
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