Medical Waiver

[etaylor2013]

ok. i wasn't quite sure where to post this so i put it in this forum as well as the dodmerb one.

alright. here's my timeline:
July 23- Disqualified for asthma
July 8- Received letter from USMA admissions saying a waiver had been requested

in this letter it said i could expect something within 90 days. is it seriously going to take that long? anything else i could do to hurry the process along? i've read on here where people have had medical histories/letters sent in to further explain their condition. any recommendations?

 

[Ole Grad]

re DodMERB

Clearing a medical disqualification can take months. You must be patient. If Admissions says it has requested a waiver for you, this is an excellent indicator that you are desired as a candidate. However, much clarification to DoDMERB may be needed. If you were indeed diagnosed and treated for asthma, you may need your family physician to write a letter explaining that the condition was "mild," years ago, and no longer a problem, that you have been fully recovered and show no current signs or a problem or after-effect. Further, an additional examination by a military doctor at a nearby medical center may be needed to underscore your family doctor's opinion. The military regards asthma as a non-starter for service, so you will need to buttress any waiver request with as much ammo you can direct that indicates this is no longer a part of your health condition. Waivers are indeed granted for early indications of asthma, but they are difficult to get. West Point in particular requires extensive physical conditioning and participation in its program, as does the Army once commissioned, hence the reluctance to take a chance on a recurring asthmatic condition - which could result in inability to perform required tasks, necessitate the constant availability of medicines, or lead to a medical discharge/retirement.

 

[MullenLE]

2 Days Ago
MullenLE Join Date: May 2008
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Posts: 215



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The letter you are probably referring to is from the Admissions office at West Point. They, on behalf of the Superintendent, render medical waiver decisions with input from the West Point Surgeon and the Admissions Committee. I "suspect" (you'd have to ask Admissions to be certain) that the medical decision is only one element of your waiver decision.

(As of 1 Sep, I don't think you have contacted me, therefore I can't really provide the specific assistance you are seeking)

That said, until I know who you are and what your specific case is about, I can't adequately advise you. I submit you send me an email Larry.Mullen@dodmerb.tma.osd.mil with your full name and Last 4 of your SSN and I can better assist you
__________________
Larry Mullen
Deputy Director, DoDMERB
Larry.Mullen@dodmerb.tma.osd.milAvailable 24/7/365
90% of my responses are within the hour
100% of responses are within 24 hours