Scoliosis....waiver?

[Natk2013]

Hello all, I am a prospective candidate for the USNA class of 2017. I feel comfortable (well as comfortable as I can) with my GPA and test scores and extracurricular activities. However, today I received some daunting news. After going in for a sports physical, scoliosis was found. In my upper back region, it is under the 20 degree dq limit, but in my lumbar region, I am at about a 46 degree lean. I am really very nervous after hearing this. My doctors have never seen it before, and it has never affected my ability to perform physical tasks. I am wondering if this condition is waiver-able...at least to the extent I have it. I did read that it is extremely hard to get a waiver for "severe scoliosis" based on the Cobb scale, however, mine is only considered moderate. Based on this info or any other outside knowledge you have, what do you think my chances of waiver are?

 

[kp2001]

Unfortunately I don't have much experience with scoliosis waivers. I can tell you that a waiver for aviation would be tough to get, but I can't speak to waivers for commissioning on this one with any authority at all.

 

[Natk2013]

Thank you very much...does anyone else have experience with this? It's really making me nervous...

On a side note, if my doctor says it does not impact me physically, would that be helpful? To DoDMERB, I mean, would that help them consider giving me a waiver?

 

[Bullet]

I would refer you to here:

http://www.serviceacademyforums.com/showthread.php?t=22746&highlight=Scoliosis

Here, let me repeat post #5 for you. What do you know? It was posted by me! Please allow myself to quote myself for you :

Of course, my information is a TAD dated:

When I was going through the commissioning process, I was told by the flight Doc who conducted my physical that my scoliosis was a disqualifier (I have 19% curvature of the spine). I remember his quote to me at the time was: "You MAY get a waiver, but you'll never fly for the AF, especially fast jets, as you won't be ejection seat qualified." To say I was crushed at the time would be an understatement.

Went through the waiver process, to include getting checked out (and recommended for flight duty) by a scoliosis specialist in the civilian world.

To this day, I can't remember the name of the flight Doc who told me "no go", or I would have invited him to my retirement ceremony a few years back so he could have seen me take my retirement oath standing in front of the F-15E I flew the day prior, surrounded by my squadron mates and family, where he could have read my bio that said that I ended up with over 2400 hours in fast jets.

Like I said, dated info. But like others are saying here, you really won't know anything until you go through the waiver process. I WOULD advise seeing a doctor who specializing in scoliosis to get their opinion and potential support if needed for the waiver.

Best of luck to you and your daughter!

See? It CAN happen! You just need to check into it. The worse part of fearing the unknown is that it is unknown. YOU need to do the research and get the information to make it known to you, and then you can go on fro there....