USMMA Eyesight Standards

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candidate3256

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I know I made clear in a previous thread that I was interested in going active duty upon graduation from USMMA, but I am still open to the idea of sailing as a career. I understand that USNA does PRK for mids with poor eyesight who want to service select aviation upon graduation and was wondering if the same applied at KP. Thanks!
 
No. You are not part of the DoD at KP. You are required to have your own private health insurance or buy the policy offered by USMMA. Whether it is wise to have the surgery, and if so, when to have it in order to attain your goal of naval aviation, is a serious medical decision that is really beyond the scope of this forum.
 
candidate3256 said:
I know I made clear in a previous thread that I was interested in going active duty upon graduation from USMMA, but I am still open to the idea of sailing as a career. I understand that USNA does PRK for mids with poor eyesight who want to service select aviation upon graduation and was wondering if the same applied at KP. Thanks!
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Unlike other SAs where cadets/midshipmen are considered AD and their healthcare is fully covered, USMMA healthcare for their midshipmen is different. See link below.

Health Services | U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

Office of Health Services (OHS) Mission To optim
www.usmma.edu

Whatever you do, do not get corrective eye surgery on your own, or you risk disqualification from Navy aviation. Standards are more stringent.

Best advice I can give you is call the USMMA Naval Science Department and discuss with a primary source. I don’t know whether there is any paid avenue for that or any way to get the procedure approved outside of the military TRICARE healthcare system.

Sending up a flare to @kp2001 KP grad and Navy doc.

Or perhaps someone has direct experience.


If you go outside SAF, and use Google to Search “service academy Forums PRK refractive eye surgery,” all kinds of links to past discussions come up. Sample:

NROTC PRK Laser Eye Surgery

Hello, I know USNA offers laser eye surgery to qualified midshipmen in their third year. Can a NROTC Midshipman also receive laser eye surgery from the navy?
www.serviceacademyforums.com
 
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I knew a guy that got PRK on his own, everything worked out fine for him.
 
Capt MJ said:
Unlike other SAs where cadets/midshipmen are considered AD and their healthcare is fully covered, USMMA healthcare for their midshipmen is different. See link below.

Health Services | U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

Office of Health Services (OHS) Mission To optim
www.usmma.edu

Whatever you do, do not get corrective eye surgery on your own, or you risk disqualification from Navy aviation. Standards are more stringent.

Best advice I can give you is call the USMMA Naval Science Department and discuss with a primary source. I don’t know whether there is any paid avenue for that or any way to get the procedure approved outside of the military TRICARE healthcare system.

Sending up a flare to @kp2001 KP grad and Navy doc.

Or perhaps someone has direct experience.


If you go outside SAF, and use Google to Search “service academy Forums PRK refractive eye surgery,” all kinds of links to past discussions come up. Sample:

NROTC PRK Laser Eye Surgery

Hello, I know USNA offers laser eye surgery to qualified midshipmen in their third year. Can a NROTC Midshipman also receive laser eye surgery from the navy?
www.serviceacademyforums.com
Click to expand...


Here’s a link to specific guidance provided by USNA - and I realize we are talking about USMMA as a comm source - about general medical considerations for commissioning, with specific comments about eye surgery prior to entry into military service in the Navy or Marine Corps. That’s why I suggested not doing anything without understanding how policies apply to you. There is probably a way to do it; you just want to be sure you get the right guidance from official sources.

 
Capt MJ said:
Here’s a link to specific guidance provided by USNA - and I realize we are talking about USMMA as a comm source - about general medical considerations for commissioning, with specific comments about eye surgery prior to entry into military service in the Navy or Marine Corps. That’s why I suggested not doing anything without understanding how policies apply to you. There is probably a way to do it; you just want to be sure you get the right guidance from official sources.

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Read your earlier post as well. Thank you very much Capt MJ. Will definitely look into it more.
 
Capt MJ said:
Good luck! I hope there is a path. Take good notes of who you talk to and sources they cite.
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There is a path. Numerous people at USMMA get PRK and are commissioned SNA.
 
These are the standards that must be met for any of the Services:

(3) Corneal refractive surgery performed with an excimer or femtosecond laser, including but not limited to photorefractive keratectomy, laser epithelial keratomileusis, laser assisted in situ keratomileusis, and small incision lenticule extraction, if any of the following conditions are met:
(a) Pre-surgical refractive error in either eye exceeded a spherical equivalent of +8.00 or -8.00 diopters.
(b) Pre-surgical astigmatism exceeded 3.00 diopters.
(c) Within 180 days of accession medical examination.
(d) Complications, ongoing medications, ophthalmic solutions, or any other therapeutic interventions required beyond 180 days of procedure.
(e) Post-surgical refraction in each eye is not stable as demonstrated by at least two separate refractions at least 1 month apart, with initial refraction at least 90 days post-procedure, and the most recent of which demonstrates either more than +/- 0.50 diopters difference for spherical vision or more than +/- 0.50 diopters for cylinder vision.
 
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