From my understanding, the commissioning medical exam is the same physical as the initial DoDMERB medical exam. As noted in previous threads, I am concerned about my blood pressure being high. From what I gather, if it is high at the commissioning physical, I will have to go through remedials and if the remedials are not in my favor, I will probably be put on medicine and have my career options limited. How would my career options be limited? Would I be rejected from the Marine Corps and have to serve in the Navy? Would I be allowed to serve in the infantry or only in a restricted career field? Please let me know. Thanks.
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USNA Commissioning Medical Exam
- Thread starter marine
- Start date
The commissioning physical examination is a separate exam conducted and reviewed initially at the academy. For specialty careers (aviation, nuke, subs, ect) the physical is forwarded for a separate medical review.
It is WAY to early to be concerned about what could possible happen in a little over 4 years. If your desire is to go to USNA and obtain a commission in the USMC, then that is what I would focus on.
Stress is unhealthy in many different ways. If you truly have "white coat hypertension" then you have nothing to worry about. You do a 3 day BP, it comes out normal, it has been documented in the past, end of story. If you continue to have high levels of stress about it, you'll never learn to relax when getting a BP done.
It is WAY to early to be concerned about what could possible happen in a little over 4 years. If your desire is to go to USNA and obtain a commission in the USMC, then that is what I would focus on.
Stress is unhealthy in many different ways. If you truly have "white coat hypertension" then you have nothing to worry about. You do a 3 day BP, it comes out normal, it has been documented in the past, end of story. If you continue to have high levels of stress about it, you'll never learn to relax when getting a BP done.
So let me get this straight once and for all. I go for the commissioning exam and regardless of the outcome of the exam and remedials, I will still be able to serve in the Navy or Marines. However, the exam will be reviewed by particular careers (in my case infantry) and they will decide whether I qualify for that particular career. Basically, the commissioning exam does not qualify/disqualify for service in the Marine Corps. It is only used by particular career fields (infantry, or whatnot) to determine qualification in those particular career fields. Whether I get into the Navy or Marines will depend on my performance at the academy and not the result of the medical exam. Whether I get into infantry will depend on my commissioning physical. Did I understand correctly?
By the way, I have always wanted to go to the academy and serve in the Marines so nothing I find out here will discourage that focus. I just feel more comfortable when I am better informed. Thanks once again for taking the time to answer my questions.
By the way, I have always wanted to go to the academy and serve in the Marines so nothing I find out here will discourage that focus. I just feel more comfortable when I am better informed. Thanks once again for taking the time to answer my questions.
By passing your DoDMERB physical examination you have shown that you are in good health and have no major physical limitations for military service. As long as nothing changes (injuries, illness, new medical problems) before you are commissioned, you should be able to meet the physical qualifications for commissioning.
All Naval Academy Midshipmen must meet the medical requirements for Unrestricted Line (it is the NAVAL Academy!). Each year there are a few Midshipmen who are found disqualified for Unrestricted Line, in which case they are usually granted a waiver for Restricted Line. Again, in my 3 years doing the commissioning physical exams at the USNA I can only remember one Midshipman who was allowed to graduate but was not commissioned and that was due to a cancer that was found during the course of the commissioning physical examination and was not in remission at the time of graduation. There are Midshipmen who are medically discharged from the USNA during the course of their 4 years, usually due to an injury that is severe enough to preclude them from service in the military. Most of these happen prior to the first class year.
Once you have been found medically qualified for Unrestricted Line, then if you are interested in Marine Ground, your examination will be reviewed for that as well (the same as Unrestricted Line except you can be color blind). As for being able to be commissioned in the USMC, that is all done during service selection, and was covered in another post.
Can I say with 100% certainty that once you have been found medically qualified for Unrestricted Line and Marine Ground that regardless of an illness or injury that may occur after that you will be allowed to serve? No. I can tell you that every effort will be made by the medical staff at USNA to get you medically qualified for commissioning in the field that you are most interested in. I probably spent 60% of my time on 15% of the Midshipmen trying to get them medically qualified for what they wanted (within reason), and I am sure that the staff that is there now, and that will be there when you graduate, will do the same if you need the assistance.
All Naval Academy Midshipmen must meet the medical requirements for Unrestricted Line (it is the NAVAL Academy!). Each year there are a few Midshipmen who are found disqualified for Unrestricted Line, in which case they are usually granted a waiver for Restricted Line. Again, in my 3 years doing the commissioning physical exams at the USNA I can only remember one Midshipman who was allowed to graduate but was not commissioned and that was due to a cancer that was found during the course of the commissioning physical examination and was not in remission at the time of graduation. There are Midshipmen who are medically discharged from the USNA during the course of their 4 years, usually due to an injury that is severe enough to preclude them from service in the military. Most of these happen prior to the first class year.
Once you have been found medically qualified for Unrestricted Line, then if you are interested in Marine Ground, your examination will be reviewed for that as well (the same as Unrestricted Line except you can be color blind). As for being able to be commissioned in the USMC, that is all done during service selection, and was covered in another post.
Can I say with 100% certainty that once you have been found medically qualified for Unrestricted Line and Marine Ground that regardless of an illness or injury that may occur after that you will be allowed to serve? No. I can tell you that every effort will be made by the medical staff at USNA to get you medically qualified for commissioning in the field that you are most interested in. I probably spent 60% of my time on 15% of the Midshipmen trying to get them medically qualified for what they wanted (within reason), and I am sure that the staff that is there now, and that will be there when you graduate, will do the same if you need the assistance.