<p>OK - After 3 phone calls in the past week from the Naval Academy Admissions Office asking about my daughter's Medical Report ( Hurrah at least they are looking closely at her application!!!) - on friday, Sept. 2nd we finally saw the online reply. Now they want remedial requests</p>
<p>Agency: US Naval Academy Sub Agency:<br>
Status: Remedial Requested </p>
<p>R152.14 - Obtain a manifest refraction
R252.10 - DD Form 2382, Statement of History Regarding Allergies
D257.70 - Unaided distant visual acuity worse than 20/20 </p>
<p>It was pretty scarey to try and navigate what all this means but after much web work I actually got my hands on the actual DoDMERB forms. Of course we find all this out on a friday afternoon, and we are on a 3 day weekend so we can't respond immediately!!! What we have done is get an eye exam, which they requested - the eye doctor reported that without glasses, both eyes together, my daughter sees 20/15. </p>
<p>The ONLY thing we reported on her med forms was an infant under one year of age, rash to penicillin, and we have the requested forms to respond to that once again.So we expect this to be no big deal</p>
<p>Our plan is to call Rita Wacker, who has been calling us there at USNA, the very first thing Tuesday morning and find out how... and who ... gets this information immediately....and should be overnight this stuff to her or what????</p>
<p>If anyone else has suggestions, we're open. It seems like our daughter is being looked at pretty closely. Her Blue and Gold, (whom she has been in contact with since Freshman year - she has been so involved in working towards an USNA Appointment) - told us he is pushing for her to get an LOA - but who knows if that will happens. We don't know anything.</p>
<p>Does this remedial paperwork slow this whole train down or what??????</p>
<p>We had to send in an allergy statement. My husband had been in the Navy and our medical records were lost when we reported to Naples, so I didn't have any "official" paperwork on my son's fish allergy. I wrote a letter, stating that he had suffered an allergic reaction to fish on his second birthday and that we had thereafter observed the doctor's advice not to feed him seafood. That was it. That was in September and he was appointed in December. Didn't seem to slow his processing down.</p>
<p>peskemom: while I am not the expert on this by any means, may I ask what type of allergic reaction to PCN she had? Has she been able to take PCN preperations since? if so, that would be information important to share- again, not the expert, but it would stand to reason that PCN is broadly used as a first-line agent (cheap and no special prep or storage, and good for just about every bug!)... that it is probably something the military uses readily in the field to treat the wounded...so having an allergy to it would be of concern....however sometimes kids react to things, especially very early in life, that are not really true allergies- yet get labled as such- having said that, it might help to talk to your pediatrician to review the reaction she did have, see if it has repeated itself with a PCN-derivitave she might have been treated with since...try to determine if it really is a true allergy or not. </p>
<p>20/15: most likely will require an eye waiver for USNA; there is a limited number of waivers granted each year from our understanding</p>
<p>as for 3-day weekend, Labor Day is given even to the military, so doubt anyone would be there to get your overnighted info! Better to send in as complete info as possible, even if it takes an extra day or so</p>
<p>sounds like you have someone who can guide you at USNA, and it also sounds like you have a terrific advocate in your BGO, so as I have said so often, you have to trust that the system really does work and just be patient with the process.</p>
<p>You reported that this was with both eyes. What about each separately? </p>
<p>To be safe, I would send all information to both DoDMERB and USNA (if they are asking for it) Is a "manifest refraction" a fancy term for another eye exam?
Good Luck
CM</p>
<p>The eye doctor said she sees 20/15 in one eye and 20/25 in the other, with combined vision of 20/15....and a 'manifest' refraction is a standard eye exam, without dilating the eyes. What USNA is asking us for is the standard eye.</p>
<p>I have copies of exactly 2 of everything ready to send of to both USNA and DodMERB...waiting to talk to the lady at USNA first thing tuesday morning and confirming with her to do just that..</p>
<p>By the way, candidatemom....what's the status of your kiddo in this process???What a roller coaster this is for all sides, isn't it??!!</p>
<p>If you note the "location" line under my name, you will see that my son is a member of '08. (A youngster). He went through hoops with DoDMERB trying to get a waiver. He was obviously successful.</p>
<p>Be sure to KEEP A COPY of EVERYTHING you send, and note the date and to whom it is sent. We sent everything certified mail, receipt requested, to be sure. (It gets confusing after awhile)<br>
I suspect the eye that is 20/25 is the one that will require a waiver.<br>
A greater concern might be the penicillin reaction. Has she been exposed to, or reacted to it since?
CM</p>
<p>Thanks for confirming some of what I am thinking. I was thinking about sending everything certified, receipt requested, but I wasn't sure if that slowed down the process or what - and it's something I plan on asking the lady this tuesday morning. </p>
<p>As far as penicillin - to be honest, this child #5 of mine has had the least number of infections of my bunch. Some of my other kids had 10 ear infections per year!! This kid hasn't had any infections since maybe kindergarden requiring any antibiotics - so it's anyone's guess about antitiobiotics. Our doctor when she was an infant ( that's 3 doctor's back, he's left medical practice and we have no records of those visits) - told me he expected she would outgrow any reactions, since it was quite common to have babies get a mild rash from cephlasporin ( a penicillin based drug) . We've never had to test this.</p>
<p>I don't expect DoDMERB to be too freaked out, especially since all they asked for was a hand written explanation with no need to see a doctor, so hopefully this isn't a big deal.</p>
<p>I also think it's quite crazy to expect most of American youth to have perfect 20/20 in both eyes?? I mean, come on - that's probably something no national average comes close to. I dunno - but I'd love to ask someone in the know about this.</p>
<p>Concerning a waiver - was your son in 'the queue' for consideration this early in the ballgame??? Our daughter applied to summer seminar on the first day she could, Feb. 1st - she found out on the 1st day they sent out acceptances for that....and she has been ahead of the curve on all the deadlines ever since. Her dream would be to get an LOA so that the pressure is off on other fronts...but we know we can't count on anything until we see the dry ink, so to speak.</p>
<p>Anyway, mom - thanks for the moral support.</p>
<p>My son applied to SS on the first day possible, and his complete application was sent in early July. (It was a paper application then).</p>
<p>"I also think it's quite crazy to expect most of American youth to have perfect 20/20 in both eyes?? " They do expect this. The Academy can admit no more than 30% of its applicants on medical waivers. There are approximately 100 candidates vying for each spot, so they can be as picky as they want. I say this not to discourage you, but to make sure your eyes are wide open.</p>
<p>It is not the infection that will trouble DoDMERB, but the reaction to penicillin. Be prepared to do a medical follow-up once DoDMERB receives your hand-written response.</p>
<p>Even if a LOA is issued, it is contingent on getting the medical qualification. I would suspect that she will need a vision waiver for the eye that is less than 20/20. You are fortunate in that this is going on early. It gives you time to pursue medical if necessary.
CM</p>
<p>Well I spoke to both the USNA med folk and DoDMERB yesterday. After working through 3 days of reading and re-reading what it was DoDMERB really wanted, and figuring out how to respond, we packed together the documents requested. When I spoke to the Navy person they were quite casual, once they heard the remedial requests DoDMERB wanted, telling me "no big deal" . I told them it certainly felt like a big deal when you stare at a posted computer screen page with the big red ink and words "disqualification note" staring at you in the face. But the person told me the Navy calls we had gotten several times in the past 2 weeks were because they are interested in Janell's app....so THAT is really encouraging. My conversation over at DodMERB was cute. The lady told me "wait till you get the mail copy with the forms." "But I HAVE the forms" I told her. "How COULD you have the forms?" she asked suspiciously? "I got them off the internet." Her attorney style-questioning skills were obviously quite honed - because she said "Well, how you do know they're the correct ones?" So I pleasantly read her the 2 forms I figured out ( on my own) that the DodMERB folk were actually requesting - and found them through internet searching and already got them signed by the doctor and mailed. With the exact numbers matching up with what she was sure I didn't have - that seemed to relax her and she admitted I indeed had the exact forms and they would be able to respond to my mail - and suggested sending it overnight. Yet another hopeful indication that things might move positively for my daughter.</p>
<p>When all this is said and done I think someone should prepare a booklet for prosective candidates and their families on DoDMERB stuff - it's the one and only area of preparation and information that seems a bit scanty. I think we clearly "GET" all the steps for the school/grades/sports/leadership/interviews/physical training/Nominations/Blue and Gold Officer/ etc. etc. etc....it's all clearly spelled out in many different places. DodMERB?? Where is THAT information for lost souls like we were??? </p>
<p>peskemom:
Relax - you're going to drive yourself crazy. It is still very, very early in the whole process. My son didn't did receive his admission to USMA until mid-May and started 5 weeks later. Yes, it would be nice to get an LOA this early but you've got lots and lots of time. </p>
<p>My best advice on anything to do with DODMERB is to ask the doctor or optometrist/opthamologist if you can review/look at any documents that they are sending in. The first optometrist who saw my son made a mistake on his form - which we would have recognized if we had looked at it - and we received a disqualification form from DODMERB. We had him retested and everything was fine.</p>
<p>I suspect that DODMERB was set up to begin the exposure and immunization for our plebes/midshipmen/airmen to military bureaucracy. Once my son was admitted there began a whole another set of paperwork to send in - uniform measurements, etc. - that must have been designed by someone who is not a native English speaker. A little bit like reading my Hyundai's owner manual. So you have a lot to look forward to.</p>
<p>Yes - relax is what everyone needs to do at this point. The remedial requested for my kid was so strange that the specialist (an Army dermatologist) who performed the re-exam actually burst out laughing at how irrelevant the concern was. The additional weeks taken up by this process had no impact on the success of the application, so please don't get all wound up about the delay. It's still VERY early and a few weeks at this point are no big deal.</p>
<p>By the way, I recommend that everything regarding the application process be sent registered mail with receipt confirmation, right up to and including the acceptance of the an offer of appointment and all the follow-on paperwork that leads up to I-Day. And make copies of everything before you mail it out. Trust me on this one.</p>
<p>Hey one and all, thanks for the reminder to RELAX. Good to hear. I guess the only reason we felt like we had to respond right away, was that the Medical Office there at USNA called 3 times in the past 3 weeks asking us for the info as soon as possible . So, clueless as we were - we don't know how to interpret this....other than gratitude that they are looking closely at the application....And now that we've sent everything back to USNA/DoDMERB - the next step goes back to their court. And we know from the Express mail receipt that DoDMERB got the paperwork this morning.</p>
<p>peskemom, i just got a remedial R120.00 asking for copies of med records concerning a deviated septum surgery I had 2 and a half years ago. could you tell me where you found most of this information concerning what to do?</p>
<p>Hey sandiegodude...what I did was print off every page of the online DodMERB stuff and read it word for word to make sure I completely understood what they specifically wanted....I printed the front page first - reading what each Academy wanted remedials on. Then I read the exact remedial. In your case the "R120.00", if you click on the "R120" it will open up... and on that popup there are specific instructions and requests. In the case of the eye remedials we needed to do, they mentioned certain forms. I got on the internet and did a google search for those forms. I took those forms to the eye doctor who filled them out. We also had to fill out an allergy form. Again, I read the pop up of that "R..." and it mentioned a specific DD Form...which I found on a google search. I had the paperwork in hand, and sent it back BEFORE we got the snail mail copies from DoDMERB this week. And yes, I had the exact forms. </p>
<p>Final note on our end. We overnighted the paperwork to DoDMERB on tuesday...and on thursday afternoon they updated our daughter's med status to "Qualified" for USAFA/USMA...and "Waiverable" for USNA. Since she is only applying to USNA - the medical office there already told us usually it appears as 'waiverable' so that, in their minds, is all they care about and she is free and clear to continue in the admitting process. Praise be to God!</p>
<p>Good luck to you, kiddo. Let us know what happens. Dallas is a strange location for 'sandiegodude'. We live in San Diego County! Lucky us. :-)</p>
<p>I also found out from my BGO that I needed an waiver for my eyes which are -2.75 and -3.00. How do I get my hand on the waiver and start the process (my medical was done last year) and would it siginificantly hurt my chances of academy admissions? I plan to submit EVERYTHING except the physical exam by hopefully next week and then get back on DoDMERB to send rebuttals from last year.</p>
<p>You don't get your hands on a waiver - I'm sort of a newbie at all this - but from what I read especially with USNA - if all you have is an eye issue they automatically consider a waiver for that - and you don't do anything else. The folks there at the medical office at USNA were quite nice in answering all my questions - you might try over there if you have any more questions. If your meds were done last year - did DoDMERB send you forms for a follow up eye exam? That is what came to us - in snail mail - although I figured out earlier than the arrival of that package and got the forms online - hence got the process started a little bit faster. Our remedial eye request wanted a 'manifest refraction' - and I finally understand that it means a regular eye exam- without eye dilation. There is another medical term for a refraction exam with eye dilation. You may be fine if you get the forms you need from DodMERB or online and then submit your eye exam results. Good luck!!</p>
<p>PM: You are correct. If its just visual acuity then no additional paperwork is submitted.
I think the upper limit for waiver is about -6.0, pretty high actually.
Those needing eye waivers--after they are considered among the regular pool--are placed in a special group for consideration among those needing eye waivers; there is an overall limit on the number of eye waivers that are available. Thus, in some respects, it is even more competitive.
Having said that, however, there are many mids wearing glasses over the summer. I was surprised at how many actually. [I've heard that the limit is now up to around 30% of the class; but don't count on that.]</p>