<p>Heart Murmur when I was a kid, gone now. From time of birth till about age 12.</p>
<p>Flat feet… wear orthotics, but don’t need them necessarily</p>
<p>Surgery on foot age 14. Bone fusion between metacarpels. Part of bone cut out. Complete mobility now, no complications, no pain now.</p>
<p>Surgery for Hernia at age 15. No complications, no side effects, no pain.</p>
<p>Hum, they will pretty much need your entire medical history and will have doctors confirm you are good to go. I think its managable. But don't take my word for it, go to the link below and ask. The doc on the board at SAF is a past doc for DoDMERB.</p>
<p>DODMERB</a> - United States of America Service Academy Forums</p>
<p>^^^ Hornet is right ask that on the Dodmerb part. I would get your physical done as soon as they send the paperwork b/c my guess is they will DQ...that does not mean you are not waiverable, which can be lengthy but the military is very particular when it comes to heart murmurs, remember the AF doesn't want to worry about someones heart when they are pulling 8 G's</p>
<p>$*%#! I'm really kinda scared now.</p>
<p>Take a deep breath. Nothing's for sure until you've called DoDMERB...they're the ones who decide these things. Chances are you can get a waiver for these issues, but you need to get on it and do it now to get it out of the way. I had to get a waiver for my orthotics (crooked feet) to get in, but they worked with me pretty well.</p>
<p>DODMERB has listed over 400 conditions that will disqualify you:</p>
<p>DODMERB</a> DQ Codes</p>
<p>Most of them are waiverable.</p>
<p>packermatt7 - I say just go for it. If you really want the AF and AFA then apply and see what happens.
My daughter wanted to go to West Point from the time she was 13 - when she was 16 she got an illness that we knew would cause her to be dq'd.
She was discouraged from what she had heard from people and almost did not apply.
She did apply and got her medical waiver and will report in the class of 2012.</p>
<p>I think if you know going in that you will most likely need a waiver then you are one step ahead of the game. You can take some steps and won't be blindsided by getting that DQ.
Some unsolicited advice - as soon as you get your Dodmerb notice, get the physical done. Do not delay on ANYTHING!! Know now that Dodmerb will request your birth to present medical records and start making a list of all doctors and hospitals you have visited. Your parents will (and should) help you with this.
Take hornetguy's advice and go to the dodmerb forum - the help there is expert.</p>
<p>Do NOT discuss your medical condition with admissions or your ALO - before your Dodmerb physical.
If in your Nomination interview you are asked if you are medically qualifed - do NOT discuss your medical history. It is none of their business. My daughter simply answered "Not yet" and let it go at that.</p>
<p>remember every medical situation is different - you cannot judge what will happen in your case by what happened with other people. Dodmerb works in black and white and they make no exceptions. The waiver process deals with gray areas.
Good luck....</p>
<p>Packermat - Hornet is right check out the SA forum and retNavyHm. You will need to get documentation from you physician that shows none of these problems pose a current or future difficulty.</p>
<p>Best news YOU KNOW NOW and not in Oct/Dec when everything starts happening so fast. You can plan on seeing the required specialist etc. If you are a Military dependent the Doc's at Offut will be able to help. Key thing with DoDMerb is get done early so you can handle any DQ items.</p>
<p>Also unlike AF is unique the SG (surgeon general) at USAFA approves any waivers. You will need to send a written request for waiver with all supporting documents. Do not let this frighten you. You will just have one more hurdle to jump.</p>
<p>I agree on with JustAMomof4- get it done asap. For my physical, I ended up with a condition that turned out to be a remedial that had NOT been caught by a civilian doctor. It took three or so weeks from the time I had the remidial done until it got to DODMERB and another week until I was cleared. Good thing it was over the summer- it would have been a nightmare trying to do it over the summer.
Anyway, if you're a well-qualified candidate in every other way, and they really want you, they'll do everything in their power to waive that stuff if you're DQ'd. Good luck :)</p>
<p>Thanks for all the help. I'll get the physical done as soon as I get the packet of info.</p>
<p>Everyone has done a good job explaining what to do, i'd just like to stress, if you saw a lot of doctors over the course of your life, start tracking those medical records now. I sent in literally two inches thick of paperwork because I have had so many surguries and broken bones that my medical records are almost endless. If you have a doctor that has moved or if you moved, this will take extra time (it took me over a month to get my records from a retired doctor). </p>
<p>Good luck and never give up! By the way, what class will you be applying to, 2013?</p>
<p>One last thing. On the DODMERB paperwork, list your information exactly as the request it. At the end of each entry write something like "No restrictions on performance." But do not give extra information that they do not ask for. Only give them medical records if and when they ask for it and only what they ask for.</p>
<p>Thanks guys. And yes, I will be applying for the 2013 class. Everyday I dream about going to the AFA, and I really can't wait to see if I make it. I hope my hard work pays off.</p>
<p>Glad to hear it! The process will be an emotional rollercoaster, but remember everyone (or almost) has lived through this with their children or themselves. Every sit will be unique, but the feelings of fear and joy are common among all of us! Now start studying your SAT/ACT(AFA has a min to be considered competitive), practicing your CFA and making sure that your file is the best it can be. I would also contact the ALO to say you hope to be a candidate for 13 and would like to meet with them to review your needs, and start working on your essays. DS worked with his ALO all summer long on the essays, editing and polishing...it is not something I would advise to just do it 1 night. Also remember to have a good back up plan, which would include applying for an ROTC scholarship. The beauty of AF scholarship, is you apply to whatever colleges you want and the major you desire, scholarships are rewarded on merit and not which college you applied to! Deadline for scholarships are Jan. 1 (or the 15th can't recall), but it is due way before AFA board meets. Your dodmerb physical will work for both!</p>
<p>Singaporemom has a point, when our DS did his physical the flight doc wrote on his packet "no restrictions"...DS's problem is he is very thin(5'9 and 140 lbs), so he had to have a wrist ratio done (it's not a biggie, but if you are too thin, and sometimes too muscular they willl request one, it is not a waiver issue).</p>
<p>I would suggest though that you give them all of your medical records that are pertinent to your situation...the AF will require more physicals down the line, it is better now to have the sit cleared up than having them find it while you are at the AFA by one of their docs. It is a req to get another full up physical prior to commissioning that will be done by AF docs and you wouldn't want to go through another waiver review at that time.</p>
<p>I had a heart murmur from birth to age 6. Make sure you bring documentation to the DODMERB appointment saying you don't have one anymore. It didn't cause me any problems. As long as you're healthy and in good shape now, it shouldn't be that huge of a problem.</p>
<p>Request doctors records NOW. Don't give any information not requested. Make sure you get the "no restrictions" from doc at physical.</p>
<p>That about covers it. Good luck!</p>