Medicals & upgrading

[Kingrobby]

Okay, I'm just trying to plan things out here. If I go to a USCG approved school, which fulfills my requirements & assessments (90days seatime included), for a QMED with oiler, Jr engineer, electrician, reefer, pumpman ratings as well as RFPEW.......when I go to test at the REC for all this would I have to get a new physical done?

I just received my MMC (wiper/os/steward) in June 2009, so my physical would only be about 18months old.

My only concern is I wear contact lenses and am worried about the vision requirements. The USCG approved Dr who gave me my initial physical said they weren't worried about uncorrected vision, only corrected. Any thoughts?

[Shellback]

I have some very poor, uncorrected vision, way past the limits ...I wear contacts to correct this and the CG just issued me a vision waiver, no big deal...I just have to have an extra pair on board or a back up pair of glasses..

[Kingrobby]

What exactly is a vision waiver? I am a -5.00 left eye & -6.25 right eye, but with contacts I'm 20/20 both.

LASIK can't give me 20/20 cause my corneas are too thin, but maybe a some of improvement.

Do I still need to get another medical done for the testing?

[Shellback]

Originally Posted by Kingrobby

What exactly is a vision waiver? I am a -5.00 left eye & -6.25 right eye, but with contacts I'm 20/20 both.

LASIK can't give me 20/20 cause my corneas are too thin, but maybe a some of improvement.

It's a waiver that the medical people at NMC, put on your MMC,it's a typed notation .....I'm -4.75 and -4.5..

[Shellback]

Robby, there is some info here that you will find useful

http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/medical/NVIC...es.pdf#page=69

[Kingrobby]

Thanks again for the info.

Correct me if I am wrong here, from what I read they are saying as long as your eyes can be corrected to 20/50 or better, aren't worse than 20/800, and you carry spare contact lenses you can get a vision waiver listed on your MMC.

As long as the vision waiver isn't a pain in the ass to get, this really puts me at ease.

[Shellback]

Originally Posted by Kingrobby

Thanks again for the info.

Correct me if I am wrong here, from what I read they are saying as long as your eyes can be corrected to 20/50 or better, aren't worse than 20/800, and you carry spare contact lenses you can get a vision waiver listed on your MMC.

As long as the vision waiver isn't a pain in the ass to get, this really puts me at ease.

I'm having trouble accessing the page for some reason,but that sounds right...

The NMC deals with a lot of vision waivers, they have to..Out of the 14 guys on my boat at least 11 of them have vision waivers...

[jdcavo]

Originally Posted by Kingrobby

...The USCG approved Dr who gave me my initial physical said they weren't worried about uncorrected vision, only corrected. Any thoughts?

There are no "USCG approved" doctors. You can use any doctor you wish. None are approved, all are acceptable. Also, depending on the credential you're going for, uncorrected vision does matter.

[Brian]

For what it's worth, my vision is somewhere around 20/600. When I sent in my application I had an optometrist write out my corrected and uncorrected vision on letterhead, had the doctor write "see enclosed exam by Dr. so and so" on the vision part of the exam and sent it in. Never heard another thing about it and got my approval to test letter the other day.

[Kingrobby]

I found this info if you want to have the USCG issue a vision waiver.

"2. The following items are required by this office in order to properly evaluate your request for a waiver:
a. A letter from yourself requesting a vision waiver.
b. A letter from an opthalmologist or optometrist stating your uncorrected and corrected vision in both eyes. This letter should describe the medical condition(s) responsible for the reduced visual acuity and provide a diagnosis and prognosis concerning any ocular or other degenerative or deteriorating condition present. The letter must also address whether you have 100 degrees horizontal field of view.
c. Letters from three employers or tradesmen whom you have worked for or operated with who can attest to your ability to perform appropriate duties assigned without impairment due to vision.
3. Your waiver may be evaluated locally or forwarded to Coast Guard Headquarters for review depending on your corrected and/or uncorrected visual acuity."

[dougpine]

Originally Posted by Kingrobby

I found this info if you want to have the USCG issue a vision waiver.

"2. The following items are required by this office in order to properly evaluate your request for a waiver:
a. A letter from yourself requesting a vision waiver.
b. A letter from an opthalmologist or optometrist stating your uncorrected and corrected vision in both eyes. This letter should describe the medical condition(s) responsible for the reduced visual acuity and provide a diagnosis and prognosis concerning any ocular or other degenerative or deteriorating condition present. The letter must also address whether you have 100 degrees horizontal field of view.
c. Letters from three employers or tradesmen whom you have worked for or operated with who can attest to your ability to perform appropriate duties assigned without impairment due to vision.
3. Your waiver may be evaluated locally or forwarded to Coast Guard Headquarters for review depending on your corrected and/or uncorrected visual acuity."

I think #3 is probably somewhat out of date. As far as I know, all medical evaluation decisions including waivers are now done at NMC. Just curious, what is the source of the above information?

[Kingrobby]

Here is where I found it and it looks like it was from April 2008, so yep probably out of date.

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvic/pdf/...Enclosure5.pdf

[Shellback]

Originally Posted by Kingrobby

I found this info if you want to have the USCG issue a vision waiver.

"2. The following items are required by this office in order to properly evaluate your request for a waiver:
a. A letter from yourself requesting a vision waiver.

This is interesting, I never once asked for a waiver, it just showed up when my MMC was issued..I never had it on my MMD prior to that...

[Jeffrox]

Originally Posted by Shellback

This is interesting, I never once asked for a waiver, it just showed up when my MMC was issued..I never had it on my MMD prior to that...

Dito the above.....

[dougpine]

Originally Posted by Jeffrox

Dito the above.....

Me too, I have no idea what it is for. Just something else they can take away from me if they want to.

[jdcavo]

Originally Posted by Kingrobby

Here is where I found it and it looks like it was from April 2008, so yep probably out of date.

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvic/pdf/...Enclosure5.pdf

Are you sure? The language you cited originally isn't in this link, and the link is an excerpt from NVIC 4-08, created after NMC was doing all evaluations.

[Kingrobby]

Okay, I screwed up and put the wrong link, here is the link where I found that info and again it appears to be way out of date, which I didn't notice before. http://www.boatwise.com/pdf/disclaimers_boundary.pdf

Are there any current standards for meeting vision waiver requirments?

[dougpine]

Originally Posted by Jeffrox

Dito the above.....

Originally Posted by Kingrobby

Okay, I screwed up and put the wrong link, here is the link where I found that info and again it appears to be way out of date, which I didn't notice before. http://www.boatwise.com/pdf/disclaimers_boundary.pdf

Are there any current standards for meeting vision waiver requirments?

NVIC 04-08 is the current standard. Waivers are granted (or not) at NMC now. Your doctor is merely a pencil pusher for the medical evaluators at NMC.