This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

Medical for the Army

Hello,
I was wanting to know if anyone has indepth knowledge about the medical levels you need to be at for the army. I intend to join as an officer in the RAMC as many of you know but noticed that my medical could be a problem. It says on my potential officers form that 'skeletal deformity' could mean you won't become an officer! I have pigeon chest http://www.pectus.org/whatis.htm or at least I believe it's that and I had an Xray at the doctors and they said it won't affect me in anyway and I'll live a happy life. Of course the army see many little things as a probl;em which is fair.
I just would like to know if they would throw me out for this and could my GP tell me if there is any reason they'd turn me away.

Thanks guys, Daibhidh.

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

REME-Bod

As with the other Services I'd have thought that the pre-entrance medical criteria are a lot more stringent than subsequently developing the problem and staying in.

I'd suggest you speak to your AFCO about it, and they will refer you to the MO of the test centre you will attend for your medical. After all, no matter how much good/bad/indifferent advice you get on here, you will still need to get over the same hurdle, and that decision will ultimately be made by the examining officer.

Perhaps 'skeletal deformities' refers to more obvious symptoms like 6 fingers (you'd never get a pair of gloves to fit) or having more than the required single head. :wink:

Cool. I'll try and get in touch with them on the phone as it's a long distance to my careers office.
I wish there were more online information but nope! I'm hoping to get in touch with my doctor first then I'll get in touch with a MO. I'll prove I am not a problem.

REME-Bod

Perhaps 'skeletal deformities' refers to more obvious symptoms like 6 fingers (you'd never get a pair of gloves to fit) or having more than the required single head. :wink:

Lol, cheers mate - made me smile :smile:

Mark

Reply 6

Steveee

Medical advice: don't check anything out off your own bat, and don't say that you have ANYTHING wrong with you. My experience is that if you say you've something wrong you just get referred, and then passed afterward.

Reply 7

KSpin

Steveee

Is that really such a good idea?

Reply 8

Steve Stifler

Steveee

What's worse...getting referred and then passed or lying and getting deferred?

Reply 9

Steveee

TomInPortsmouth

What's worse...getting referred and then passed or lying and getting deferred?

Example: a friend of mine got to the end of his medical, the doctor said "OK - that's all great - anything else?" My friend say "Apparently I have flat feet." The Doctor classifies him unfit for service, and he has to go through four months of appeals before he is certified fit. Why bother volunteering information?

OK fair enough if you've got HIV and they ask you "do you have HIV" then say yes, but if you think that you might have something silly like flat feet, or as I had, a tiny hernia, then don't volunteer the information. It might get found later, and then you can pretend that you didn't know what it was. If you haven't had a doctor examine it before, then you're not even liable I don't think.

As a result - my second medical that I've done, three years on from the first, went swimmingly.

Reply 10

Wzz

Steveee

Why bother volunteering information?

OK fair enough if you've got HIV and they ask you "do you have HIV" then say yes, but if you think that you might have something silly like flat feet, or as I had, a tiny hernia, then don't volunteer the information. It might get found later, and then you can pretend that you didn't know what it was. If you haven't had a doctor examine it before, then you're not even liable I don't think.

Why bother volunteering information? Because if you don't, you're a liar and a liability to the services. All the medical conditions that bar people from entry are there for a reason. If you have flat feet and advocate lying to join, I presume you'd be at the front of the queue to claim compensation when you wind up with an advanced muscoskeletal disorder in the future?

You're not a doctor, and you're in no way qualified to say what is a "silly" medical issue and what isn't. That's the whole point of the medical. Liars have no place in the services.

Reply 11

reggie_boy

Wzz

Why bother volunteering information? Because if you don't, you're a liar and a liability to the services....... Liars have no place in the services.

Here Here. From what my small brain can gather is that trust plays a major part in any service. If you lie from the outset then there isn't much hope in the long term.
Somebody lied during the blood tests during the medical at OASC (used somebody elses blood to fake a test), now all medical applicants have to have blood taken despite having documentry evidence to suggest that they dont need it done. Now nobody is trusted, this in the long term costs the MOD more money as they now test everyone, all because one person thought they could beat the system.

Reply 12

Fire Point

I have higher morals than to lie. I see no reason why I shouldn't be allowed in the army once I am physically fit enough. A weird looking chest should not be a problem wheras spinadiphida (is that it) or scoliosis are definately skeletal problems that will definately get checked out.

Reply 13

JayD

Exactly so just let the MO check you and make the decision.

Reply 14

Fire Point

I don't know why I care so much about a silly little thing like this. Maybe I want to get in so much. We'll see. I'm filling in the potential officers form now and I am going to get in touch with a few relatives to find out their dates of service. I'll post here with further info about what my GP says and if I can get in touch witha MO the better. Thankyou so much. David

Reply 15

rugbyspaniel

Daibhidh

Daibhidh,

Pigeon chest does not exclude you from entry to the Armed forces. I know at least two in the RAF and they have both had full and fit careers even if one does look a little funny in his No 1's.

As for honesty! no question about it always be honest.

Good luck I am sure you will be medically accepted if everything else is in order.

Reply 16

lifepak

Honesty is always the best policy as most people who have replied to the original question seem to believe. Integrity is one of the main characteristics that any of the armed forces are looking for in potential officers. A tiny trouble free hernia in civvie street could very well get worse when in the middle of an exercise (or worse scenario) when you are humping around large amounts of kit and expected to be as fit as possible. The last thing anyone wants is an emergency situation because someone's normally manageable 'mild' medical condition suddenly flares up into something a lot more serious!

Reply 17

Fire Point

rugbyspaniel

wow man, that's great to hear from someone first hand. All I have to really do is get my weight and fitness up. I'm going to be very physical. Better start reading up on the old newspaper.

Reply 18

Steveee

lifepak

Yeah - of course this is all very admirable and all, and in principle you're right: tell the truth and you're fine. However, I've sat around waiting for quite a few medicals and seen people told that they were "unfit for service", not even referred, by doctors that really didn't have a clue what "unfit for service" means... and then the same people went off their own bat (sometimes after some friendly advice) and got a referral from a more experienced doctor to say that they're actually fine.

I myself was referred, effectively for being too honest: I had a bit of a chat with the second doctor, who had been in the army, then became a private doctor, and now sees lots of referrals, about the situation with medicals. It was his advice not to volunteer any extra information. Particularly, and this is the crux:

Don't point out anything that you haven't previously had checked out.

If it's actually found at medical then fine - they can deal with it there, but if you point out some issue, then you run the risk of the doctor, who would have otherwise passed you, failing you.

If you have, lets say, a clicky knee, then don't tell the doctor: let them do the medical, and then when you've been passed go to another doctor and have it checked out. If it turns out that you really wouldn't be fit for service, then it's your responsibility to inform the army.

I think all this medical high-jinx makes people think that those people in the army are in perfect health: not everyone is. I know someone in who has a gastric ulcer - that'd fail your entry medical, and another person who has a 70% prosthetic foot.