(ROTP applicant, current first year university student)
All seemed great..
I started my application for the ROTP program under Pilot in September of 2015. Everything was going smoothly(CFAT, Interview, Initial Medical). I was off to Trenton for ACS in February 2016 knowing very well this would be the make or break point. After passing i breathed a sigh of relief (no one wants to have to go through that again, am I right?), Later that day i was on my way to Toronto for the Aircrew medical.
The morning of the medical is when my problems first began. Throughout the application process I made a promise to myself to answer everything as truthfully and to the best of my knowledge as I could so in the future nothing surprising could come up. Going through the questionnaire I came over the words " severe headaches/migraines" (here's where the "to the best of my knowledge" fails) I checked it off because I vaguely recalled I might've had an episode a year prior to the aircrew medical.
After being questioned on the symptoms, I tried to recall to the best of my knowledge, even answering questions about family history (i.e. parents, brothers, grandparents) which I was very unsure about and should've never done. After all was said and done I was hit with the news that I suffered a migraine with aura (a phrase I had never heard before that day) and it could be recurring due to family history of it, therefore I didn't receive the A1 aircrew factor required for pilot because of this issue. Believe me when I say this hit me out of nowhere that it was going to be a problem.
Being the person I am, I was concerned with my condition and went on my own (no recommendations or referrals) to be examined and further questioned by my family doctor and a Neurologist. My family doctor went on to confirm that there is no previously reported family history of migraines or severe headaches (My parents were furious that I diagnosed them on their behalf, as I was 100% wrong) and as well that what I experienced over a year ago was a normal tension headache. This is perfect I thought, it should clear up everything, but then again what’s one physician’s opinion to another, this is what led me to visit a specialist.
Yet again after questioning and examination the neurologist confirmed that what I experienced was a normal tension headache wrote a letter to confirm it and I was on my way.
Next it was time to appeal the decision, confident that this would overturn my current air factor decision (even had the support of my local recruitment Centre med staff). Time passes and I finally get a response "remain UNFIT" review in 4 years is possible.
Stunned by the decision to remain unfit, I began to prepare an appeal to the RCAF surgeon (the supreme court of the air force/the top of the chain of command I could appeal to). After submitting it to the RCAF surgeon it came back after being reviewed by their specialist, and yet I was told to still remain unfit, (Mind you I was able to bring my review period down from 4 years to 3 years).
After getting this decision I voiced my concerns once again, providing further evidence and facts, but I was simply told there will be no further review of my file until my observation period is up.
To make a long story short... Is there anything else I can do at this point? Or is my luck zero. Three years isn’t that long of a wait, but it’s the fact that I was wrongly diagnosed and that it exists in my file. This is what is driving me to continue to find a way to appeal or change the decision.
Any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Notes:
I have been fighting with this appeal for the past year now
As well I completely dissected the aircrew medical requirements including AMA directives, which only states that Migraines and recurrent/chronic headaches will have an impact on my Aircrew factor. Again I never experienced any of the above
All seemed great..
I started my application for the ROTP program under Pilot in September of 2015. Everything was going smoothly(CFAT, Interview, Initial Medical). I was off to Trenton for ACS in February 2016 knowing very well this would be the make or break point. After passing i breathed a sigh of relief (no one wants to have to go through that again, am I right?), Later that day i was on my way to Toronto for the Aircrew medical.
The morning of the medical is when my problems first began. Throughout the application process I made a promise to myself to answer everything as truthfully and to the best of my knowledge as I could so in the future nothing surprising could come up. Going through the questionnaire I came over the words " severe headaches/migraines" (here's where the "to the best of my knowledge" fails) I checked it off because I vaguely recalled I might've had an episode a year prior to the aircrew medical.
After being questioned on the symptoms, I tried to recall to the best of my knowledge, even answering questions about family history (i.e. parents, brothers, grandparents) which I was very unsure about and should've never done. After all was said and done I was hit with the news that I suffered a migraine with aura (a phrase I had never heard before that day) and it could be recurring due to family history of it, therefore I didn't receive the A1 aircrew factor required for pilot because of this issue. Believe me when I say this hit me out of nowhere that it was going to be a problem.
Being the person I am, I was concerned with my condition and went on my own (no recommendations or referrals) to be examined and further questioned by my family doctor and a Neurologist. My family doctor went on to confirm that there is no previously reported family history of migraines or severe headaches (My parents were furious that I diagnosed them on their behalf, as I was 100% wrong) and as well that what I experienced over a year ago was a normal tension headache. This is perfect I thought, it should clear up everything, but then again what’s one physician’s opinion to another, this is what led me to visit a specialist.
Yet again after questioning and examination the neurologist confirmed that what I experienced was a normal tension headache wrote a letter to confirm it and I was on my way.
Next it was time to appeal the decision, confident that this would overturn my current air factor decision (even had the support of my local recruitment Centre med staff). Time passes and I finally get a response "remain UNFIT" review in 4 years is possible.
Stunned by the decision to remain unfit, I began to prepare an appeal to the RCAF surgeon (the supreme court of the air force/the top of the chain of command I could appeal to). After submitting it to the RCAF surgeon it came back after being reviewed by their specialist, and yet I was told to still remain unfit, (Mind you I was able to bring my review period down from 4 years to 3 years).
After getting this decision I voiced my concerns once again, providing further evidence and facts, but I was simply told there will be no further review of my file until my observation period is up.
To make a long story short... Is there anything else I can do at this point? Or is my luck zero. Three years isn’t that long of a wait, but it’s the fact that I was wrongly diagnosed and that it exists in my file. This is what is driving me to continue to find a way to appeal or change the decision.
Any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Notes:
I have been fighting with this appeal for the past year now
As well I completely dissected the aircrew medical requirements including AMA directives, which only states that Migraines and recurrent/chronic headaches will have an impact on my Aircrew factor. Again I never experienced any of the above