True...of course, the implication is that the AME is someone you go to for a one-off....JUST to get an FAA medical of any class, as opposed to YOUR "real" Doctor (if you can find one) that you visit for all of your regular medical needs. I should have been more precise.Who, by the way, is also a "real" doctor.......
My AME - who also does Basic Med exams (same price) - will be disappointed to learn that he’s not a “real” doctor. (He’s a DO).
Yes, a DO is a real Doctor... I didn't provide an exhaustive list of who is a "real" Doctor...but I think everyone knows what I meant. A "real" Doctor is someone you would let operate on your kid if he got attacked by a shark. To avoid any further confusion, here are some that I, and apparently the FAA, do NOT consider to be real doctors: Physicians Assistants, Licensed Family Nurse Practitioners, Chiropractors in some states, Educational Doctors (Philosophy and Psychology PhD's..) Dr. Demento, Dr. Frankenstein, and of course, Dr. Frank n Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Thanks, that's actually who I have an appointment with.
California had 61,000 practicing physicians as of 2023.
No, it’s not unreasonable. If you are in fact unable to find a physician in CA willing to do a BasicMed, I’d agree that BasicMed is essentially useless, i.e. a crock, in CA.
I don't think he said that at all..I think you're confusing DO's with chiropractors. I took it to mean that you have to see a "real doctor" to get Basic Med, and your alternative is the FAA medical, in which case you have to see a "real doctor" since AME's have to be MD's or DO's (i.e. "real doctors"...no chiropractors allowed).
Dr Atkins in Indy did do them, both Class physicals and Basic Med.
Actually here in Florida, chiropractors are allowed. We have one in my town that will do basic med
I'm referring to FAA physicals with an FAA-designated AME, not Basic Med. AME's have to be an MD or DO. Chiropractors don't qualify to do Class I, II, or III FAA physicals under FAA guidelines (AFAIK).
Yes he is the one....
I got my Class III med a couple of months ago in Redding CA, just because I happen to be there on vacation and wanted to get it done. It's always scary to admit to any issues I've had over the previous two years. This AME is the top AME in the country and was visited by the FAA Administrator the day before my visit. Apparently he has the fewest rejections and highest waiver acceptance or something like that... He did a real, no-kidding physical (had to drop trau and everything). He informed me that it is best to do an FAA medical, because if you have an issue with Basic Med, there is no recourse or waiver process to get requalified. Which I had never thought about... However, I'm not sure what would have to be wrong to fail basic med when you don't have to report you even went to a doc. I suppose you can doc shop... but not sure the GA community needs chiropractors signing off pilot medicals either.
BasicMed is similar to a "flight review" in that you can't "fail". You simply may not "pass". If you have a problem, you and your doctor simply work out a plan to correct the problem, and you go on your way. In contrast to failing an FAA Medical where you will be required to jump through hoops, at your expense to receive a "special issuance".
This is it exactly. I'm in a different position as a physician in that my access to the system is quite different---I don't think that I can sign off on my own Basic Med exam, but before my Class III expired, I just had my Basic Med done by a buddy (a pain specialist) who has the hangar behind mine because I was dealing with a health issue that could potentially put me in the FAA bureaucratic jackpot for a long time getting sorted. My Primary Care doctor agreed to do it, but this way was just simpler. My health issue turned out not to be a problem and I had both Class III and Basic Med for about 6 months. No way was I going to risk filling out another MedXPress form and getting failed for a Class III at my upcoming renewal. I have ZERO need for a Class III and it makes ZERO sense to even make the attempt. I breathed a sigh of relief when my Class III expired.
If you "fail" Basic Med, you almost certainly would have "failed" a Class III. And if you fail a Class III, you are ineligible for Basic Med, leaving you completely out of options if you want to fly legally. Much better IMHO to not put yourself in that precarious position. And "failing" Basic Med, you do have recourse...you can go to another doctor. Fail a Class III and you have a year or more of bureaucratic pain, if you ever get to fly at all.
Very minor correction; you don't "fail" BasicMed. You may not pass, but you don't "fail"!
Maybe that doctor is the greatest AME on earth, but that advice is just total nonsense.
Exactly. There are people out there who are grounded, but who would still be flying -- quite safely! -- if they had gone BasicMed rather than try to get a Class III.
"Antipodes". I actually had to look that up. That's fantastic...thank you
.Call aopa
Carrying an airman's medical, regardless of the type, has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with your health or with flying safety. Its purpose is to keep bureaucrats, sitting in their padded cubicles, employed and gives them the illusion of being "important".
Both FAA exam and Basic Med are checkbox exams designed solely to answer a specific health question for one specific purpose. Neither exam is comprehensive and neither have anything to do with overall health. The possible exception with Basic Med is that signing the paperwork might have the opportunity to be part of a regular "Health Care Maintenance" exam by one's regular physician. That thought was probably in the minds of Congress when they created Basic Med. Unsurprisingly, it ultimately didn't work out that way.
The original intent of medical reform was supposed to be Drivers license medical. Basic Med is what we would up with instead.
Basic Med is similar to a Canadian Class Four medical, I've been told. I have heard speculation that reciprocity has been discussed many times but the US won't accept the Canadian Class Four so Canada won't accept Basic Med. Or vice versa. I don't know the real story but it does seem political rather than practical.
The only way to try and get this changed is to get as many people as possible to contact AOPA, EAA and COPA explaining the Basic Med/Class 4 medical issue in an attempt to have them get the FAA and TC to come to a reciprocal agreement. I would like to fly my 7 to the US but can't under my Recreational Permit, although I can legally fly an ultralight to the US. Figure that one out. The new MOSAIC proposal makes changes that are similar to the restrictions of my Canadian Rec Permit. I would like to see both Basic Med and Sport pilots be able to fly in Canada and Rec pilots in the US and have contacted the above named agencies but there does not seem to be much enthusiasm to get things changed. A bigger voice is needed.
I think it was $110, same price as a medical.
