Eurotraveller
13th Nov 2004, 17:14
Hi,
I had my class one recently down at Gatwick, and having got loads of really useful information from this site myself, thought it might help some of you if I provided an updated version (post-EEG) of what happens during the JAR Class One. I might well have missed stuff out so please don't take this as a definitive list.
My appointment was at 12.45, I got there at 12.15 because it said to allow plenty of time on the letter; I ended up waiting around a fair bit since they couldn't let me in until 12.45. Went through and gave in my medical questionnaires that had been posted to me beforehand. Nurse then asks you to take the top half of your clothes off and put on a white bath robe in the changing rooms and put bags etc in the lockers.
There has been a bit of a debate on these forums over what to wear to the class one...about 4 other people were there with me and all were dressed casually, ie jeans and a jacket/sweater. To be honest you're in the white bath robe as soon as you arrive, and so I don't think clothing is too important.
After getting changed I spent a good half an hour in the waiting room waiting for my appointment to start! Plenty of magazines, comfy chairs and nice surroundings, doesn't feel at all like the doctor's, more like somebody's front room (or at least I thought so). After 30 mins or so I was called in to the doctor's. Had to strip down to undies and lie on the couch, he feels around your stomach and chest a bit, checks joints etc...unfortunately he does have to check 'down below' so the boxers come off for a bit, it's quick and painless though, over before you know it!
After that it was stand up, touch toes, lean one way, lean the other, check blood pressure with an arm band contraption and then retire to his desk for a chat about your medical questionnaire. He updates your notes and then it's a return to the waiting room.
Next for me was the eye test. This is similar to that done at any high street optician but more detailed. Initially the standard eye chart is used, first with and then without glasses (if you wear them). Then there are loads of test, colour vision (using the standard 'here's a picture, what numbers can you see' test), also a machine which puffs air into your eye; took me ages to stay still enough for the machine to work properly! The optician will also shine a lot of lights in your eyes, so prepare to be seeing dots for the rest of the day. There are some other tests too but I can't remember too much about them...had to hold a stick to my eyes and align some arrows with some numbers, also had a peripheral vision check when he moved a pencil around whilst I was focused on a fixed point and asked me whether or not the pencil was moving. Also standard book full of small type which I had to read. It wasn't too bad on the whole, not as bad as I was expecting anyway.
Then back to the waiting room before the nurse arrived. The nurse did a lot of tests; lung capacity test involved blowing into a tube with as much force as possible and letting the machine calculate your lung capacity- then you have to do a 'forced' one which has to make a graph on the screen go above a certain level and then come back down again. Then there was the hearing tests, I came perilously close to failing on these but managed to scrape through. It's a sound proof booth, they do each ear seperately and you raise your hand when you hear something. I travelled down on the plane the morning before- I would strongly advise against doing this, the combination of the noise of the aircraft and possibly the pressure in my ears not totally equalising properly certainly did my hearing no favours...if you have to travel down by plane I would recommend doing it the night before if possible and finding some accommodation. After that it was height/weight time, then ECG which was really easy, just lie on the bed whilst the machine takes the readings from pads on your chest. Hurts when they rip the pads off though! I was so nervous during this test that my heart rate was initially 105! There's no need to be though, it's quick and painless.
After that it was the blood tests, which are just done using a finger prick, they test for cholestrol and haemoglobin and give you the results there and then. Not sure but don't think they can fail you on these, don't quote me on that though. After that it was back to the waiting room whilst they prepared the X-ray machine. This was no problem, they just do a chest x-ray, just lean up against the machine and hold a sheet of lead below your waist then they take the x-ray. Again, quick and painless.
After that I got dressed, expecting results through the post in 10 days or so but it looks like I passed based on the tests they did there. I found the staff to be really helpful and friendly, nothing was too much trouble for them and like so many have said here you really do get the impression that they are trying to pass you. I was worried before I went because I hate hospitals/the doctor's, but it wasn't really like that at all. If I were to do it again, I would alter my travel arrangements...if possible don't fly down on the day of the medical would be my advice!
Hope this helps some of you, sorry if I missed anything out (probably have somewhere). Any questions just ask.
Eurotraveller
I had my class one recently down at Gatwick, and having got loads of really useful information from this site myself, thought it might help some of you if I provided an updated version (post-EEG) of what happens during the JAR Class One. I might well have missed stuff out so please don't take this as a definitive list.
My appointment was at 12.45, I got there at 12.15 because it said to allow plenty of time on the letter; I ended up waiting around a fair bit since they couldn't let me in until 12.45. Went through and gave in my medical questionnaires that had been posted to me beforehand. Nurse then asks you to take the top half of your clothes off and put on a white bath robe in the changing rooms and put bags etc in the lockers.
There has been a bit of a debate on these forums over what to wear to the class one...about 4 other people were there with me and all were dressed casually, ie jeans and a jacket/sweater. To be honest you're in the white bath robe as soon as you arrive, and so I don't think clothing is too important.
After getting changed I spent a good half an hour in the waiting room waiting for my appointment to start! Plenty of magazines, comfy chairs and nice surroundings, doesn't feel at all like the doctor's, more like somebody's front room (or at least I thought so). After 30 mins or so I was called in to the doctor's. Had to strip down to undies and lie on the couch, he feels around your stomach and chest a bit, checks joints etc...unfortunately he does have to check 'down below' so the boxers come off for a bit, it's quick and painless though, over before you know it!
After that it was stand up, touch toes, lean one way, lean the other, check blood pressure with an arm band contraption and then retire to his desk for a chat about your medical questionnaire. He updates your notes and then it's a return to the waiting room.
Next for me was the eye test. This is similar to that done at any high street optician but more detailed. Initially the standard eye chart is used, first with and then without glasses (if you wear them). Then there are loads of test, colour vision (using the standard 'here's a picture, what numbers can you see' test), also a machine which puffs air into your eye; took me ages to stay still enough for the machine to work properly! The optician will also shine a lot of lights in your eyes, so prepare to be seeing dots for the rest of the day. There are some other tests too but I can't remember too much about them...had to hold a stick to my eyes and align some arrows with some numbers, also had a peripheral vision check when he moved a pencil around whilst I was focused on a fixed point and asked me whether or not the pencil was moving. Also standard book full of small type which I had to read. It wasn't too bad on the whole, not as bad as I was expecting anyway.
Then back to the waiting room before the nurse arrived. The nurse did a lot of tests; lung capacity test involved blowing into a tube with as much force as possible and letting the machine calculate your lung capacity- then you have to do a 'forced' one which has to make a graph on the screen go above a certain level and then come back down again. Then there was the hearing tests, I came perilously close to failing on these but managed to scrape through. It's a sound proof booth, they do each ear seperately and you raise your hand when you hear something. I travelled down on the plane the morning before- I would strongly advise against doing this, the combination of the noise of the aircraft and possibly the pressure in my ears not totally equalising properly certainly did my hearing no favours...if you have to travel down by plane I would recommend doing it the night before if possible and finding some accommodation. After that it was height/weight time, then ECG which was really easy, just lie on the bed whilst the machine takes the readings from pads on your chest. Hurts when they rip the pads off though! I was so nervous during this test that my heart rate was initially 105! There's no need to be though, it's quick and painless.
After that it was the blood tests, which are just done using a finger prick, they test for cholestrol and haemoglobin and give you the results there and then. Not sure but don't think they can fail you on these, don't quote me on that though. After that it was back to the waiting room whilst they prepared the X-ray machine. This was no problem, they just do a chest x-ray, just lean up against the machine and hold a sheet of lead below your waist then they take the x-ray. Again, quick and painless.
After that I got dressed, expecting results through the post in 10 days or so but it looks like I passed based on the tests they did there. I found the staff to be really helpful and friendly, nothing was too much trouble for them and like so many have said here you really do get the impression that they are trying to pass you. I was worried before I went because I hate hospitals/the doctor's, but it wasn't really like that at all. If I were to do it again, I would alter my travel arrangements...if possible don't fly down on the day of the medical would be my advice!
Hope this helps some of you, sorry if I missed anything out (probably have somewhere). Any questions just ask.
Eurotraveller