ADHD Diagnosis – Denied Canadian Medical Certificate, Looking for Advice

[theAspiringPilot]

Hi everyone,

I’m posting here hoping to get advice from anyone who has gone through a similar situation.

My goal is to become a pilot, but I’ve recently been denied any category of aviation medical certificate in Canada due to a re-diagnosis of ADHD (without hyperactivity).

What’s frustrating is that:

• I am no longer taking any medication at all
• I function well both academically and professionally
• I have successfully completed my studies and continue to perform well

Despite this, my application was refused based on my diagnosis.

I’m trying to understand what options might still be available to me moving forward.

• Has anyone here been in a similar situation with ADHD or another medical condition?
• Were you eventually able to obtain a medical certificate in Canada?
• Did you go through re-evaluation or a different process?
• Did you pursue training in another country (like the U.S.) instead?
• Are there alternative paths in aviation that helped you eventually reach your goal?

I’m very passionate about aviation and still determined to become a pilot, but right now I feel a bit stuck and unsure of the best next step.

Any advice, experience, or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[B2N2]

1. What triggered the “diagnosis”
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​​​​​33. Don’t lie to yourself

[B2N2]

I will expand a little bit.
The “rules” do not allow any interpretation or ‘special cases’.
The diagnosis determines the outcome.
Once you have been diagnosed that’s it, lifelong.
If you would go to the USA you would fill out a medical application that has a question:

Have you ever been diagnosed with…

That’s universal, they’re not asking “have you ever been diagnosed in the USA”.
Lying on your medical application (and getting caught) will be instant revocation of your medical certificate and pilot certification.
Your first medical application or after 10 years and a lot of financial investment, doesn’t matter it’s all gone.

Hence my earlier statement, stop lying to yourself.
There are hundreds of other career opportunities in aviation and there is the option to fly something that does not require a medical.

Now on the USA you’ll already disqualified yourself from Sport Pilot flying as you cannot have been denied a medical.

[EXDAC]

https://www.faa.gov/ame_guide/media/...tion_table.pdf

indicates ADHD is not necessarily disqualifying for an FAA medical.

[EXDAC]

According to TC not necessarily disqualifying in Canada either -

"4.3 Requirements to be considered for certification

(1) In order to be considered for aviation medical certification, applicants with a suspected or previously confirmed diagnosis of ADHD (e.g. remote childhood diagnosis) and/or who were previously treated with a medication used to treat ADHD must be stable, functional, and no longer meet DSM 5 diagnostic criteria for ADHD after being assessed a minimum of 6 months after discontinuing medications used to treat ADHD.

ref - https://www.pilotmd.ca/wp-content/up...23/07/ADHD.pdf

[tanvir_ahmed]

Transport Canada is notoriously tough on ADHD, but it’s not always a permanent "no." I've seen people in similar spots have success by requesting a formal "reconsideration" or a review by the Civil Aviation Medicine Review Board (CAMRB). Since you’re off meds and performing well, the key is usually a battery of independent neurocognitive tests (like the COGSCREEN-AE) to prove your functional capacity. It’s an expensive, uphill battle, but several pilots I know eventually got their Category 3 or 4 by showing years of stable, unmedicated history. If Canada remains a dead end, looking into the FAA in the U.S. is a common move, as they've recently updated their protocols to be slightly more streamlined for well-managed ADHD cases, though it still requires a mountain of paperwork. Stick with it, if your academic record is solid, you have the best possible leverage for an appeal.