RAF Specialist Medical Pre IOT
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RAF Specialist Medical Pre IOT
Good evening,
I've passed OASC for Pilot but, following the Part 2 medical, have been referred to the eye specialist. Nightmare. Apparently my corneas are "flatter than most". Of all things.
Does anyone have any recent experience of the Eye Specialist in Birmingham? I would be forever grateful for some gen on what to expect as this has come as rather a surprise and I'm reeling a bit. If you've been to a spec med for eyesight for whatever reason, please get in touch! Is he just going to do another corneal map, say "yay or nay" and turf me out onto the streets or is it more in depth? I am a very sqeemish customer when it comes to eyes!
Many thanks in advance for your help.
Gatecrasher
I've passed OASC for Pilot but, following the Part 2 medical, have been referred to the eye specialist. Nightmare. Apparently my corneas are "flatter than most". Of all things.
Does anyone have any recent experience of the Eye Specialist in Birmingham? I would be forever grateful for some gen on what to expect as this has come as rather a surprise and I'm reeling a bit. If you've been to a spec med for eyesight for whatever reason, please get in touch! Is he just going to do another corneal map, say "yay or nay" and turf me out onto the streets or is it more in depth? I am a very sqeemish customer when it comes to eyes!
Many thanks in advance for your help.
Gatecrasher
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Ring them up before you travel.
I know someone went for their appointment only to find the Doc had gone on holiday.
PS, on refelection I used to go to the Eye Specialists at Kelvin House. The routine was simple. Arrive, process, examined by an opthamlist, notes written up, reviewed by the Doc and regraded. I do not even remember him looking at my eyes.
Ditto hearing. Technician did all the tests, proved what we already knew, which was why I was there. Called in to Doc who said yes, I was deaf. He might have looked in my ears but he was really unnecessary.
Ditto heart. Med Tech at a secret air base got a duff reading. Arrived at hospital, processed in. Senior Med Tech did further check and said don't think you will be staying. He could not tell me there was no problem (he did though) but I could not leave until the Doc agreed.
In essence it was techincians every time that did the work and knew what the result was.
I know someone went for their appointment only to find the Doc had gone on holiday.
PS, on refelection I used to go to the Eye Specialists at Kelvin House. The routine was simple. Arrive, process, examined by an opthamlist, notes written up, reviewed by the Doc and regraded. I do not even remember him looking at my eyes.
Ditto hearing. Technician did all the tests, proved what we already knew, which was why I was there. Called in to Doc who said yes, I was deaf. He might have looked in my ears but he was really unnecessary.
Ditto heart. Med Tech at a secret air base got a duff reading. Arrived at hospital, processed in. Senior Med Tech did further check and said don't think you will be staying. He could not tell me there was no problem (he did though) but I could not leave until the Doc agreed.
In essence it was techincians every time that did the work and knew what the result was.
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Kelvin House - blimey that's going back some! As I recall, he was asold as the hills and rather doddery! I have to say, the current opthalmologists at CWL is much easier on the eye....in every way!
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
The young lady at KH, can't recall her name, it'll come in the middle of the night, was very restful too in the darkened room. Shame, one year I got her brother.
Blimey PN, they let you near an ac??? You sound almost as bad as my old instructor back on the UAS and he had cataracts!!!!
Mind you he did also have a labrador ...... bit of a tight squeeze to get both of us and the hound into a Bulldog though. One bark for left, 2 for right and keep on barking if the cows are getting big in the windscreen
Mind you he did also have a labrador ...... bit of a tight squeeze to get both of us and the hound into a Bulldog though. One bark for left, 2 for right and keep on barking if the cows are getting big in the windscreen
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Thanks for the replies. I will indeed give the hospital a call - good advice. Especially thanks to Wensleydale for the PM.
I can vouch for the fact that the Opthoms at CWL are rather special. I would, however, warn the unwary who are awaiting OASC that they are beautiful assasins. It seemed that most of those on my Part 2 medical got referred them to the eye specialist for one thing or another. Danger, danger.
I can vouch for the fact that the Opthoms at CWL are rather special. I would, however, warn the unwary who are awaiting OASC that they are beautiful assasins. It seemed that most of those on my Part 2 medical got referred them to the eye specialist for one thing or another. Danger, danger.
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Gatecrasher or Wensleydale, are you who I think you are (DM)?
If not then my mate is in exactly the same position for that exact condition and I'll direct him to this thread. He's slipped 3 iot courses now I think, as med boards admin is so slow even though hes been on a fam visit.
I'm in a similar position but for a different eye snag, taken over 9 months so far and still not sorted, even though theyve given me joining instructions and a fam visit date! One hand aint talkin to the other down there!
If not then my mate is in exactly the same position for that exact condition and I'll direct him to this thread. He's slipped 3 iot courses now I think, as med boards admin is so slow even though hes been on a fam visit.
I'm in a similar position but for a different eye snag, taken over 9 months so far and still not sorted, even though theyve given me joining instructions and a fam visit date! One hand aint talkin to the other down there!
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Melchett, there is nothing wrong with my vision. I can see the Hun coming out of the sun. Only problem I have is reading.
I need good vision as, being deaf, I could not hear a shouted warning.
Still, having a dickie ticker it is just as well I can't hear a shouted warning. Might give me a heart attack.
Anyway, with my bad back, I couldn't run away.
Only problem now is stopping Mrs PN spending my pension before I get it.
I need good vision as, being deaf, I could not hear a shouted warning.
Still, having a dickie ticker it is just as well I can't hear a shouted warning. Might give me a heart attack.
Anyway, with my bad back, I couldn't run away.
Only problem now is stopping Mrs PN spending my pension before I get it.
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Rooftopartist,
I don't think I am who you think I am. It is a little comforting to know that I'm not alone in my state of flattened cornea hell. It must be an epidemic. One day our children's children will look back on this and tell stories about how a proportion of the nation was brought to a standstill by having slightly flatter corneas. It's a problem.
I've been waiting around 6 months for this medical appointment, have been deferred twice from IOT and have now been on the Fam Visit despite still lacking a medical clearance. I can't wait to start but have to keep tempering my excitement by reminding myself that I'm still liable to be binned if it's decided that my eyes are a problem.
If anyone out there has been through this process already, whether for better or worse, I would still love to hear about it! I can't imagine what the specialist is going to do that hasn't already been tested - my eyesight is fine, my eyes are healthy, but my corneas are slightly flatter than average. So what?
I don't think I am who you think I am. It is a little comforting to know that I'm not alone in my state of flattened cornea hell. It must be an epidemic. One day our children's children will look back on this and tell stories about how a proportion of the nation was brought to a standstill by having slightly flatter corneas. It's a problem.
I've been waiting around 6 months for this medical appointment, have been deferred twice from IOT and have now been on the Fam Visit despite still lacking a medical clearance. I can't wait to start but have to keep tempering my excitement by reminding myself that I'm still liable to be binned if it's decided that my eyes are a problem.
If anyone out there has been through this process already, whether for better or worse, I would still love to hear about it! I can't imagine what the specialist is going to do that hasn't already been tested - my eyesight is fine, my eyes are healthy, but my corneas are slightly flatter than average. So what?
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Gatecrasher,
I'm in (or was in) exactly the same predicament as you. (I'm a friend of rooftopartist) I've got thinner than usual corneas although my eyesight is so far perfect, and I have also been bumped 2 IOT courses having been told that I must wait to have a specialist appointment which so far has taken 6 months to come through. Hang in there!
Although I cannot speak for you (as who knows what goes on behind closed doors), I received a letter last week that said I'd been cleared to enter IOT next month. This is great news albeit confusing as I had previously been written to saying that my consultant was arranging for me to have a specialist appointment so as to rule out a condition called keratoconus (thinning of the cornea to a point it cannot focus the light sufficiently and vision becomes blurred) Is this what you have been told by any chance?
This appointment never materialised although soon after my pre-IOT medical I had to go for an ultrasound on both eyes at an eye clinic in Birmingham. If you are yet to receive such treatment it is painless and nothing to worry about.
At least now you know that someone else out there has similar eyes to yourself and has been given the all clear. I hope you receive a similar letter to that of myself in the near future. It may be that many people have thin corneas but perfect eyesight, but this has only been detected with the advancement of technology and what was highlighted as an anomaly is in fact no problem at all.
Let me know how you get on and very best of luck,
DangerMouse
I'm in (or was in) exactly the same predicament as you. (I'm a friend of rooftopartist) I've got thinner than usual corneas although my eyesight is so far perfect, and I have also been bumped 2 IOT courses having been told that I must wait to have a specialist appointment which so far has taken 6 months to come through. Hang in there!
Although I cannot speak for you (as who knows what goes on behind closed doors), I received a letter last week that said I'd been cleared to enter IOT next month. This is great news albeit confusing as I had previously been written to saying that my consultant was arranging for me to have a specialist appointment so as to rule out a condition called keratoconus (thinning of the cornea to a point it cannot focus the light sufficiently and vision becomes blurred) Is this what you have been told by any chance?
This appointment never materialised although soon after my pre-IOT medical I had to go for an ultrasound on both eyes at an eye clinic in Birmingham. If you are yet to receive such treatment it is painless and nothing to worry about.
At least now you know that someone else out there has similar eyes to yourself and has been given the all clear. I hope you receive a similar letter to that of myself in the near future. It may be that many people have thin corneas but perfect eyesight, but this has only been detected with the advancement of technology and what was highlighted as an anomaly is in fact no problem at all.
Let me know how you get on and very best of luck,
DangerMouse
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Thanks Dangermouse,
I went to see the specialist last week and previously had another spec med to test for laser surgery which included that eye ultrasound. I found the whole thing pretty fascinating actually and learned a lot about eyes from quizzing everyone on everything they were doing. Thankfully no problems were found so my eyes are fine, just odd! I'm now starting on IOT8 next month. See you there? If you'll be on that course send me a PM!
Thanks to all those who offered their thoughts and encouragement.
Hurrah for being a medical anomaly.
I went to see the specialist last week and previously had another spec med to test for laser surgery which included that eye ultrasound. I found the whole thing pretty fascinating actually and learned a lot about eyes from quizzing everyone on everything they were doing. Thankfully no problems were found so my eyes are fine, just odd! I'm now starting on IOT8 next month. See you there? If you'll be on that course send me a PM!
Thanks to all those who offered their thoughts and encouragement.
Hurrah for being a medical anomaly.
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When I had my corneas mapped for FAA, the maps were referred to the specialist in Birmingham (Sqdn. Ldr. or Wingco can't remember), due to a 'variation on normal' in my left eye. Anyhow he said it was fine and now I'm at Dartmouth.
