CASA medical "gotcha"
 

Hi all

Maybe the only person to strike this little "gotcha".

First medical after 60 so eyes required (as well as other additionals), decide I'll do that first then organise the DAME date/do the MRS stuff etc.

As turns out eyes all OK BUT new prescription required so new glasses (2 pair of course) need to be obtained and presented before eyes signed off, delay of 2-3 weeks. Them's the breaks I suppose.

Decided on a DAME date but cannot access MRS.

Talk to CASA, there's me thinking the eyes - which are sent directly to CASA not via the DAME - would be a component of the renewal however no no no, they are considered by the system an APPLICATION within itself.
The system only allows one APPLICATION at a time.

So until the eyes are signed off by the ophthalmologist I cannot complete the MRS data for my DAME examination. Or I cancel the eye stuff completed so far and then I can access MRS. Then I can get to do the eye stuff all over again.

I've fortunately had a pretty good run with AVMED over the decades, looks like this time's just going to be a time consuming, frustrating ordeal.

As a sideline the "good" news is that Class 1 renewal applications from March 1st are now being considered - so that's a relief!

Cheers

There is (was?) a handfull of approved optometrists in Perth that can cut out the opthamologist step (and get a prescription for glasses at the same time). In my case, he used every machine in the room. Whereas at my previous opthamologist experience, after a 30 second peek you are out the door.

Although some of us might believe there is no objective risk arising from circumstances in which qualified experts with first-hand knowledge have confirmed your compliance with the standard, galdian, CASA knows better. You're actually a potential catastrophe until Avmed's software and - at best - a GP who's never met you and has no specialist qualifications, fit you into the overwhelming Avmed workload to condescend to be satisfied. Don't you feel safer?

I can never work out why any doctor would work for CASA as a medical officer? :E

Cos they can't get a gig anywhere else?

Because it looks good on their resume?

Bit unfair, in my small sample most have an interest/passion in aviation and they tend to roll with the joys of the CASA bureaucracy making (at times) simple things illogical or stupid.

Admittedly they're now older and it is an income source - normally supplemental - so why not continue?

However completely agree and question why a younger generation of Doctors would want to take it on - could it be the CASA bureaucracy is actually no worse than any other medical bureaucracies? Surely not?
Be a sad indictment of so much were that so.

Cheers

I remember when all you needed was a pulse, that was good enough for old "Doc Holiday" in HKG, bless him.

No, it is worse.
My wife thought about doing it, took a look at their requirements and dropped the idea like a hot potato, way more trouble than it’s worth.

I've always had a good chat with my DAMEs about CASA and life. The general feel I get is that Its not worth the effort to be a DAME for the return. Most say they only do it for some interest in the field and the rigmarole associated with it has made many leave recently or retire early. In my area I've gone from double digit DAMEs locally to 1, and he's still 20 minutes away in a major city. Two of those that still practice medicine and left that I have spoken to since have said it was directly related to the rules and procedures, ie CASA, that they left. I've also had local GPs that looked into an approval and then gave it a big nope when they read what was involved.

In over 50 years of dealing wit Avmed, I recall that only once in that time was the chief medical officer a pilot (ATPL) but then things were different and the bureaucratic culture we have today was different. There seemed in days past that a bit of common sense was applied. Not any more. It is good to see a review on the table,but I’m not sure what it might achieve.