Medicals and Basic Med

[skykrawler]

I currently operate under basic med.    My class II med recently expired.

The form for Basic Med is essentially identical to the form for a FAA medical.

In either case, what I would like to know is why on God's Earth is #9 (Anus - not including digital examination) required for a medical examination? 

[midlifeflyer]

14 minutes ago, skykrawler said:

what I would like to know is why on God's Earth is #9 (Anus - not including digital examination) required for a medical examination? 

It's identical to the requirement  for your old Class II medical.  It's a check for the possibility of other diseases such as colorectal cancer and can be answered based on medical history alone. I knew that my PCP would question it so I brought her the discussion from the AME Guide. 

I tell people all the time: your PCP understand medicine; it's your job to educate them on the FAA.

 

[midlifeflyer]

This has got to be the number 1 question I have seen since BasicMed started. Perhaps says something about where our heads are at  

[skykrawler]

So the suggestion is "other diseases such as colorectal cancer" would only have been detected by the AME and not regular health care?

Also, it would have to be presented externally since "excluding a digital exam."   My understanding is the finger wave is about prostate not colorectal cancer.

Likewise for body marks, scars and tattoos.   Apparently this is strictly for body identification purposes.  With DNA being available seems of little value.   I also doubt that for most GA accidents people don't reach out to the FAA Aeromedical for body identification information.

 

[dkkim73]

Well, you see, a lot of us pilots are... ah, well... let's just say it's important that we get examined. 

More seriously, though, in additonal to colorectal cancer and prostate cancer (or severe hypertrophy), hemorrhoids can also be a relevant finding from an occupational medicine standpoint (lotta sitting in this hobby). But, from having recently looked at this again from the patient side, I believe they can simply decide that history, symptoms, and demographics don't suggest any problem and defer the examination. 

Didn't used to always be the case. And often isn't on the military side. But, no, a class II/III doesn't always need to get what an older grizzled doc once described to me as "your yearly greeting from the Naval Chief of Staff". 

 

[GeeBee]

My Basic Med doc asked to see my anus, so I bent over spread my butt cheeks and said, "See! No contraband, no shivs!" 

[dkkim73]

21 minutes ago, GeeBee said:

My Basic Med doc asked to see my anus, so I bent over spread my butt cheeks and said, "See! No contraband, no shivs!" 

Let's hope it doesn't evolve to ramp checks. 

[Hank]

1 hour ago, GeeBee said:

My Basic Med doc asked to see my anus, so I bent over spread my butt cheeks and said, "See! No contraband, no shivs!" 

I've been twice, haven't been asked to drop trou. But my former urgent care place has turned into family medicine (found out when I got sick and popped in), so need a new place. Will talk to my new doc, sadly not nearly as close to the house . . .

[Air pirate]

Well The Village People are popular again