Some Medical Questions

[JM2345]

I suggest that the reason the advice you get from the Med Techs may differ from the final decision is that each case is assessed individually, by a Medical Officer. It is not because the medics are trying to CYA or are lazy.

I was referring to the civilian doctors being lazy/covering their asses, not the med techs. I am in the application process right now, and had to get information from a specialist who I last saw 4 years ago. I asked if I can come in for an examination/consultation (offered to pay out of pocket of course) and he brushed me off saying it isn't necessary. I don't think they approved my medical. Will have to wait for the letter of doom shortly and go over it with the local med tech if I don't understand it all.

 

[Sammy98]

Did you, despite not wearing shoes at the time, look down at your feet to see if they were?

No, I didn't. I thought what you were saying was some sort of metaphor.

 

[Pat.Sim]

To be fair, usually nobody at the CFRC can answer with 100% accuracy either, which is why I don't like when people give this answer to people asking these questions. The answer we get from the med techs is usually "it depends". When we ask what it depends on, they give us a bunch of responses, and then say "it depends" again after we answer those questions. There is a list of guidelines for medical staff to look at, but for many things they end up relying on the advice/statements from civilian doctors who have seen us/treated us in the past. The advice/statements they give may be a misrepresentation of reality in order to protect themselves, or just because they are lazy.

Now just confirm what I think I am seeing. If I had any medical concerns, would it be a good idea for me to go and see my family doctor prior to enrolling?

 

[JM2345]

Now just confirm what I think I am seeing. If I had any medical concerns, would it be a good idea for me to go and see my family doctor prior to enrolling?

Well it certainly wouldn't hurt you! Is it a permanent "medical concern" or something that can be cleared up? You could always call the recruitment office, and ask them to transfer you to the medical technician, and then tell them about your medical concern. They should be able to tell you if it is something they will need a "doctors note" about.

 

[Blackadder1916]

I was referring to the civilian doctors being lazy/covering their asses, not the med techs. I am in the application process right now, and had to get information from a specialist who I last saw 4 years ago. I asked if I can come in for an examination/consultation (offered to pay out of pocket of course) and he brushed me off saying it isn't necessary. I don't think they approved my medical. Will have to wait for the letter of doom shortly and go over it with the local med tech if I don't understand it all.

While I have occasionally encountered lazy physicians, in most cases similar to your's, the reason that they don't jump at your beck and call is that they (especially specialists) are too damn busy to deal with irritants that don't involve active medical issues.  Covering their asses?  Of course they do - everybody does.  But it would be a rare and very reckless physician who deliberately (or negligently) provided a report that did not accurately reflect the facts of the case or the true professional opinion of that physician.

Having formerly managed a large multi-disciplinary and multi-location practice, my experience is that specialists usually do not see former patients after the referred condition has been resolved unless they are re-referred by a GP (sometimes a specialist may have a rule of thumb that a patient may direct book a follow-up appointment within one year or less).  The reasons for this are usually two-fold; they have limited time/appointment openings available for true cases and compensation.  Provincial health insurance plans do not pay specialist rates unless the patient has first been seen by a gatekeeper i.e. a family physician.  As for your offer to pay for the exam/consult, technically a physician cannot "legally" bill most (I'm not personally familiar with all jurisdictions) provincial health insurance plans for services related to employment screening.  Any such services (examinations, consultations, reports that don't deal with the diagnosis and treatment of an active medical condition) provided by a physician should be paid for by the patient or other third party.

As for getting a report from a busy physician who previously treated you, it doesn't have to be that hard.  It all depends on the approach taken.

 

[Pat.Sim]

Thanks JM2345, It was an issue I had when I was younger.. The doctors couldn't figure it out, but since I started strength training it all seemed to have cleared up. I am actually going to CFRC Calgary tomorrow, I could perhaps speak with a Med Tech then?

 

[Ryan_T]

A friend wants to join the CF. His issue is, he has mild degeneration if the disks in his kneck & back. He also has a curve in his upper spin. Can he still join?

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[mariomike]

A friend wants to join the CF. His issue is, he has mild degeneration if the disks in his kneck & back. He also has a curve in his upper spin.

I'm not a doctor, but your friend may find these discussions of interest,

Scoliosis
https://army.ca/forums/threads/13299.0/nowap.html
2 pages.

Curvature of the spine
https://www.google.ca/search?rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-CA%3AIE-Address&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&dcr=0&biw=1280&bih=603&q=site%3Aarmy.ca+curvature+spine&oq=site%3Aarmy.ca+curvature+spine&gs_l=psy-ab.12...0.0.0.39737.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0....0...1..64.psy-ab..0.0.0....0.AamB4rVPURM

See also,

Scoliosis
https://www.google.ca/search?q=site:army.ca+scoliosis&rls=com.microsoft:en-CA:IE-Address&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&dcr=0&ei=tEDAWZPKJ6uXjwSKwrTICQ&start=0&sa=N&biw=1280&bih=603

Degenerative Disc Disease
https://www.google.ca/search?rls=com.microsoft%3Aen-CA%3AIE-Address&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&dcr=0&biw=1280&bih=603&q=site%3Aarmy.ca+degenerative+disc&oq=site%3Aarmy.ca+degenerative+disc&gs_l=psy-ab.3...9105.10541.0.11799.5.5.0.0.0.0.99.417.5.5.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..0.0.0....0.hIBaXz7l71g

Can he still join?

As always,  Recruiting ( Medical ) is your most trusted source of up to date information.

 

[MAJONES]

A friend wants to join the CF. His issue is, he has mild degeneration if the disks in his kneck & back. He also has a curve in his upper spin. Can he still join?

Sent from my WAS-L03T using Tapatalk

The only person who can answer that question is the recruiting medical officer.  If your friend wants to join tell him to put in an application.  The medical section will examine him and give him the definitive answer.