Prescreening
Your trip to MEPS begins before you actually leave, with a medical "prescreening" performed by your recruiter. In performing this medical prescreening, your recruiter will help you complete DD (Department of Defense) Form 2807-2, Medical Prescreen of Medical History Report.
The recruiter sends the results of this screening to MEPS, in advance, to be reviewed by MEPS medical personnel. If the prescreening shows a medical condition which is obviously disqualifying, with no chance of a waiver (example, you are blind, or missing a limb), then your processing stops at that point. Some medical conditions require additional medical records. The prescreening is designed to identify those conditions so that your recruiter can help you obtain required medical records BEFORE your trip to MEPS. This saves you from being "temporarily disqualified," requiring that you return later with the necessary records for full qualification.
While not all-inclusive, medical conditions which usually require medical reports (documentation from the physician, hospital, etc.) are:
-Almost any surgery other than an uncomplicated appendectomy or hernia repair, or ligation of tubes, male or female. Absolutely any surgery of the brain, back, spinal cord, chest, upper abdomen, pelvis, and joints. A tissue report is required in the case of most biopsies (skin, breast, etc.) of tumors and lumps.
-Any history of hospitalization other than the exceptions listed directly above, even if it was only 1 or 2 days for tests.
-Any History of Asthma after 13th birthday.
-History of counseling (family, marriage, etc.).
-Skin diseases other than mild acne and athletes foot.
-Allergies if more than mild.
-Back sprains.
-ADD/ADHD
-Severe joint sprains.
-Heart conditions.
-Hepatitis, mononucleosis.
The most useful medical records are the hospital records. Generally, they are the most easily obtained, of better quality, and are kept available for a longer time. Generally, the information needed is:Discharge summarySurgeon's reportPathologist's reportHistory and physicalX-ray and laboratory reportsMost doctors' letters are inadequate. Recruiters have been instructed to use the standard MEPS request form, as it lists the required information. All too many civilian doctors are unaware of current directives, have no concept of what military training and duty is like, and will be strongly biased in favor of the applicant. MEPS is aware of this, and may require that a consult be performed with one of their own specialists (military or contract).
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A Day at the MEPS
Non-FictionMEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) is a department of defense (DoD) joint-service organization. Their job is to determine an applicants physical qualifications, aptitude and moral standards as set by each branch of military service, Departm...
