MedExpress invasiveness?

[Let'sgoflying!]

Why is the first question, 'are you applying for employment or other'?
Relevance, your Honor?

 

[Maciej]

I'm assuming that would be associated with whether or not you'll be flying for hire.

 

[Stewartb]

It asks whether the application for a medical is required for employment.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Why they need to know?

 

[flyingron]

I think they now give priority to those working for a living vs. the recreational flyer.

Note that flying for hire isn't the only situation that applies here. ATC needs a medical as well.

 

[Stewartb]

What would constitute priority for the MedXpress form? It does nothing without a doctor's exam. I figured it's for reporting or statistics.

 

[Greg Bockelman]

I think they now give priority to those working for a living vs. the recreational flyer.

Note that flying for hire isn't the only situation that applies here. ATC needs a medical as well.

Since they are issued on the spot, with a few exceptions, why would it matter? Where would the priority be given?

 

[SkyDog58]

I believe it is for people who need a medical for FAA employment.

If you just need it for your pilot certificate even though you need the certificate to fly for your employer, select "All Other".

https://medxpress.faa.gov/medxpress/Content/Docs/MedXPressUsersGuide.pdf

 

[Everskyward]

Is that a new question? I know they ask for your employer and position but I don't remember being asked that particular question. I guess I will find out this month...

 

[jordane93]

Is that a new question? I know they ask for your employer and position but I don't remember being asked that particular question. I guess I will find out this month...

I just renewed my medical a few weeks ago and don't remember seeing it last August.

 

[flyingron]

Since they are issued on the spot, with a few exceptions, why would it matter? Where would the priority be given?

If you're lucky it gets issued on the spot. If you get deferred, you go into an interminable queue and the rules changed on how that queue gets prioritized of late.

 

[Greg Bockelman]

If you're lucky it gets issued on the spot. If you get deferred, you go into an interminable queue and the rules changed on how that queue gets prioritized of late.

Yeah but deferrals are the exception rather than the rule. I think it is a pointless question.

 

[bbchien]

Every time I go to a federal meeting the sense of "we can do great thing" is pervasive. Draw you own conclusions. I have NEVER looked at that data field.

 

[Stewartb]

When you log on to MedXpress it's the first question asked and the only question on the page.

 

[NoHeat]

I don't see it on page 1 "General" when I log in to my application. Could there be a page before this one that I filled out already?

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Yes, once you pass that page, you cannot get back to it.

 

[Everskyward]

I did the Medxpress form yesterday. It's the first question. I answered "yes" and it took me to another page where I chose "non-governmental". That's the first time I've seen the question and I fill out the form every six months.

 

[bbchien]

That's because now there is a separate version for the TRACON, etc etc. We as pilots are only seeing the version intended for us.

 

[denverpilot]

I can just see some IT project manager piping up in a meeting that they have a "solution" to a work backlog problem in a non-IT department, saying they'll just create a nice priority system bolt-on to the website.

Because you know, slapping a priority on a ticket system makes more work get done on the back end. Haha.

I've been living that nightmare in IT for at least a decade. Haha.

Ticket update meeting:
"How many tickets did you get completed yesterday for the daily report?"

"None. We had ticket update and planning meetings for the next three months worth of tickets already in the ticket system, all day yesterday."

Computers make everything better.

 

[flyingron]

Medexpress as far as a program is horrendous. I have to believe it is the same contractor who wrote the electronic version of the SF-86 filer. They smell about the same.

 

[Mason]

Its the Obamacare programmers.

 

[oldShar]

Why is the first question, 'are you applying for employment or other'?
Relevance, your Honor?

Uh?
Is this something new or have I been daydreaming in the past whenever I completed a MedExpress?

 

[Timbeck2]

Why is the first question, 'are you applying for employment or other'?
Relevance, your Honor?

Hey just be happy that you're not a controller and a pilot. It took three tries last year for me before I got it right.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

crazy insanity stupid that we have to re-enter everything that was on last year's application. That's what computers excel at, remembering all that stuff!
Hopefully it's not a trap, "you forgot to include a Dr visit from 3 years ago, gotcha!"

 

[Everskyward]

crazy insanity stupid that we have to re-enter everything that was on last year's application. That's what computers excel at, remembering all that stuff!
Hopefully it's not a trap, "you forgot to include a Dr visit from 3 years ago, gotcha!"

This... especially for people who get medicals more frequently than every three years. You should only need to enter the visits you have made since your last medical. All the rest is on file already. At least you don't need to enter every visit to the same doctor for the same condition. "Prior visits" works.

 

[Hank S]

crazy insanity stupid that we have to re-enter everything that was on last year's application. That's what computers excel at, remembering all that stuff!
Hopefully it's not a trap, "you forgot to include a Dr visit from 3 years ago, gotcha!"

Enter all your visits since your last medical. Anything you've ever answered Yes to before will either be "PRNC" or you'll record something new because it did change.

 

[denverpilot]

It's more important to code in new unnecessary questions rather than code the form to show prior data. Ha. Such total crap code work.

 

[Palmpilot]

It's more important to code in new unnecessary questions rather than code the form to show prior data. Ha. Such total crap code work.

Don't you think the problem is with the people writing the specification for the software, rather than the coders?

 

[denverpilot]

Don't you think the problem is with the people writing the specification for the software, rather than the coders?

Depends. Is coding really a profession or just a menial task driven by a spec? The story seems to change depending on convenience.

 

[Palmpilot]

Depends. Is coding really a profession or just a menial task driven by a spec? The story seems to change depending on convenience.

I expect that different organizations divide up the responsibilities differently. In the case of MedXpress, I can't think of any reason why the contractor that operates it would add a question without the FAA telling them to.

 

[Checkout_my_Six]

Ans: All of the above.