Medical wait time for D/A division.

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JustAChillGuy

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I will try to make this long story as short as possible. I am an aspiring student pilot looking to get my first class medical before I start my training. I am going throught the ADHD HIMS process as I took adderal during high school about 3.5 years ago. I started my medical jounrey in April of this year (2024). While I was compiling all my doctors notes for my HIMS AME, I realized that I told my primary care physician that I smoked marijuana in the past. My HIMS AME read that portion of my medical records and notified me that she would have to report that to the FAA. Great... I have never had any issues with substance dependencies but next thing you know I was spending 1,000$ for my HIMS doctor to perform a substance dependence test. This was also after spending 2,500$ on the Cogscreen for the ADHD portion of my medical. After I submitted all of my forms to OKC, I heard back from the FAA in July 2024 and they asked for more information regarding my past marijuana use. I have never had any legal troubles, failed drug tests, etc. I wrote a personal statement, being as vague as possible. Pretty much going over how I used marijuana in the past. I submited the personal statement on August 5th of 2024 and I have yet to hear back from OKC. So far it has been ~5 months since I last heard from them. I called the OKC main line everyday for the first 2 months and of course they were no help. I have called my Regional Fligth surgeon and they didn't seem to be much help either. My regional flight surgeon did tell me that since my file was in the Drug and Alcohol division, it would take much longer for me to hear back. This whole process is really frustrating, especially since I have never had issues with any drugs or alcohol in the past, but now I have to wait 6-9 more months just to hear back about next steps... Does anyone have any advice/or have been in a similar situation? I am so eager to fly and I cannot wait until I get my medical so I can start my journey. Happy Holidays.
 
Being vague sounds like you're trying to weasel-word your way past admitting what your issues are. Why do you the FAA wants a "vague" response? What they want to hear is that you're not using illegal drugs anymore (and marijuana is as far as flying is concerned an illegal drug) and you've altered your behavior such that returning to drug use is unlikely.

Continuing to use drugs when there are adverse personal impact (and not being able to attain your goal of becoming a pilot) from such use is the definition of a substance disorder.
 
flyingron said:
Being vague sounds like you're trying to weasel-word your way past admitting what your issues are. Why do you the FAA wants a "vague" response? What they want to hear is that you're not using illegal drugs anymore (and marijuana is as far as flying is concerned an illegal drug) and you've altered your behavior such that returning to drug use is unlikely.

Continuing to use drugs when there are adverse personal impact (and not being able to attain your goal of becoming a pilot) from such use is the definition of a substance disorder.
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Yep, FAA will be looking for transparency and specifics to both understand scope of prior use, current propensity to use and future risk of use/abuse. The FAA wasn’t born yesterday, being “vague” is just going to delay the process and cause them to ask for more information and testing.
 
JustAChillGuy said:
I wrote a personal statement, being as vague as possible. Pretty much going over how I used marijuana in the past. I submited the personal statement on August 5th of 2024 and I have yet to hear back from OKC
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Well...........I'm sorry, that it's Christmas Day and I haven't got anything hopeful to say........All that makes very likely, that your next letter is going to be the "get evaluated by a HIMS AME letter" (could be wrong, to make this call you need a HIMS AME with access to your FAA medical record). Has your HIMS AME asked for your FAA medical record- Did you sign a release? Has he put you on testing (or maybe its bad enough he doesn't want to entangle with you)? Did you retain this person or just go for a physical?

If they thought they could deal with what you had written, they would have randomed you via certified mail, LONG AGO. That would have been WEEKS ago. So, buckle in. I can't think of a single one of my colleagues who is is going to make the determination of ABUSE, vs "Untreated dependency" without a HMS psychiatrist, and for effort to obscure the extent of your use, they're going to demand the HIMS neuropscyholgist, too (as in, also, addiction/abuse issues aside, do we know his brain is right?), B4 making a recommendation to FAA.

And every one of the three HIMS professionals needs you to prove sobriety, not just assert (Negative random urine test program) for at least 6 months B4 blowing your hard earned $$s on 4K for the HIMS psychiatrist and $3.5K ofr the HIMS neuropsychologist...

You do have a problem- you just don't realize which problem it is. FlyingRon hit the nail on the head....
:(
 
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midlifeflyer said:
I’m just scratching my head trying to figure out the thought process that leads someone already dealing with HIMS to think being vague is a good strategy.
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Because very few understand the medical is regulatory in nature.
 
Or, their brains aren't efficent due to chronic exposure. Which is for what the neurocog battery, is intended.
 
bbchien said:
Well...........I'm sorry, that it's Christmas Day and I haven't got anything hopeful to say........All that makes very likely, that your next letter is going to be the "get evaluated by a HIMS AME letter" (could be wrong, to make this call you need a HIMS AME with access to your FAA medical record). Has your HIMS AME asked for your FAA medical record- Did you sign a release? Has he put you on testing (or maybe its bad enough he doesn't want to entangle with you)? Did you retain this person or just go for a physical?

If they thought they could deal with what you had written, they would have randomed you via certified mail, LONG AGO. That would have been WEEKS ago. So, buckle in. I can't think of a single one of my colleagues who is is going to make the determination of ABUSE, vs "Untreated dependency" without a HMS psychiatrist, and for effort to obscure the extent of your use, they're going to demand the HIMS neuropscyholgist, too (as in, also, addiction/abuse issues aside, do we know his brain is right?), B4 making a recommendation to FAA.

And every one of the three HIMS professionals needs you to prove sobriety, not just assert (Negative random urine test program) for at least 6 months B4 blowing your hard earned $$s on 4K for the HIMS psychiatrist and $3.5K ofr the HIMS neuropsychologist...

You do have a problem- you just don't realize which problem it is. FlyingRon hit the nail on the head....
:(
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Did not realize I posted on a guest acct so this is my main profile (I am the OP of this post). I already completed the HIMS cogscreen and a substance abuse evalluation from my HIMS doctor. She also stated in the letter she sent to the FAA that I "showed no symptoms of substance abuse". I smoked marijunana in Highschool and it has been 4+ years since I last used the drug. I used it recreationally and was not using it to self medicate or anything along those lines. I made that very clear when I sent my personal statement to the FAA. So should I proactivley start taking drug tests? I already have 2 negative drug tests I sent in from my Cogscreen back in May. Thanks for being straight with me. I just want to be proactive and this whole process feels as though I am in a dark tunnel and I can't see the light at the end.
 
flyingron said:
Being vague sounds like you're trying to weasel-word your way past admitting what your issues are. Why do you the FAA wants a "vague" response? What they want to hear is that you're not using illegal drugs anymore (and marijuana is as far as flying is concerned an illegal drug) and you've altered your behavior such that returning to drug use is unlikely.

Continuing to use drugs when there are adverse personal impact (and not being able to attain your goal of becoming a pilot) from such use is the definition of a substance disorder.
Click to expand...
Thanks for replying Ron. I am new to the forum but I recognize your name and I appreciate what you do to help those like myself in the community. To give a little more information, I have not smoked marijuana in almost 5 years, and I have never had any issues with substance dependencies.The only documented history I have of marijuana usage was through my doctor because I wanted to be honest when it comes to my health. Other then that I have never been arrested or failed a drug test of any kind I made that very clear in my personal statment to the FAA, and my HIMS doctor also stated that in the substance abuse evaluiation she sent with my report. My HIMS doctor also told me that I scored in the top percentile compared to airline pilots that have taken the same cogscreen.

My issue right now is that I want to be pro-active for the next steps in this process. I would like to think that if the FAA was going to put me on a random drug testing program they would have done that before asking me for a personal statement. But who knows.
 
Listen to Dr. B.

But the personal statement is on the checklist of items they ask for (along with getting your records). It's unfortunately NOT an indication of anything.
 
There is absolutely nothing to lose to documenting (what is to them) only an assertion of 4 years' abstinence (do you think they're gonna trust you?). Had you been on such a private random program (run by the HIMS AME), since 5 months ago, you would be eligible now (for Special Issuance) even if the amount and frequency of smoking (back then, and consequences) was warranted to be abuse. That is why to make a GREAT case you send transcripts, work supervisor recommendations- e.g substantiate that the smoking did not cause negative consequences.

5 months of tests is $350 total (not so much over 5 months). What if you get the letter back assigning you the diagnosis of abuse, "have your HIMS AME do what he has to do for abuse....etc".....you WOULD HAVE BEEN THERE BY NOW, rather than have to wind another 4 month clock.

sigh. Is anybody thinking, here....
 
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bbchien said:
There is absolutely nothing to lose to documenting (what is to them) only an assertion of 4 years' abstinence (do you think they're gonna trust you?). Had you been on such a private random program (run by the HIMS AME), since 5 months ago, you would be eligible now (for Special Issuance) even if the amount and frequency of smoking (back then, and consequences) was warranted to be abuse. That is why to make a GREAT case you send transcripts, work supervisor recommendations- e.g substantiate that the smoking did not cause negative consequences.

5 months of tests is $350 total (not so much over 5 months). What if you get the letter back assigning you the diagnosis of abuse, "have your HIMS AME do what he has to do for abuse....etc".....you WOULD HAVE BEEN THERE BY NOW, rather than have to wind another 4 month clock.

sigh. Is anybody thinking, here....
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I 100% agree with you doctor B. I should have been taking drug tests for the past 5 months. The only reason I have not been taking drug tests right now is because I was completetly unaware that it was something I should be doing.I have already submited 3 amazing letters of recomendations from 2 past employers and one family friend for whom I worked under. Iv'e written and submited 2 personal statements, my clean driving record, as well as my college transcripts. In terms of the drug testing, is there anything special I should be doing, or should I just do the normal 6 pannel test I had to do for the HIMS Neurophsych eval? I have also already submited 2 clean drug tests to the FAA in accordance of the Cogscreen that was previously requested.
 
bbchien said:
....hmmmm......maybe....just maybe.....that will be thought of as adequate.....
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Is there a possibility that I will not have to be put on the HIMS Drug Monitoring program? Or does anyone that has smoked marijuana in the past automatically get thrown in the same bucket and put through the program? I have no issue taking drug tests, just curious.
 
bbchien said:
Well depends on doucmentation I don't have so an answer isn't possible.
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I worded that wrong. I meant that question in a more generalized way. Sounds like in some cases the HIMS drugs monitoring isn’t needed but varies from case to case. I was just curious. I would like to think that in my specific situation the monitoring will not be needed, but of course I am biased. Only time will tell.
 
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