FAA Medical Certification

Aviation Medical Examiner (AME)

Dr. Brown wants you to pass your medical exam.

I understand how important flying is to you because I am also a pilot, and I own aircraft. If you encounter any problems, the FAA, your personal physician, and I will work with you to resolve them and get you back in the air.

As a physician and pilot based in Snohomish, I want you to be able to leave my office with your FAA Medical Certificate in hand.

Preparation

Here are some recommendations that will facilitate your FAA medical exam. 

If you follow these suggestions, you will have the best chance of leaving my office with a current FAA Medical Certificate.
If you wear corrective lenses, make sure you bring the most recent lenses to your appointment.

If you have a Special Issuance Medical Certificate, make sure you bring all the required medical reports AND the Special Issuance Letter to your appointment.

Pre-Exam Checklist

Visit MedXPress to Start

One of the first steps is to make sure you go to the FAA website and complete the FAA Form 8500-8.  Once you complete it you must submit it.  This will provide a CONFIRMATION NUMBER, which I need to download your information and begin your exam.  This number is printed at the bottom of the 8500-8.

This form is no longer available in paper format and must be completed and submitted online prior to coming in for the medical exam. It is helpful to print out the form and bring it to your appointment with me.  If this isn't possible just write down the CONFIRMATION NUMBER and bring it to your exam.

For more information, visit the FAA Information page.

Get a Confirmation Number!

I need a CONFIRMATION NUMBER  to import your information and begin your medical exam. Without this number, little else can happen. 

The CONFIRMATION NUMBER will appear on the screen as well at the bottom of the 8500-8 form which you've just completed.  when you "Submit" your 8500-8 Form.

The CONFIRMATION NUMBER will be automatically printed at the bottom of the 8500-8 Form if you print up the submitted form.

Medications

If you are taking any medication, make sure you call Dr. Brown before your exam.

If you are taking an antidepressant such as an SSRI or medication for ADHD (for example, Adderall), be advised that you will be required to enter the HIMS Program in order to be considered for a Special Issuance Medical Certificate.  This will have to be reviewed by the FAA and will take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on several reports you must obtain from HIMS Specialists.

(Call the Office number to reach Dr. Brown at:  (360) 568-1541 #3)

Medical Conditions

Check the CACI Worksheets if you have one of the 26 medical conditions listed below (or click on the link above to see the FAA site.

Make sure you meet the criteria set forth in the CACI Worksheets.

Have your doctor look it over as well and help you determine whether or not you actually meet the criteria.  If you do, have your doctor complete the CACI Form, sign and date it so you can bring it to my office at the time of your exam.

(Call the Office number to reach Dr. Brown at:  (360) 568-1541 #3).

Information for Pilots

Instructions for completion of Form 8500-8 on the MedXPress

  • 1 Log in to the FAA's website: MedXPress; If this is your first FAA exam, request a new account, then pick up the temporary password at your email and log back in to the MedXPress site.
  • 2 Note that under Item 19 (Visits to Health Professional Within Last 3 Years.), each physician needs to only be listed once; multiple visits to one physician, can be described in the "Remarks" section, for example, "multiple visits for..."
  • 3 Once you've completed the form, you will need to "Submit" it, after which you will be given a Confirmation Number, which is also printed at the bottom of the FAA Form 8500-8.
  • 4 Record the confirmation number, and bring it to your FAA Exam appointment. Not much can happen if you don't have a CONFIRMATION NUMBER.

5.  Pay close attention to medical conditions listed in question 18. a-w.  If you have previously checked one of these boxes, you should check it again.  Once it has been check, you should always check it.  However, you DO NOT NEED TO explain in detail what occurred or was diagnosed unless something has changed since your last FAA Medical Exam.  Since you have previously reported it, you may simply type:  PRNC, which is the abbreviated form of Previously Reported No Change.

Passenger Aircraft

BasicMed Option (Not Offered at This Office)

This is a new program written by Congress that allows pilots to fly, with certain restrictions, without obtaining an FAA Medical Certificate.

The program began on May 1, 2017, after which pilots may fly under BasicMed without an FAA Medical Certificate as long as they follow certain rules and restrictions.

The FAA summary page detailing BasicMed can be accessed by clicking the link: BasicMed.

Since BasicMed falls outside the purview of the FAA, BasicMed IS NOT AVAILABLE at this office.

I have included a link below to the FAA Advisory Circular (AC No. 68-1A), which authorizes BasicMed.

CACI - Conditions AMEs Can Issue

There are currently 26 medical conditions whereby an AME may issue medical certificates that previously required an FAA decision.

All 26 CACI Worksheets are available for download below under "CACI Worksheets." You can also find them on the FAA website: CACI.

If you have one of these conditions, you can look at the CACI Worksheet and have your doctor look it over to see if you meet the criteria set forth under each condition. If you meet those conditions, then you can have your doctor complete the "checklist" and sign the form so that you can bring it to the office at the time of your exam.

CACI Conditions

Medical Standards Required for an FAA Medical Certificate

You can read about the synopsis of medical standards required by the FAA: FAA Medical Standards​.

Medical Health Concepts

From the FAA AME Guide on their website:  CACI Conditions

Conditions AMEs Can Issue (CACI) is a series of conditions which allow AMEs to regular issue if the applicant meets the parameters of the CACI Condition Worksheet. The worksheets provide detailed instructions to the examiner and outline condition-specific requirements for the applicant.

  1. Review the disposition table BEFORE the CACI worksheet to verify a CACI is required.
  2. If all the CACI criteria are met and the applicant is otherwise qualified, the AME may issue on the first exam or the first time the condition is reported to the AME without contacting AMCD/RFS. Document the appropriate notes in Block 60 and keep the supporting documents in your files; they do not need to be submitted to the FAA at this time.
  3. If the requirements are not met, the AME must defer the exam and send the supporting documents to the FAA.
CACIs with Certification Worksheets
stethoscope on the Laptop

Medical Certificate Validity

You can review the FAA website for information on the validity or read the summary below:

First Class Medical: Pilots under age 40: Valid for one year; After 1-year Drops to 3rd Class, Valid for 4 additional years as a 3rd Class.

  • Pilots age 40 and older: Valid for 6 months; After 6 months, Class drops from 1st to 2nd Class for 6 months; After 1-year Drops to 3rd Class for 1 year

Second Class Medical: Valid for one year for all ages. After 1 year, drops to 3rd Class for 4 years if under age 40; Age 40 or older after 1-year Drops to 3rd Class for one (1) year.

Third Class Medical: Pilots under age 40: Valid for 5 years (60 calendar months) from the date of the exam.

  • Pilots 40 yrs or older: Valid for 2 years (24 calendar months) from the date of the exam.

You can contact me through the airport office [(360) 568-1541 #3] today to learn more about the medical certification process.

Contact AME

Fifteen (15) CONDITIONS FOR WHICH A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE MUST BE DEFERRED OR DENIED BY THE AME

  • Unless otherwise directed by the FAA, the Examiner must deny or defer if the applicant has a history of any of the conditions listed below.
  • Some of these may be certified under the Special Issuance Program as long as certain conditions set by the FAA are met:
  • 1 Diabetes mellitus, requiring hypoglycemic medication;
  • 2 Angina pectoris; 
  • 3 Coronary heart disease that has been treated or, if untreated that has been symptomatic or clinically significant; 
  • 4 Myocardial infarction;
  • 5 Cardiac valve replacement;
  • 6 Permanent cardiac pacemaker;
  • 7 Heart replacement;
  • 8 Psychosis;
  • 9 Bipolar disorder;
  • 10 A personality disorder that is severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself through overt acts;
  • 11 Substance dependence; 
  • 12 Substance abuse; 
  • 13 Epilepsy; 
  • 14 Disturbance of consciousness and without satisfactory explanation of the cause;
  • 15 Transient loss of control of nervous system function(s) without satisfactory explanation of the cause;
Find out more from the FAA
Doctor Speaking with Patient
Dog Eat your Medical Certificate?

Have you lost your FAA Medical Certificate?

You can review the FAA website Lost Medical Certificate for information on how to replace your medical certificate or read the summary below:

An airman medical certificate is valid only with the original signature of the AME who performed the examination or digital signature of an authorized FAA physician (e.g., Regional Flight Surgeon, manager of the Aerospace Medical Certification Division, Federal Air Surgeon).

  • Copies are NOT valid.
  • An AME may only issue ONE originally signed certificate to an airman. A replacement for a lost or destroyed certificate must be issued by the FAA.
  • Click the link below to be taken to the FAA website for instructions on how to obtain a replacement FAA Medical Certificate.
Replace Medical Certificate