The AME must understand that they are not there to diagnose or treat the airman, and while the AME is a doctor, they are not the treating doctor but often speak with the treating physician(s) regarding potential changes in a treatment regimen that make the difference between issuance of the medical vs. There are very few AME's who do nothing more than FAA medicals as their primary job as a physician, but many AME's semi-retire from their SOO and restrict their practice to flight physicals as they scale back towards total retirement. 80% of AME's perform less than 25 per year. The vast majority of AME's practice medicine full-time and do flight physicals in-between regular patients, and the FAA only requires ten exams per year to maintain certification. Fellowships in Aerospace Medicine are available, but few programs have a small allotment of positions, and fellowship is not a requirement for AME certification. The AME must also be computer literate, fluent in English, be able to adapt to changing regulations/guidelines, and be tolerant of a degree of bureaucracy. Regardless of SOO, the AME must be thoroughly competent in the ENT, ophthalmologic, neurologic, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular/cardiopulmonary, and psychiatric examination. There is no residency training that is not acceptable to become an AME board certification in the physician's primary specialty is required, and an unrestricted medical license in the state where the FAA medical exams are to be performed. Student pilots cannot fly solo without an instructor or another pilot until they have passed their medical exam and been issued an FAA medical certificate.Īny physician (MD/DO) interested in becoming an AME is best suited by having an interest in aviation and an understanding of the concept of a forensic examination, as well as a love of learning and interest in all entities of medicine and capable of performing a comprehensive, thorough medical examination regardless of the Specialty of Origin (SOO). Examples of such persons are workers on offshore oil rigs where healthcare may be delayed, racecar drivers, and occasionally executives in organizations that cannot afford high-rate or unpredicted turnover in certain positions. Occasionally, individuals who are not involved in aviation at all are examined and given medical certificates. Holding an FAA medical certification is also a standard for a certain degree of overall health. These examinations are not only performed on pilots but also on ATC's (Air Traffic Controllers) ASI's (Aviation Safety Inspectors), who may or may not also be pilots. HIMS exams and monitoring is weighted more heavily towards history and examination monitoring for sobriety, mental health, drug screening, and correlating reports such as, but not limited to, psychiatric, neuropsychological, pilot performance, flight instructor, AA, NA peer-pilots, and chief pilot. The HIMS (Human Intervention and Motivational Study) is a joint program between the FAA and aviation industry for initial evaluation usually followed by ongoing monitoring wherein there may have been issues with potential concerns about mental health or chemical dependency. AME's perform FAA Medical exams focusing on exam findings and take a medical history focused on things that may be considered aero-medically significant. A FIRST or SECOND automatically defaults to a SECOND or THIRD after the valid timeframe of the FIRST or SECOND. The requirements and valid timeframe of the medical examination are dependent on the class of medical licensure, the airman's age, and Special Issuances (SI) or special circumstances. These physicians are trained with an emphasis on examining and evaluating the medical entities that can cause "sudden incapacitation in flight and/or cause an interruption in the smooth flow of or threat to the safety of our nation's airspace." FAA flight physicals fall into three different classes, intuitively designated FIRST, SECOND, and THIRD, which are commonly printed/typed in all capital letters. An FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) flight physical is a physical examination for "fitness of flight" performed by a physician who is FAA-trained, designated, and certified as an AME (Aviation Medical Examiner), of which there are approximately 2500 in the US.
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