Lying about MRI on MEPS Physical

Nuke · 01-26-2006, 18:05

I've had an MRI in the past and one of the questions on the MEPS form is have you ever had an MRI. My recruiters is telling me to put "NO" even though I have. He said that putting "YES" will automatically disqualify me for 18X or any "good" job in the military. On top of that he says the military will never know anyway. This doesn't seem technically or morally right IMHO.

The MRI's were done on my hamstring and knee. I got the one on my hamstring because I slightly pulled it. The knee I got done because I just wanted to make sure I didn't do anything to it when I hurt the hamstring. Someone recommended I do it. It only cost me $20 to get it done so why not. Will this disqualify me?!?!?!?

I'd really appreciate your insight into this. I already know I'm going to put "YES." I just want to know if it's going to be a waste of my time or what I can do to help me get in.

V/R Ray

**The Reaper** · 01-26-2006, 18:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nuke

I've had an MRI in the past and one of the questions on the MEPS form is have you ever had an MRI. My recruiters is telling me to put "NO" even though I have. He said that putting "YES" will automatically disqualify me for 18X or any "good" job in the military. On top of that he says the military will never know anyway. This doesn't seem technically or morally right IMHO.

The MRI's were done on my hamstring and knee. I got the one on my hamstring because I slightly pulled it. The knee I got done because I just wanted to make sure I didn't do anything to it when I hurt the hamstring. Someone recommended I do it. It only cost me $20 to get it done so why not. Will this disqualify me?!?!?!?

I'd really appreciate your insight into this. I already know I'm going to put "YES." I just want to know if it's going to be a waste of my time or what I can do to help me get in.

V/R Ray

Ray:

Your recruiter is a sorry, unethical POS who wants to make his numbers with the minimum effort.

Do not lie on your application. They Army may pull your medical records from the clinic or hospital and if they see that you signed the consent forms for an MRI, well, you are going to have some 'splaining to do.

Anyone who is advised by their recruiter to lie or falsify applications or records should know that is immoral, unethical and illegal. The Army may go after the recruiter eventually, but you will be the one who pays the initial price for it.

TR

jatx · 01-26-2006, 18:25

When you go to MEPS, a physician will interview you about all of your answers on the medical history. For example, I had bronchitis when I went and I therefore checked "yes" to chronic cough. The Doc asked me how long I'd been sick, then noted on the last page that my cough was "not chronic", and therefore not a disqualifying condition. I would venture a guess that your MRI will be treated similarly - he'll ask you about the context and result, then sign off on it (assuming the facts you've given here). In some other cases, MEPS may request documentation of your treatment for a condition and/or letters from multiple physicians before declaring you fit for service. It is not a big deal and, while it will be time consuming and frustrating, obtaining a med waiver is not an insurmountable obstacle.

You seem to have already worked out what your approach will be, but I'll just add that being told by a recruiter to falsify your medical history is a nearly universal experience. At the very least, you should research what conditions or procedures are waiverable and which are not. The applicable publication is AR 40-501 Standards of Medical Fitness. It is easily found with Google.

Good luck and don't sweat it.

Bravo1-3 · 01-26-2006, 19:13

Nuke:

Check YES and bring the records to prove that you are 100%. If the MRI was done as a precautionary measure, then it should not be a big deal.

Lying on any application you fill out, none-the-less one that will result in at least a Secret if not a Top Secret Clearance is an absolute no-no. The last thing in the world you want is to be denied a clearance due to dishonesty of any sort.

jon448 · 01-26-2006, 19:28

Ray-
As all the BTDTs are saying, check Yes and then explain to the Doc at MEPS, make sure you have all of the paperwork with you. One person who went from my recruiting station when I went didn't have his paperwork and got DQed because of it.

Nuke · 01-26-2006, 20:33

There isn't a doubt that I'm going to mark yes. As a matter of fact it's already been marked. I hold myself to pretty high standard on that stuff. If a man's word can't be trusted, what good is he!

I asked the recruiter what information I needed to take with me to show that it wasn't an issue and he said to just do both him and myself a favor and just mark "NO". He doesn't even want to work with me if I mark otherwise. I guess I'm not worth his time.

I don't get these people.

What paperwork should I take? I have the one set of MRI's and a note from the doc saying that I'm good to go. I guess I'll get the other set and a note from that doc as well.

Can you just show up at MEPS on your own? This is the second recruiter I've tried to work with. Where do they get these people????

I really appreciate the help. I love this forum!

**The Reaper** · 01-26-2006, 20:39

You might consider finding out who the Recruiting Station or unit commander or NCOIC is and dealing with them.

I do not believe that you can walk into a MEPS and enlist or process without the recruiter's paperwork.

We need a recruiter here to answer these questions.

Anyone know a good one?

TR

FNU_LNU · 01-27-2006, 07:42

I'll echo jatx's comment that this seems to happen frequently. My NG recruiter told me the same thing at our first meeting (after an intolerable amount of time trying to convince me just how much money I could make by signing up). In his words, checking yes to anything would screw up my application and it was better to just check no. I wasn't buying it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jatx

When you go to MEPS, a physician will interview you about all of your answers on the medical history. For example, I had bronchitis when I went and I therefore checked "yes" to chronic cough. The Doc asked me how long I'd been sick, then noted on the last page that my cough was "not chronic", and therefore not a disqualifying condition. I would venture a guess that your MRI will be treated similarly - he'll ask you about the context and result, then sign off on it (assuming the facts you've given here). In some other cases, MEPS may request documentation of your treatment for a condition and/or letters from multiple physicians before declaring you fit for service. It is not a big deal and, while it will be time consuming and frustrating, obtaining a med waiver is not an insurmountable obstacle.

You seem to have already worked out what your approach will be, but I'll just add that being told by a recruiter to falsify your medical history is a nearly universal experience. At the very least, you should research what conditions or procedures are waiverable and which are not. The applicable publication is AR 40-501 Standards of Medical Fitness. It is easily found with Google.

Good luck and don't sweat it.

**Kyobanim** · 01-27-2006, 08:54

Well, while we're telling stories on our recruiters . . .

When I went to sign up with 19th in Colorado, (20 years ago), I told the recruiter I was color blind. He gave me a colorblindness test chart and said memorize this.

And no, I didn't. At the time all it did was limit my MOS choices.

**Eagle5US** · 01-27-2006, 09:00

What everyone else said...
Your integrity is the only thing that you must freely choose to give up. And once it is gone...well, it's gone. Good on ya for wanting to do te right thing. Your situation regarding the moral conduct of the recruiting command is, unfortunately, not at all uncommon.

Eagle

Detcord · 01-29-2006, 04:42

Not to be redundant, but fire your recruiter and find another one. Just go to another recruiting office in a different part of town or even a different city and start over again.

Recruiting duty is something most people don't really want to do, that's why the military more or less "forces" certain indivudals to go to recruiting school and become recruiters. Recruiting duty is often dreaded, especially if the soldier came from action-oriented or combat-related MOS's.

Additionally, the information provided to someone sitting in a recruiting office can often have a wide range of variability (i.e. "truth"). Let your gut instinct and moral compass be your guides...

Good luck with another recruiter and getting the training you are looking for.

Nuke · 02-01-2006, 15:54

http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/joini...statements.htm

Here is a VERY GOOD writeup about this subject. I just hope I don't get some idiot at MEPS that just disqualifies me because I do the right thing. That will just prove them right. I did pull my hamstring pretty good but I'm good to go now. It's been over 2 years and I haven't had any problems. I run, ruck, and swim all the time so I think I'm gtg. We'll see next Friday I guess.

Look at it this way. If I do hurt it again I'm already having a bad day. A court martial would not be a nice addition to it.

jatx · 02-01-2006, 16:08

Great link, Nuke. Good luck and don't worry about it too much. Worst case scenario is you come back here in a couple of months and tell all the other hopefuls how you went about getting your med waiver.

Firebeef · 02-01-2006, 17:14

I was a Recruiter. I was drafted, kicking and screaming in 1984. It put a hold on my SF packet which was submitted at the time...and that is a whole different story, but bottom line is I survived USARECtum...as we lovingly called the command. I survived, made it into SF (after being sidebarred to Desert Storm).....like I said, another story, best told over several beers and shots of JD or Slivovitz.

Back to the young man's question. Much has been in the press recently about how "suddenly" recruiters are having trouble making mission (their "quota's" as the press puts it). Lemme let you in on a little secret.....makin mission has always been difficult. I was shot at in the station one night with a pellet gun, the same week we bombed Libya. The pressure to make mission is enormous. From talkin to the local recruiters in my town, it seems the majority are no longer command selected (the nice way of sayin"cm'ere mo f%$#er....you're a Recruiter now!!) so these are guys wanting an easier way, and probably have no intention of headin back downrange. They have no expectations of ever serving withany of their applicants in the future.Surely there are some ethical Recruiters, many I am sure....but as in anything....be vewwwy caweful!!

Do not lie on your application. It's wrong, you will give your integrity away, and if you are found out later it will be a hard fall. The step's you are taking are exactly what I would do. Take as much documentation about the procedure and more specifically the rehab that you can assemble.

Give that slimey soundin recruiter one more chance...and if he say's he won't work with you unless you mark NO....get the Company Commander's and the Battalion Commander's name right then and there. It should be posted obviously in the recruiting station. If not, the Battalion HQ is usually co located in the same city that the MEPS is in, and look it up in the phone book. Call them immediatley after this recruiter has told you what to mark on your DD 4, and if they sound like they are in on it....tell them you are ready to go to the local press....and MEAN it! Perservere Lad. Be honest and give it your best shot. If all you say is true I can't imagine the Doc will DQ you, but even if he does you can appeal it, try for a waiver, but at least you will know you did the right thing.

Good luck and NEVER QUIT!!

De Opresso Liber

aaron · 02-05-2006, 02:37

I had broken my wrist a long time ago, and I got a doctor's note and got cleared at MEPS... however, on the paperwork, I couldn't remember exactly when it happened so the date I put down was around 3 years off... can I be disqualified for secret clearance and/or discharged because the date doesn't match my doctor's records?

along the same lines- at MEPS they asked me about tickets in my past... I wasn't sure if they were asking about unpaid parking tickets/speeding tickets or if they were asking in general if I'd received any tickets at all. I said "no" because I didn't want to be sent home, but I have had parking tickets AND speeding tickets (I've paid/taken care of them all)... can this get me disqualified as well?

Thank you,

Aaron