Gateway Aeromedical

What to Expect When Taking the FAA Medical Exam

With your application completed and an appointment scheduled, it’s a good idea to remember the importance of the exam you’re about to take. While it doesn’t require hours of studying in advance, and many people pass it on the first try, you should definitely take it seriously. After all, the results of the FAA medical exam will essentially give or deny you the permission to fly.

How to Prepare for Your Aviation Medical Exam
During the days leading up to your exam, follow these tips so you will be as prepared as possible:
- Get plenty of sleep.
- Avoid meals with high sugar content as they can affect urinalysis results.
- Refrain from drinking caffeinated beverages or taking stimulant medications (such as decongestants).
- Bring any glasses or corrective lenses you normally wear to your exam.
- If this is NOT your first FAA medical exam and there have been surgeries or other health concerns since your last certificate was issued, bring all related documentation. Any information you have that proves your medical wellbeing can help prevent delays in the AME renewing your medical certificate.
- On the day of your exam, you can expect the visit to last approximately 30 minutes. During this time, the examiner will ask about or test a variety of things. How in-depth the examination is will depend on which medical certificate class you’re looking to receive. For example, a Third-Class Medical Certificate may include only some of the items in the list below but a First-Class Medical Certificate will likely include all of them.

What the AME May Look at During Your FAA Medical Exam:
- Eyesight – Your near, intermediate, peripheral, far, and color vision will be tested.
- Hearing – According to FAA regulations, you must be able to acceptably understand speech and be able to hear a conversational voice in a quiet room at a distance of 6 feet away.
- Urinalysis – This is done to look for any indicators of diabetes and/or kidney disease.
- Nose, throat, balance – For safety reasons, pilots should not have any nose, throat, or equilibrium related health conditions that are aggravated by flying or would interfere with the ability to communicate effectively.
- Heart health – Depending on the type of medical certificate, there are some heart health concerns that could result in failure of the medical exam. First-Class Medical Certificate recipients, for example, cannot have a history of heart replacement or even replacement of cardiac valves.
- Mental and neurological health – The examiner will look for or ask about the history of such conditions as personality disorders, epilepsy, substance abuse, or any other condition that would interfere with your ability to safely and effectively do what is required of you.
- Physical exam – This may include questions about prior surgeries, doctor’s visits, and any medications you’re currently taking or have taken in the past.