Becoming an Aviation Medical Examiner for the Federal Aviation Association
Author: Landen Green, DO
Becoming an Aviation Medical Examiner for the Federal Aviation Association takes an equal amount of effort and luck. It’s a somewhat complex process and feels a bit like a secret club. But, I am here in hopes to help DPC doctors escape the mayhem of FFS and step into DPC where side-gigs are great and sometimes necessary. They create a way to keep memberships low, keep patient panel size low, and keep a roof above!
The first step is to go HERE (https://designee.faa.gov/) to submit your application online. AME designation is based on the Federal Aviation Administration’s need to have a physician perform medical certifications in your area. They only allow a certain amount of AMEs per county/area based on the number of potential pilots. Once you create an application, it is sent to their office to review and determine need.
If or when a need in your area is determined, the application is forwarded to the training division at the HQ in OKC. This process may take months, years, or a need may never be deemed necessary in your area (bummer). If you receive a “no need” notification, know that your application will remain online with their office for a year after submission. Should a need arise, they tend to contact previous applicants to determine continued interest.
The OKC office will also perform an initial site visit before they select you. Recently, it’s been a virtual walk-through via Zoom. After the walk through is approved showing you have a professional setting to conduct the exams, the real effort from you comes in. Until this point in the process, it has been mostly luck of location and need.
All physicians are required to attend the AME Basic Seminar held in OKC. This is a week long, in person course with an exam (open book taken as the course goes along). To view the upcoming training dates, click HERE. Once a need is determined in your area and the virtual walk through is completed, you will enroll in the next available course. All the training and the courses are free other than your cost of travel and lodging. Training is required every three years alternating between in person and virtual – and again, are all free!
There is a list of the supplies you need to be an AME – do not buy anything until you are selected and potentially even after Basic Training in OKC. The only equipment I needed to buy was a $300 vision screener off Ebay.
Also for your information to see if this is something worth pursuing, HERE is a link to the AME Guide which AMEs use to conduct exams and HERE is the form of the FAA AME exam, which is completed electronically. I am new, so new in fact I have not completed my first exam (took a while to get the equipment) but I have heard exams can take between 10-60 minutes and in my region(Western Pacific) charge between $100-$250. To find out the flight surgeon in your region, look HERE.
I hope this helps! Let me know if any of this does not make sense or I left something out!
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This is great information. Thanks for putting it all together. I am starting my DPC in April after 25 years of practice (22+ independent). Never had time to pursue flight physicals (too busy checking boxes on a computer). With the above roadmap, I will definitely considering adding it to the practice.