DODMERB Basics
The acronym “DODMERB” is googled more than 60,000 times per year. Read this post to find out why it is so important.
What is DODMERB?
DODMERB is the name of the medical board that qualifies you medically for admission to the Service Academies and ROTC. The Department of Defense Medical Evaluation Review Board (ie. DODMERB) is led by a military physician, along with several administrative staff, that review approximately 30,000 applicant packages each year.
What is DODMETS?
DODMETS is the portal through which you will complete a medical survey and book your medical appointments.
Why is DODMERB so important?
Roughly 20% of the competitive applicants each year are denied due to medical reasons. Do not discount the power of DODMERB to prevent you from reaching your dream! You could have the most competitive application, with superior grades, SAT scores, glowing extracurriculars, and a passing CFA score, yet if DODMERB doesn’t medically qualify you, and you are unable to obtain a waiver, you will not be accepted into the Academies.
How does the process work?
First, you must submit your completed Academy application.
Next, DODMERB will contact you to set up your medical appointments. To kickstart the process, you will get an email from DODMETS to set up a username and password in the DODMETS portal.
In the DODMETS portal,
- Complete the medical survey in DODMETS.
- Next, book your appointments through DODMETS. “Contact each DoDMERB Exam provider by phone to schedule your medical examinations, and then use the scheduling pages linked below to save that information to your DoDMETS account.”
3. Your exam information will be sent to DODMERB for evaluation.
Lastly, check your DODMERB portal for your medical status. There are five possible statuses: 1) Pending 2) Medically Qualified 3) Remedial 4) Under Waiver Review 5) Medically Disqualified
If you are Pending, then your paperwork is processing. This usually happens for 2-4 weeks after your case is closed in DODMETS.
If you are Medically Qualified, congratulations! No further action is needed.
If you are Remedial, DODMERB needs more information before they can qualify you. Please pay attention to their correspondence and comply with their requests in a timely fashion.
If you are Under Waiver Review, then the Academy is reviewing your information with a military physician to determine whether your disqualifying condition can be waived.
If you are Medically Disqualified, then, unfortunately, you cannot be accepted to an Academy.
