Should your family MD be your AME?

[hangar7guy]

Since my old personal physician retired, I've been forced to look for a new one. It so happens that the guy I go to for my first class medical is a family practitioner (sp?). He's well regarded in the community and seems like a pretty OK doctor.

But I'm wondering: If I start using this guy as my regular MD, will *every* little thing I go to him for end up as part of my FAA aeromedical record? Does anybody else use the same doctor for FAA medicals as well as their other aches and pains?

Thanks in advance.

 

[bobbysamd]

The FAA doc as your personal doc

Absolutely, positively, unquestionably, NOT!!! Don't do it!!

Your personal physician is, or should be, looking out for your health interests. Your own personal physician will be familiar with any health problems you may have that are of no concern to flying or are not the FAA's business. Your AME is not your doctor at all. He/she is the FAA's industrial physician, charged with looking out for the FAA's interests. The conflict of interests should be apparent.

In other words, an AME is looking for ways to keep you from flying, while your own personal doctor will look for ways to keep you flying.

It's fine if you like your AME. But use a non-FAA doctor for your personal health needs.

 

[RightBettor]

This is a good question, but if you stop and think about it for a moment, it is like asking the prosecutor to serve as your defense counsel.

 

[hangar7guy]

Thanks

Thanks, folks...these are pretty much the responses I had expected. Funny, but I know a number of people who *do* use the same doctor for both purposes. Either they're clueless or they've never run into a health problem that would compromise their medical.

RightBettor, I like your analogy the best.

 

[jergar999]

The only AME in my area is my family physician, so I don't get sick anymore.

 

[CatYaaak]

An emphatic...."NO!"