I'm in the hiring process - will scoliosis medically DQ me?

[CenTex]

How bad is it? Does it greatly affect any other physical aspects of your life?

It's not bad at all in my opinion and the opinion of my doctor. It doesn't really affect me in day to day life. I exercise, I stand for long periods at work, I do all of my lawn work and gardening, and the worst I'll be off at the end of the day is feeling like I could use a good soak in the hot tub, which always does the trick.

What I'm worried about is the fact that this is no easy fix if it is indeed an issue. It's not like high blood pressure where I can just take a pill and eat right - A fix for mild scoliosis does not exist.

http://www.post.ca.gov/selection/pdf/Musculo.pdf

Those who can demonstrate they can tolerate heavy activities with no more than mild discomfort do not warrant deferral or restriction

And that's for patients with greater than 45* bends. My spine only bends at most 15*, so, if FWPD has similar guidelines, I should be ok. Thanks!

[mikeymedic]

How bad is it? Does it greatly affect any other physical aspects of your life?

[L-1]

Standards will vary from department to department.

While this doesn't answer your question, the following link will give you an example as to one protocol that is used evaluate peace officer applicants with your condition. http://www.post.ca.gov/selection/pdf/Musculo.pdf

[CenTex]

Please understand they my opinion in your situation doesn't matter. What will matter is the opinion of the Physician who will examine you for the Ft Worth Police Dept. He/she will report on your medical fitness for duty according to the Medical Standards of that agency. Stated another way, I'm not medically qualified to pass judgement on your situation. All of that said, I hope things work out for you. Good luck.

Thank you for the encouragement!

I guess the question I should have asked is does anyone here have any insight, such as personally being affected by scoliosis or knowing someone who is, into the medical exam protocol typical of such agencies?

[PhilipCal]

Back story: In 9th grade, a routine physical for football discovered that I had minor scoliosis. The doctors and trainers there said it was no big deal and I played UIL football and golf for the next four years, subsequently going through 2 more physicals with the same observations each time. Fast-forward three years, and I somewhat recently went to my own doctor and had my spinal column x-rayed. I have a mild bend in my spine that occasionally causes discomfort in the muscles around my right shoulder blade, which doesn't bother me all too much. My doctor said it is not serious enough to consider treatment beyond a mild muscle relaxer to alleviate occasional discomfort, which I declined.

When asked if this would affect police work, his words were, "If I were examining you, I wouldn't see it as any big deal."

But he isn't going to be examining me.

I'm in the hiring process with Ft. Worth PD and I don't want to potentially make it through everything with my hopes high only to find out that the doctor that day just happens to think otherwise. A call to Ft. Worth PD produced a remarkably non-descript answer that didn't answer my question at all. A search in this forum produced no applicable returns.


What are your opinions on the matter?

Please understand they my opinion in your situation doesn't matter. What will matter is the opinion of the Physician who will examine you for the Ft Worth Police Dept. He/she will report on your medical fitness for duty according to the Medical Standards of that agency. Stated another way, I'm not medically qualified to pass judgement on your situation. All of that said, I hope things work out for you. Good luck.

[CenTex]

Back story: In 9th grade, a routine physical for football discovered that I had minor scoliosis. The doctors and trainers there said it was no big deal and I played UIL football and golf for the next four years, subsequently going through 2 more physicals with the same observations each time. Fast-forward three years, and I somewhat recently went to my own doctor and had my spinal column x-rayed. I have a mild bend in my spine that occasionally causes discomfort in the muscles around my right shoulder blade, which doesn't bother me all too much. My doctor said it is not serious enough to consider treatment beyond a mild muscle relaxer to alleviate occasional discomfort, which I declined.

When asked if this would affect police work, his words were, "If I were examining you, I wouldn't see it as any big deal."

But he isn't going to be examining me.

I'm in the hiring process with Ft. Worth PD and I don't want to potentially make it through everything with my hopes high only to find out that the doctor that day just happens to think otherwise. A call to Ft. Worth PD produced a remarkably non-descript answer that didn't answer my question at all. A search in this forum produced no applicable returns.


What are your opinions on the matter?