Short version question. Will a company pay for all necessary medical tests before getting hired?
I am starting getting all my documents in order to sail offshore and starting out as a wiper. Need some advice on medical certificate. This is a later in life career change so I’m hoping to not make my application look worse than it needs to. I do have about 700 days of deep sea experience on ships so that should help.
I am American living outside the US. I had a treatment and surgery about 4 years ago but have been fine since a few months afterwards. When I submit the 719K I know I need to disclose this but I am also assuming the doc will need some followup exams to sign off. I don’t have any US medical insurance and since I have no current job offer I would be paying out of pocket to cover these, presumably, expensive tests. Probably an MRI.
If I just get a 719K/E med certificate (where I don’t think I have to disclose any of this) for now and wait for a contract would the employer cover the medical checks? Or will no one even think about hiring me without the 719K already? I know I need to do it eventually just trying to save money.
The answer is going to be as nuanced as your question. Since you are just going for Wiper, and that is Entry Level, you can just use the 719K/E. And that can also suffice for meeting the STCW requirement as long as you don’t stand watch, which as a wiper you likely wouldn’t be. So that should be enough to get hired.
That being said, the full 719K shouldn’t be too much of a worry, depending on what your “treatment and surgery” was. Yes you report it, but unless it’s one of the very specific items called out for further review in the medical manual, the practitioner doing the physical just assesses your current status and whether it presents any limitations. I’m not sure why you think anything would require an MRI (at least as far as the CG is concerned). When I renew mine, it’s the cost of a regular physical, which is maybe $2-300.
Many companies have much more thorough pre-hire physicals. But tests required by a company are usually paid for by that company. And once you are hired and have health insurance, coverage will be dictated by however good that benefit is.
One thing worth noting, you said you are living outside the US. No matter whether you chose the 719K or the 719K/E, the medical practitioner must be licensed in the US (a state, territory, or possession).
Out of curiosity, where were your 700 days deep sea?
Thanks for the detailed response, really appreciate it. I am in and out of the US about 3-6 times a year and know a doctor that does a lot of CG med certificates where I last lived. Was planning to go there after this hitch.
Concerning the comment about the MRI (I realize now I actually meant CT scan) is because its part of the yearly routine monitoring I have to do now. Since I don’t have those records in English I assumed they would make me do one in the US too.
The sea days I’ve mentioned have all been on science ships. I work on board but I’m not technically crew so never needed an MMC or barely any certifications really. Been doing it for 16 years on and off now.
