This is why we can’t have nice things.
2/29 NMC confirmed receipt (submitted to NMC 2/2)
2/13 Resent to a different rec center
2/13 rec center acknowledged and sent NMC
2/27 Martinsburg received
2/28 NMC approved
2/29 Printed and mailed
Imagine I’ll have it sometime next week. My current doesn’t expire until August
Don’t send your med cert application to any REC.
I know they say that, but that seems awfully efficient for having done it that way.
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they say “resent” which implies they sent to to another REC first and got no reply, which just makes the prices take longer.
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it still took two weeks to be received by NMC.
I sent my med cert directly to the email and never got a reply. Same day I sent my MMC renewal to a rec center and didn’t hear anything from them for a couple weeks. So I forwarded them both to a different center. Worked out 
In the past I’ve sent it directly and I’ve received confirmation.
The previous one I did took over a month
Which rec was dragging ass?
I just sent mine today with an expiration date in June. I’ll keep everyone in the loop.
Which one isn’t dragging ass is a better question
Houston has been on it for me the past year
Sent in on 3/4 apparently I missed a box 
. Resubmitted on 4/4 and I’m still waiting to hear anything other then the “we got your email” email.
At least they acknowledged your email. Anyone earning a living with a MMC better start their renewal process a year out…Pathetic.
I submitted my last 719K on 4-10. I got a person on the phone yesterday and they assured me it will be processed within 90 days. Good luck 
I sent my Med Cert renewal packet in on 3/21. Didn’t hear anything for 2 weeks, so I emailed inquiring about it. A week later I was told that it had been received but that it would take 24 business days for them to get to it. 4/29 I received notification it was being evaluated, 5/06 I received notification it had been approved to ship. I got it in the mail on 5/23.
62 days from start to finish. And I had no extenuating circumstances or health issues to further evaluate. Pretty crazy.
The USCG Med Certs and drug testing protocols are based upon US DOT Med Certs and drug tests for Truck Drivers.
The USCG needs to move to Med Cert issuance by the examining physician. The same as the truck drivers. The same as other countries.
The USCG has proven that it is not capable of funding, staffing, and administering a reasonably efficient Med Cert program.
On the other hand, the USCG is exacerbating the “mariner shortage” and it ought to be raising our wages.
Last year I got mine in less than a month. Seemed pretty efficient to me, so it’s obviously capable.
So did I, but now they advise to apply six months in advance.
The problem with applying six months in advance, which is what I just did, is that they don’t post date your medical card like they do for your MMC. Validity restarts as soon as they print your card. They processed my card in about a month and I lost five months of validity on my STCW medical and now my medical and license expirations are out of sync.
Add that to the fact that I have to maintain a Liberian physical, an OGUK and now a Brazilian physical. I’m also annoyed because my company offered to reduce my insurance costs if… I TAKE ANOTHER PHYSICAL!
I know what you mean. I used to maintain three seamen’s medicals, plus a couple others, and often had pre-employment physicals spring and fall.
Now, I’m down to just the USCG, USDOT and the occasional employment physical.
Because of the potential for long delays at NMC, I’m going to start renewing my USCG and DOT Med Certs every year at the same time (the pirate doctors still charge full price for both physicals).