I was wanting to know if anyone here can tell me whats going on at the nmc. I have been calling every week for the last two months checking on the status of my application and they say that it is still in medical. the funny thing is that when I ask whats taking so long everyone I talk to has a different answer. If anyone here really knows whats going on it would be a great help. thanks a lot
http://maritimelicensing.com/blog/?cat=1
This may help…
Well it didn’t quite work out like I had hoped…If you go to this site, about half way down there is an explanation for what is going on…
Off the top of my head, I’d say the new medical standards have thrown a wrench in the works. I hope you’re healthy!
hey thanks for the heads up and the great info. I am healthy thank god. well I hope they get the problem fixed because I know lots of people myself included are starting to get anxious. you would figure that with there being a manpower shortage that they would be doing more to fix this problem.
My company sent out a notice saying to expect eighteen weeks for a renewal package turnaround time. We’ve got several guys sitting on the beach because they waited too long.
You must have not gotten the NVIC memo.sarcasm</br>
As per [NMC Mission and Vision](http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/Whats_new_to_NMC/Restruturing_Centralization_Update.pdf" target="_blank), the centralization [REC to NMC] is resulting in many
improvements to the MLD program including faster credential processing time[.]</br>
Good luck! It took me six months for my upgrade.
Cheers,
BlueNose
its been over 4 months since my application was sent to the rec in baltimore. so maybe your company knows something I dont. I should be getting close.
Adding GMDSS to my STCW certificate last summer took twelve weeks and a letter to my senator.
I read a report from november that said the average processing time was 79 days. makes you wonder where they are getting their information.
I guess that I have been lucky. Both times that I have had dealings with the NMC this year, everything has been very quick. My first application was completed and documents in my hand within 30 days. My second application just got finished within 45 days. The NMC has been incredibly easy to deal with, and I have always had an individual pick up the phone if I needed assistance.
Swordfish,
My recent renewal was up for medical review as well. I emailed marinermedical@uscg.mil and explained my medical condition as well as my work schedule and limited availability for follow-up appointments and asked for an update. Less than a week later my documents were issued after having only been on the medical review desk for a week. They’re pretty busy but if you’re healthy as you say and can clearly describe whatever condition is causing you to be up for review you may be able to fast track it this way.
In NMC’s defense, it is in every Mariner’s best interest to have all our ducks in a row before we send in our packages to NMC. It may not shorten the time it takes by much, but it certainly won’t delay it. We as mariners need to take responsibility for our side of the dance. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been sitting in the REC waiting for something and had to listen to some poor schmo make excuses for a bad application. “My dog ate my drug test”, shit like that. It isn’t the NMC’s job to fix a bad application, but I do wish they would give us 180 days instead of 90 to respond to a letter asking for more information, documents, follow-ups, etc from us. 90 days just isn’t enough time for many of us who often are at sea for that length of time, and perhaps come home to a letter from NMC postmarked two months prior.
my application is not up for medical review. they just havent gotten around to lookiing at it. it seems that they were having a problem with the contractors in the medical department and it has caused them to get backed up a long time. there was also no problem with my application everything was in there. ive got until feb so hopefully I will get my credentials by then. I am ready to become a merchant marine and start my life at sea.
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial]Information on processing times and reasons for delays is at: http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/Whats_new_to_NMC/NMC_November_2008_Quarterly_Credential_%</span>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt]<span style="font-family: Arial]James D. Cavo</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt]<span style="font-family: Arial]USCG National Maritime Center</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt]<span style="font-family: Arial]Chief, Mariner Training & Assessment Division</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt]<span style="font-family: Arial]James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil</span></div>
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<div><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial]The following is from the Commanding Officer of NMC responding to a similar question:</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt]<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial]There are several reasons for the current delays in processing applications. Over 50% of the processing time is spent obtaining information missing from the applications that mariners submit to the Coast Guard. This adds an average of 30 days to the processing time as we work with the mariner to obtain the missing information. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt] </div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt]<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial]While we’ve drastically reduced the processing time for conducting the safety/security and professional qualification portions of an evaluation, we are currently experiencing delays with medical evaluations. We are working as hard as we can to rectify the situation, as discussed below. Our goal is to have these delays eliminated within a few weeks.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt] </div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt]<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial]Now that all the RECs have transitioned to centralized operations, all physical exam reports are being evaluated at the NMC and we are experiencing the true workload demand in the medical shop. Further, new requirements for pilots to submit annual physicals to the Coast Guard increased the workload demand and did NOT come with additional resources. So we are getting an additional 600 applications each month on top of the existing 5,000 per month from mariners.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt]<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial]Unfortunately, this workload exceeds the capabilities of the staffing level that was approved for the medical branch. Increasing staffing levels is not a quick and easy process and this is even more challenging when seeking medically trained staff. While we’re working on increasing staffing, we’ve made changes to our process. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt] </div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt]<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial]On October 1, we implemented a new process to help streamline medical evaluations. We now have a medical prescreening process, which occurs immediately after the security screening when the application arrives at NMC. This prescreening process identifies applicants that do not have medical conditions requiring further review. This new process is now routing as many as 50% of the incoming applications directly to the next stage of the evaluation process, which bypasses the medical branch, reduces the medical inventory and speeds up the process. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt] </div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt]<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial]For the remaining 50% of applications that must go to the medical evaluation branch, we’ve adopted strict standards that these physical exams must be evaluated by medically trained evaluators to ensure public safety. The medical staff has implemented a triage system - similar to what is used in hospital emergency rooms. A team of medical screeners review the applications coming from the pre-screening and determine if the application needs to be routed to the physicians for evaluation or if the mariners medical condition is within acceptable risks and can therefore be routed to the next stage of production. This has also reduced the inventory in medical evaluation and will speed up processing. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt] </div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt]<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial]We’re also enforcing the first-in, first-out processing method to ensure that we get the older applications out first. Expediting applications is an inefficient method and leads to crisis management as the norm. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt] </div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt]<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial]Finally, we’re increasing the staffing levels in the medical branch to ensure we can keep up with the workload demands. We’re seeking an increase in the full time positions in our medical evaluation branch. We’ve also brought on several Auxiliary doctors to provide part time assistance. Since medical professionals are required to perform these evaluations, the hiring process is much more difficult as most physicians want to work in a clinical environment.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt] </div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt]<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial]Over the past two weeks, as a result of the process changes and the temporary increase in staffing in the medical branch, we were able to clear out over 2,000 applications. We will continue this push through the remainder of December with a goal of clearing out all the older applications. </span></div>
If NMC pays just a little bit more than the online pharmacies, they’ll probably attract some of those dedicated physicians who are quite comforatable completing sight-unseen physical exams and who have no qualms about working in a non-clinical environment.