My experience/timeline getting a FC1 medical with a prior ADHD diagnosis!
Posted by PsychologicalBoss834@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 2 comments
I just got my FC1 in the mail today (very exciting) and the wait was definitely less than I expected--just wanted to put some current info out there if anyone is going through a similar process :-)
Some context about my RX, as the severity of your diagnosis/medication duration obviously plays into this: I was diagnosed after friend/classmate passed away in a climbing accident and was generally struggling with schoolwork. My entire class was recommended to 'get help' (lol) so I saw a telehealth psychiatrist, who had me fill out a multiple-choice form and gave me a mail order diagnosis of mild inattentive-type ADHD. Definitely a spurious RX in hindsight. I was on medication for less than a year (April 2024 to Jan 2025) and have never had any accommodations in school, past or present; also have a pretty good GPA and academic track record, etc. I did not have any childhood diagnoses, other mental/physical health issues, and I was on medication for less than a year.
Anyway, here's my timeline:
Jan 2025 -- stopped medication. 90 days from this was April, so I had to wait until at least then to see a HIMS neuropsychiatrist. Got a letter from my psychiatrist approving me to stop medication and essentially saying that my diagnosis is no longer applicable.
March 2025 -- saw an AME, got my eyes checked + BP taken and the whole 9 yards, he submitted my app on medXpress which obviously got deferred (as expected). This was a $200 visit.
April 2025 -- Got my notice in the mail from the FAA requesting additional information. As it had been less than 3 years (or 4? Not sure what the fast track cutoff is) since I stopped taking medication, I could not fast-track my appeal.
May 2025 -- saw a HIMS neuropsychiatrist (Dr. Joseph Conroy--really nice guy!) and got evaluated. This was $1,900. Scored highly on all exams and provided all necessary documentation on the FAA's list (including a high school transcript, college transcrip, full medical history, pharmacy 'receipts', my personal statement, diagnosis documentation, driving record, and letter from my psychiatrist + any add'l documentation I'm forgetting). Got drug tested at nearby clinic as well after the eval. I'm based in the ATL area and chose Dr. Conroy (5-ish hr drive) as this was considerably cheaper than any of the ATL-based HIMS neuropsychiatrists (who were mostly upwards of $3,000).
June 2025 -- HIMS neuropsychiatrist submitted my report to the FAA.
August 2025 -- Got mail from the FAA saying they hadn't received my report/additional information, even though it was already mailed to them. My neuropsychiatrist re-sent the report to the FAA around Aug 19th.
September 2025 -- Got my FC1 in the mail (09/17)!
All in all it was about a \~1 month wait between (a) submitting my initial application and getting the 'we need more info' letter in the mail and (b) sending the FAA my report and getting my FC1.
Happy to answer any more specific Qs!
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
I just got my FC1 in the mail today (very exciting) and the wait was definitely less than I expected--just wanted to put some current info out there if anyone is going through a similar process :-)
Some context about my RX, as the severity of your diagnosis/medication duration obviously plays into this: I was diagnosed after friend/classmate passed away in a climbing accident and was generally struggling with schoolwork. My entire class was recommended to 'get help' (lol) so I saw a telehealth psychiatrist, who had me fill out a multiple-choice form and gave me a mail order diagnosis of mild inattentive-type ADHD. Definitely a spurious RX in hindsight. I was on medication for less than a year (April 2024 to Jan 2025) and have never had any accommodations in school, past or present; also have a pretty good GPA and academic track record, etc. I did not have any childhood diagnoses, other mental/physical health issues, and I was on medication for less than a year.
Anyway, here's my timeline:
Jan 2025 -- stopped medication. 90 days from this was April, so I had to wait until at least then to see a HIMS neuropsychiatrist. Got a letter from my psychiatrist approving me to stop medication and essentially saying that my diagnosis is no longer applicable.
March 2025 -- saw an AME, got my eyes checked + BP taken and the whole 9 yards, he submitted my app on medXpress which obviously got deferred (as expected). This was a $200 visit.
April 2025 -- Got my notice in the mail from the FAA requesting additional information. As it had been less than 3 years (or 4? Not sure what the fast track cutoff is) since I stopped taking medication, I could not fast-track my appeal.
May 2025 -- saw a HIMS neuropsychiatrist (Dr. Joseph Conroy--really nice guy!) and got evaluated. This was $1,900. Scored highly on all exams and provided all necessary documentation on the FAA's list (including a high school transcript, college transcrip, full medical history, pharmacy 'receipts', my personal statement, diagnosis documentation, driving record, and letter from my psychiatrist + any add'l documentation I'm forgetting). Got drug tested at nearby clinic as well after the eval. I'm based in the ATL area and chose Dr. Conroy (5-ish hr drive) as this was considerably cheaper than any of the ATL-based HIMS neuropsychiatrists (who were mostly upwards of $3,000).
June 2025 -- HIMS neuropsychiatrist submitted my report to the FAA.
August 2025 -- Got mail from the FAA saying they hadn't received my report/additional information, even though it was already mailed to them. My neuropsychiatrist re-sent the report to the FAA around Aug 19th.
September 2025 -- Got my FC1 in the mail (09/17)!
All in all it was about a \~1 month wait between (a) submitting my initial application and getting the 'we need more info' letter in the mail and (b) sending the FAA my report and getting my FC1.
Happy to answer any more specific Qs!
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