Going on Monday 10 JAN 2011. What's it like? Recruiter said I need to be there at 0500... I take it this is an all day event? Matt

It can be. I can't imagine you'll be out later than 1pm.

Did you take the ASVAB yet? if not you'll take it first thing when you arrive, that can take 2 hours.

Once you're done with the ASVAB they'll give you a folder containing all your medical records which you'll be running around the building handing them from one doctor to the next until the physical is complete. This is how my day went:

0500 - arive
0530 - met with the USCG rep
0600 - sat down to take ASVAB
0730 - finished test
0745 - blood pressure
0800 - eye exam
0815 - hearing test
0820 - paperwork/briefing/breathalyzer
0830 - urinalysis (1st attempt)
0845 - blood test
0900 - urinalysis (2nd attempt)
0915 - height/weight
0930 - urinalysis (3rd and final attempt)
0945 - lunch
1000 - met with Doctor Foley to go over medical history and check vitals
1030 - met with the next Doctor to check flexibility and motor skills
1045 - handed my records to the nurse who'd go over everything in the folder with all the doctors
1100 - met with my CG rep
1115 - got my finger prints done
1145 - met with my CG rep
1200 - singed out

everything went in quick succession and was pretty painless. I only was only worried about the ASVAB, but I got a high enough score that they could have done an autopsy on me to make sure I was healthy, it didn't matter.

Best advice I can give.... drink lots of water and don't pee before the urinalysis... It was extremely embarrassing when I had 2 doctors, the lab tech and the janitor yelling at me from 15 feet away telling me i was a failure if I didn't pee the third time.

GOOD LUCK!

Mum is the word...do not over share, only talk about and only if or when asked what you listed on the 2807 form...other then that have fun and best of luck to you!

Let me tell you, Scott's day and my day were no were near the same. We didn't get done till the afternoon, and didnt get to leave until 5pm (And we got there at 0500 as well). I took my ASVAB before, and had to go back to get my fingerprints done. Hell, that was just an inspect and fingerprints and I still left after noon. Lesson: There is no typical MEPS experience. However, the whole "Running around the building from one doc to the next" is basically exactly how it goes. Like Capt said, mum is the word. Say only what is necessary, and nothing else. Don't lie though!

Thanks everyone.

I have already done the ASVAB. Not to toot my own horn, but I did pretty well. Does anyone have any specific experience with the Sacramento office?

Colin couldn't pee... not to save his life, if the building were on fire, he couldn't have put it out. They told him he had to come back in 48 hours to pee or he would have to wait 6 months. he went back... waited, waited, waited finally he had to go, he told them at the desk he was ready. They told him to sit. About 10 minutes later he was pretty close to holding himself saying "I have to go NOW!" They took him in, he did what he needed to do, breathed a deep sigh of relief and was sent home. Now, he says he can pee on command if/when need be! LOL Don't worry about being shy, they've seen it all, honest!!!

Pending my ASVAB tomorrow I'm set to be at Sacramento MEPS on Monday too. See you there!

Heh, yeah, there was no third attempt for my first time. I was told if I didn't go the second time I had to come back in 48 hours.

That's the big thing though, Don't over share. Tell them what they ask and move on. Don't joke, don't chat, don't tell them your life plan. They don't care and don't have time. And they will let you know if you are stalling or irritating them. I made a small joke about giving blood while they were doing my blood test and I got a look that iced my veins so bad I wouldn't have been able to give blood.

And I think I got off easy.

(Gotta take it all again Tuesday (1/11/11) because my old one is timing out.)

My son asked the corpsman taking his blood if her name was Dr. Acula... she tried so hard to keep a straight face but she couldn't help but laugh at him. She took his blood and told him to get away from her. But she was still smiling.

Heh, I guess it was just bad luck on my part then. This guy was not amused. In fact, I think the only one that WAS smiling the entire time I was there was the Dr who did the individual evaluation for us. He was actually rather amusing.

The first time I went to MEPS, we were getting chewed out all the time. Not sure if any of the staff said a kind word to anyone that day. The second time was much better.

Ok one last question I think.... All I have done so far is take the ASVAB, my recruiter and I haven't gone through all the intimate details of my contract, but I just watched the video that Chukles posted. Do I sign my contract at MEPS? I thought that was something my recruiter and I would do at her office. I would be a little hesitant about taking the oath without anything in writing.

You will not take your oath without signing a contract. And before you sign that contract, you will have about 40 people explain it to you and ask you questions to make sure you understand it.

I singed at MEPS right before I swore in. But not the same day I took my ASVAB and physical

Copy that, thanks for all your great answers and help guys!

Yes, you will have to get a ship date before you sign your contract and say the oath, and they won't give you one till you pass the physical.

When I was at meps, I got out at 12 like Scott (actually, I think I got out at maybe even 11:30). However, it all depends on where you were in line. There was a part where you had to sit and wait for the doctor's physical (there were only 2 doctors) and it took FOREVER! They also did the flexibility testing (duck walks, etc.) in groups of 10, so if came in after a group was done you had to wait for the next 9 people to finish their physical (so multiply your time waiting for the doctor x 9!!).

Basically, it's the luck of the draw.

However, as to rude or unfriendly doctors/nurses, everyone I worked with was either neutral, or friendly. Sure, they might have been bored, but they seemed to understand that we were excited to be moving towards our goals, and didn't take their boredom out on us.

Good luck on Monday!

Thanks! You gonna be there?

Yep. 5:00. It's going to be so early. Ugh. The pee test is going to be a slam dunk with all the coffee in my system.

By the way, congrats on the  ASVAB score! That's really awesome.

Yea hopefully it will move quickly. Are you hoteling it tomorrow night? If you like I will PM you with my personal info

No hotelling for me. MEPS is actually 5 minutes from where I work so I was able to take the ASVAB on an extended lunch. It's too bad the physical isn't such a short process. So, yeah. I live around town.

I'll pm you.

Anyone ever see the movie Big Wednesday? The MEPS scene is classic.

Well, due to the wonderful winter weather we've had lately, my MEPS physical got bumped back not once, but twice because Atlanta doesn't know how to deal with ice. I just want to get it done with so I can check it off the ridiculously long list of things I need to do between now and May.

Out of curiosity, do they do a dental check during this process?

Negative. It's to my understanding that dental is handled at boot camp.

My husband is going to take his ASVAB locally in about two weeks, and then goes to MEPS about a week or two after that. My question is in regards to the MEPS process. For some reason we were under the impression that he had to pass a physical fitness test in order to qualify for the CG. Is this true? I know that there are physical fitness standards (ie. 36 situps in a minute... etc) that he has to pass in order to graduate boot camp, and then he has to keep up those standards for the duration of time he is in the CG, but isn't there also a fitness test he has to pass in order to get INTO the coast guard? Any clarification on this would be much appreciated.

There is no physical fitness test prior to enlisting. However, it will make his boot camp experience slightly less miserable if he can pass the PT test prior to departing.

This is a really insightful thread...

Got a quick question relating to the MEPS physical:  What is the blood pressure measurement like?  Machine or manual cuff?  Reason being is that I get a little anxious when I get my blood pressure taken and I'm a little concerned how the process goes?  When I take it at home, I'm in the normal range (120s/70s) after i sit down for a few minutes... but when I take it at a pharmacy or even sometimes at my doctor initially, it might read right near the limit.

The current medical manual states hypertension (> 140/90) confirmed by manual blood pressure cuff averaged over two or more consecutive days is disqualifying and that a single day high blood pressure reading is not.  Does this mean if you have a high reading that they make you come back the next day or does this mean they have your physician fill out a piece of paperwork that you have to resubmit back to MEPS like I've seen mentioned?  I was just not sure how this is handled now...

Does anyone have any experience with what they faced? 

Thanks so much...