MEPS Physical Examination
Military entrance medical examinations are conducted at the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) for the purpose of enlistment, accession, and induction. To be eligible for the medical examination, applicants must have a qualifying aptitude test score (i.e., ASVAB scores with an Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) of 10 or greater²), and the applicant must have cleared the medical prescreening (including MHS GENESIS).
A physical examination for accession is valid for 2 years. The MEPS commander may authorize a new, full medical examination if the previous medical examination is still valid but will expire within 90 days. This is only done if the physical is going to expire before the intent of the original physical can be accomplished.
The basic physical examination includes:
- A medical briefing to include a quality control check of the applicable forms and a description of the physical examination process.
- Alcohol breath test.
- Collection of the Drug and Alcohol Test (DAT) urine sample.
- Urine sample for glucose, protein, pregnancy, and other health indicator tests.
- Collection of the HIV antibody blood sample.
- Vision Testing to include color perception.
- Hearing Test.
- Ear examination.
- Blood pressure and pulse rate.
- Orthopedic and neurological demonstration and examination.
- Height and weight (body fat composition if required).
- Individual examination (heart, lungs, chest, sinuses, anus/rectum, external genitalia, spine, upper and lower extremities, etc.)
- MEPS Doctor's assignment of the physical profile.
Note: Any student attempting to enroll in a program leading to a commission or who receives monies towards tuition and books is receiving scholarship funds and scholarship students go through the Department of Defense Medical Evaluation and Review Board for medical processing. Students who are in their final year of study, require a pre-commissioning physical, which may be completed at the MEPS.
Page written and maintained by NCCM Thomas Goering, USN (Retired).
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