Most "failed" medicals we see are not failures of health — they are failures of preparation. A late meal before a fasting sample, a night of loud music before audiometry, forgotten spectacles. Here is how to walk in ready.
Give 8–10 hours of fasting before your sample for accurate blood sugar and lipid results. Water is fine; tea, coffee and smoking are not. Book a morning slot.
Sleep well, skip caffeine and energy drinks on the day, arrive 15 minutes early and sit quietly before the reading. If you are on antihypertensives, take them as prescribed and carry the prescription — controlled BP with documentation is assessable; concealed medication is not.
Bring current spectacles or lenses. If you have not had an eye check in over a year, do one before the medical — a small correction update is far cheaper than a delayed joining. Deck officers: remember colour vision is tested every time.
Avoid loud environments — engine rooms, concerts, headphones at high volume — for 14–16 hours before the test to prevent a temporary threshold shift that reads like hearing loss.
Declared, documented and controlled conditions are evaluated fairly under the rules. Undeclared conditions discovered later can invalidate a certificate and a contract. Carry all prescriptions and recent reports.
CDC, passport, previous certificate, spectacles, prescriptions. The full list is in our checklist article.
A certificate from a non-approved facility is worthless at sign-on. Verify approval — here's how to check the DGMA register — or simply visit a verified centre like Oceancare Mediclinic.
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