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I would like to ask Hadit members, most of which had “at least one” or more C and P exams:
1. Do you know the examiner’s name? Did the examiner wear a name tag, and identify himself/herself?
2. What was the education level of your examiner? (MD, Nurse, NP, Audiologist, hearing aid specialist, Voc Rehab Specialist with a Bachelors degree, etc. ).
3. Was the examiner a VA employee? Contractor? Did the examiner identify which?
I will start:
1. No. I have had at least 5 exams, and can only name 1 examiner because that was my regular doctor. I dont recall any of the others wearing a name tag or identifying themselves. All of mine were at my VAMC.
2. Again, I know only one examiner’s level of education: He was a “Psych D”. Exception: I had a c and p exam for sleep apnea, who actually admitted she was not involved in sleep medicine. This examiner had an MD, but no experience or training in sleep medicine. Still that did not stop her from opining my sleep apnea was not related to service or secondary to any SC conditions. Later, I read research that linked PTSD to sleep apnea. (I dont have PTSD, but MDD has also been linked to OSA).
3. NONE of my C and P examiners have revealed whether they were a VA employee, or a contractor. While I “assume” my regular Doctor’s are VA employees, I really dont know how to verify that. (This matters in the case of malpractice..ask Berta).
Veterans have reported VA is “not” always releasing the C and P exams until “after” the VARO decision. I am fairly certain I am “not” the only Veteran who appealed his claim “not knowing” the medical degree (or lack thereof) of the examiner, until I got a copy of my cfile AFTER the BVA decision.
I do realize that at least part of this is “on me” as someone suggested. I did not ask the examiner name, whether they were a VA employee or contractor, or their medical degree, or lack therof. Since I did not ask, “none” of the c and p examiners responded. While I did not ask in the past, that was likely because I did not understand “WHY” the level of expertise of the examiner was important.
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C and P exams
I would like to ask Hadit members, most of which had at least one or more C and P exams: 1. Do you know the examiners name? Did the examiner wear a name tag, and identify himself/herself? 2. What was the education level of your examiner?
