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FAA medical team reports sharp drop in deferred certification backlog after MedExpress changes
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Summary
Federal Air Surgeon Dr. Susan Northrop told AMEs the FAA reduced deferred/unissued medical certification cases from nearly 13,000 to below 4,500 and physician queue cases from nearly 8,000 to 214, crediting MedExpress updates and better preflighted records.
Dr. Susan Northrop, the Federal Air Surgeon, told attendees at the FAA’s Grand Rounds on Jan. 7 that the agency has substantially reduced its backlog of deferred or unissued airman medical certification cases since Jan. 1, 2025. "We went from nearly 13,000 to we're below 4,500 as of Monday," she said, and reported that cases waiting for a physician review dropped from nearly 8,000 to 214.
The drop followed changes to the MedExpress portal (enhanced instructions added in mid‑2025) and outreach encouraging AMEs to "preflight" applicant files so cases arrive with the necessary records. Northrop said the FAA has also shortened average decision times: fully populated general‑review deferrals now average under 20 days to decision, and overall deferral‑to‑decision times have been below 50 days, including cases involving drug and alcohol testing, neuropsychology, and appeals.
The Federal Air Surgeon described the reductions as a combined result of system improvements and better preparation by AMEs: "That's a large part on you folks helping your airmen become better prepared to navigate the system," she said. Northrop urged AMEs to keep thoroughly documenting records before transmission to avoid multi‑month delays when additional information is requested.
Northrop and the session host also reminded attendees that the FAA posts recorded Grand Rounds on its YouTube channel and that the AME guide is continuously updated. For AME guide suggestions, she gave the contact email ameguide@faa.gov and warned that the email does not answer case‑specific questions.
The session closed with a reminder of upcoming Grand Rounds (Jan. 28, Feb. 25 and Mar. 25) and instructions for claiming one hour of continuing medical education: display full first and last name in Zoom, complete the session survey via the QR code or posted URL, and submit within the open window to receive credit.
