Difficult Medical for 3rd Class Student Pilot, Where to start

[pseudoRandom]

Hey, I am a student pilot in Atlanta. It has been my dream since I was little to be a pilot and I now finally have a good enough job to do so. I was recently going over the medical form in preparation for my medical exam and realized that I may have some landmines in my past (childhood ADD & a single dehydration-induced fainting spell~5yrs ago)

I was wondering how to approach, and if the AME recommended to me by my flight school (Ted Carter) would be the best bet, as well as what costs I should expect. My plan was to try and gather all the medical documentation I can, schedule a consultation, and then present the issues and follow the advice of the AME. Is this a good approach? Are there others that I should consult?

Also is it prudent to start flight training with a differed medical or should I wait until everything is all said and done?

-- Other Info

• I don't plan on getting class 1 or 2, but I would eventually like to become a CFI. From what I can tell, I can do that with a class 3 medical.
• I have not taken ADHD medicine for 8 years now and think I have a fairly good chance of getting my ADHD diagnosis reversed
• I did have neurological and heart screening for the fainting spell. All negative, but as much as I can remember the conclusion on the cause was not 100% definitive, and I was basically told that it's fairly normal and probably due to dehydration.
• I have read on here to contact Bruce Chien but it looks like he is not taking on any 3rd class pilots any more =( Edit: He is in fact still taking on 3rd class pilots, see post below.
• I also have Gout and I take Allopurinol (100mg) to control it. From what I have read, the AME should be able to handle that without a deferral.

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

Yes that was my mistake. I was tired that night especially after writing the everything after (since I went back to add that at the end). I was thinking of a glider for some odd reason. My mistake thanks for catching

Lots of good advice above so I will just add the following. Even if your ultimate goal is powered flight, learning to fly gliders is an excellent way to learn to fly and the time spent is can be credited to a private single engine land rating since you can do that as an add-on to your private certificate for gliders.

Learning to fly gliders is a great way to learn how a set of wings and controls behave in the air without distractions.

You can start on gliders and get your private without an FAA medical - must self certify you are safe but it sounds like you can do that.

And who knows, you might even enjoy soaring for its own sake -