This is not the first time I have been told a doctor has requested a female pilot applicant to remove her bra for her FAA medical evaluation. However, this time, Dr. Lundquist allegedly threatened a female pilot that if she did not get completely naked, she would not receive her FAA medical.
Captain Jenny Beatty says, “Keep your bra and panties on!” In the early days many doctors said they had to give women a pelvic exams too. No. This is wrong.
If You’re ordered to Get Naked, Remove Your Bra, or Spread your Legs, Report it!
First: Report to the FAA hotline. This is inappropriate behavior. The doctor should lose his AME status. Do not be a victim, do this for yourself and for other women.
Subject: RE: FAA Disclosure REDACTED
On July 23, 2025, the FAA Hotline received your report. Your reference number is REDACTED. Your report will be evaluated to determine if it is within the purview of the FAA Hotline. Please note, the FAA Hotline may not reply to general comments, suggestions or inquiries and some matters may be redirected to the appropriate FAA office.
Second: Report it to the geographically located medical board where he is licensed. This is what I did with Dr. Altman, who subsequently forfeited his medical license for his bad behavior. It took me three years, but we got him. He wasn’t an AME so the FAA did nothing, despite his being a HIMS doctor.
Third: Report it to the Deputy Federal Flight Surgeon. That’s what this pilot did. She did not want the hotline report to fall on deaf ears and decided to take it to the highest level.
Fourth: If the AME is in an office, not owned by themselves, report it to the office.
I was provided a copy of what this pilot reported to the hotline, to the Middlesex office, but also to the Deputy Federal Flight Surgeon:
“I am reporting misconduct by Matthew Lundquist MD, and AME in CT with the examiner designation number 941775196. He asked me to get naked for a first class medical examination. I refused. It is unnecessary. At first his nurse asked me to put on a gown. I refused and I told his nurse it was creepy. Then the doctor came in and threatened that he would not conduct my FAA medical if I refused. I told him I was uncomfortable with this and that I found it completely unnecessary. I was against the expiry and needed my medical that day. In Connecticut it is difficult to get in with a constantly changing flight schedule. I refused to continue without someone in the room, and I refused to remove my underwear, bra and tank top. He was not happy about this and made comments to me about how he requires everyone he sees to undress and they cooperate fully. I found it completely unprofessional and creepy. I can only imagine how many other women he forced to fully undress.
I reported him on the FAA hotline online form; however, after discussing this with another female senior captain, we believe he should be confronted and admonished, or remove his AME approval, because we believe he is violation of the AME regulation and guidelines.
I think this is too serious to dismiss, so I wanted you to know.”
Investigation Underway
While the investigation is underway, this is the second time I have heard the excuse that pilots are lying about their open heart surgery, so these doctors are only looking for a chest scars, and the reason the woman must be naked.
I’m not buying that for a number of reasons:
First, if the pilot had open heart surgery in the previous six months, and yet they logged 500 hours during that same period… how is that possible? The doctor can see the recent flight hours, also required on the 8500 document. Yes, I just slipped out for a little heart surgery while flying a full schedule. Second, if this were a valid excuse, “Get naked because we think you are a liar” then why not force pilots to have x-rays on each exam, just in case they lied about their broken back. Or perhaps we should give them all a mental health evaluation because they might be lying about being depressed. Third, could not a doctor see a chest scar while the woman is wearing a bra? I’m not a heart surgeon but I do not believe they proceed through the breast tissue for open heart surgery, but down the center of the chest.
Why do you think “some” doctors are asking their female patients to get naked?
Should these guys be held accountable?
6 Comments
Wow, I had no idea that any women were going through this kind of thing with any AME. However the more I see of the Medical profession, the less I think of the service. Now I hear of creepy doctors that want use their position for a peep show. Sorry anyone had to suffer this kind of treatment.
Thank you Phil, These doctors are in a position of power and to use that for a peep show, shame on them. I hope that he is stopped and if he’s ignorant to the law, he should at least have some common sense.
This is totally unsat. Their excuses are just that, trying to excuse terrible behavior on the part of a doctor. There must be consequences, and good for her to say NO!
I’m so proud of her and all those who have the strength to say no. For those who say, “I can’t” I say, “Yes you can! We are here you!!”
Creepy behavior should not be tolerated. Unfortunately, we are witnessing such behavior, that is unchecked and tolerated, in the highest levels of our country. Sadly, normalization of such behavior, it appears seems to have given permission to many men for behaving badly, especially if they are in positions of power. Such behavior was not tolerated in professions, in the, recent, past. What happened to the AME’s Hippocratic oath: Primum non nocere? This includes mental-harm to a patient. We should not tolerate such behavior, in any sphere of life. Such physicians should not be allowed to practice as they are a blight on the medical profession and men, in general.
I think you hit on something very powerful. This behavior is being Normalized. And there in lies the meaning of Normalization of deviance. Most interesting is during the deposition of AME, Dr. Thomas Faulkner, he was asked if his evaluation, in the construct of the Section 15 process, a contractual agreement to evaluate the mental health of pilots, if the Hippocratic oath applied. He became furious. His attorney told him not to answer. Then he finally said, he could not answer the question unless he had a copy before him. This is deeply concerning. My first evaluation was six hours of a soviet union style interrogation without food or water, or even a restroom break. It took me three years to remove one doctor, the other is still allowed to practice. But none of them should not be allowed to practice. Thank you for your comment.