Everyone keeps telling me that I'm going to be disqualified for having only one kidney...so when does this disqualification come?

Madison, I endorse the comments from the responders who were trying to give honest advice based on their experience. At the very least, you were very rude and inconsiderate to take the attitude you did....it really sucks.
On a lighter note, I'd like to pass the story of how I joined the Army. It was way back in 1964 and I was a 18-year old kid who wanted badly to join. Unfortunately, I also had acne (pimples = zits) very badly. In those days, the draft was in full operation and the Army could be choosy about who got in and who didn't. After going back for my fifth follow-up physical and getting rejected, my mother got fed up with the situation and took matters into her own hands. My recruiter was a 2nd generation Irish-American named SSG Ryan. My mother promised him a bottle of the whiskey of his choice if I passed my next follow-up physical. A month later, I passed the physical and Ryan got his bottle !!
A true story.

In high school I knew plenty of guys that hid truths or lied to get in. If I could find the right lie to back in I would do it. In this case no omission or lie is needed; in order for the kidneys to keep you healthy you only need one to function at 10%. You can live a long life with no kidney function thanks to dialysis. I say who rah for wanting to serve knowing that one kidney is worth twice the points to an enemy round.

Your recruiter is weak and doesn’t have the stones to tell you it ISN’T going to happen but he looks like a hero while he/she strings you along.. your tenacity is admirable though however maybe rolling back your attitude, people have wasted their time giving you the truthful answers..

As a former Navy Recruiter, my recommendation is to get an all clear from your Doctor and submit all paperwork to your recruiter so he or she can submit paperwork to BUPERS for a waiver. I had to do this multiple times and sometimes they get approved and sometimes they do not. Biggest thing is to get your civilian doctor to state that you are in good health and should be able to pass the military fitness test. Unsure if having one kidney is an automatic disqualification, MEPS would have to look it up in their medical manual and verify. I don't recommend giving up yet but I would suggest only trying to join the Air Force, Coast Guard or Navy. Army and Marines would really put you to the test physically.

Continue to prophesy over your life. God is good. The power of life and death are in the tongue. Let no man have the final say over your future, Jesus has already written it..what he says goes.. blessings my brother...

So this was posted a few months ago and I do hope that you were able to enlist with only one kindey. One thing I advise for you though is that you lose the chip on your shoulder about people telling you that you won't be able to join. I've looked through many but not all the responses and all were from people who are either currently in service or are proir service which tells me that they have YEARS more experience than you. One thing you should have learned is that it doesn't matter which branch you join, either you learn to work as a team or you WILL be told somewhere along your career path that you do not need or should not re-enlist based solely on your attitude. Being in the military is a privilage not a right and the military has the responsibility to the rest of those that are serving to ensure that ALL service members are capable of serving everywhere, you included. If your lack of kidney ever becomes an issue with your service the military, all branches, reserves the right to chapter you out, at any time. Being as you have what the military regards as a pre-existing condition not related to service, that would mean that you would be told that your service is no longer needed and you would not be able to file for any after service benefits (disability) related to your lack of kindey whether you developed problems related to that or not. It's a catch22 where you come out losing in the end.
I know this because I was trying to help another vet file a clame for something similar a few years ago, they joined with a known medical problem with a waiver and after their service became sick from complications from those known medical problems. The VA decided that it was NOT service connected and denied the claim, based on the fact that it was a known problem previous to service and had not been an issue during service. They went to around 20 different civilian doctors as well as numerous VA doctors to no avail.

When man says no, God says yes. Don't let man dictate your circumstances let God do. Abraham had given up all hope at 99 and had a son. Pray and trust God. Whatever is impossible with man is possible with God. I pray the rest of your days be fruitful and God's favor follow you.....

I don’t know how far along you are in the process, and I’m still pretty new to the game with me being in tech school right now but maybe I can help a little?

So I spent a year literally trying to get into the Air Force due to meps wanting to make sure I didn’t have asthma (I was falsely diagnosed with it as a child).

Anyways so I can relate to getting through meps and all that however the health getting doesn’t just stop at meps. We had a person get disqualified even after arriving to basic because meps doesn’t always get it 100% due to how many people they deal with. Another guy had significant hearing damage that was not caught at meps.

Point is just because you make it through meps and things are cool with your recruiter, doesn’t mean you are in the clear. If only having 1 kidney is a 100% written disqualification, tread carefully. I’m not saying things can’t work out because I spent a whole year pressing away so my wife and I could start on a new journey; but know that if you do get in with your dream job, it can be taken because of your health condition.

Hope this helps and I hope everything works out well for you!

Hi Madison,
Prior to retiring, I was an Army Healthcare Recruiter in Newburgh, NY for four years and a Station Commander in Akron, OH for three. I actually ran across this issue once in Akron and unfortunately it didn't work out well for the applicant. Unfortunately, according to 40-501, having only one kidney does not meet the standard. What your recruiter likely did was push your paperwork forward to MEPS for a "med read". The doctors will no doubt disapprove the med read, but that's not necessarily where in ends. The paperwork can then be sent to the command surgeon where he can grant an exception to physical. That will at least get you in the door at MEPS. After that, the recruiter has to request a med waiver (501) to the same doctor that approved you to physical. One of two things will happen. Either he will approve the waiver and you will be good to go or if he disapproves it, that's it. It's a wrap. Now, not to get your hopes up, but one thing I learned especially from the guy who specialized in this at my station is that anything can happen and no one situation fits "neatly" into the way it's looked at by higher. No one can truly disapprove you except for the command surgeon. As recruiters, we are simply paperwork facilitators and cannot truly approve or disapprove anyone for military service. That decision comes from much higher than us. I hope that you found this helpful and wish you success in your future endeavors.

When you get to MEPS you will be asked to fill out a medical form. You are EXPECTED to be honest, and put down everything wrong with you, including any medical problems. In accordance with current medical standards and the examing Doctor, you will then have your answer whether or not you will be qualified for service. Your recruiter is NOT a Doctor, and can be in some hot water for knowingly sending you there with a false intention and documents.
Be honest, the military is not for everyone and does not bend its rules for anyone who can not measure up. This is not a social event, its literally a matter of life and death.