Hi All,
First, you did the smart thing and signed up for a class. I used 3Bs but Mariner's School is good.
Here is how I did it.
1. Took the course over three weekends, the last Sunday was the test.
2. After passing the test (you will know after each section if you passed that section if it was like my school) I started getting the other things.
3. Signed up with the Red Cross for CPR/First Aid. That took 4 hrs. one Saturday morning. There were 10 people in my class. Apparently, all nurses need to recertifiy frequently. Had the First Aid and CPR cards mailed a few days later.
4. Went ot my optomitrist for an eye exam.
5. Took the eye exam results to my doctor. He did the physical and signed off all the medical stuff. Now had all those forms in hand.
6. Went to LabCorp in Brick, NJ for a "chain of custody" drug test. they know what that is. They mailed the results in about a week.
7. Got the certificates in the mail from the Captain's school.
8. Took all paperwork (including sea service, recommendations, etc.) and got them notarized.
9. Put a file together with all the paperwork. Went and photocopied it for the future.
10. Went to NY with all the fees and paperwork and planned on fingerprints there which are now mandatory.
11. Waited a few weeks for the results.
You can study independently and take the test in NY but good luck. I near nothing good about that. I am confident I would have passed but why sweat it.
You can call the Coast Guard in NY and they will send the package. They say you can print it on the web byt my Instructor suggested all paperwork be sent by the Coast Guard (for a few reasons - one of which is that if they sent the wrong version of a form, they were more likely to work with you than if you printed the wrong form off the web).
Many schools help with physicals and drug tests. I prefer to do them myself.
There are also services to help you file the paperwork. They are useless. Do your own work so you know the process. The folks at the Coast Guard answered all my questions via phone or when I went there.
Good luck,
Ed