Exam time preference

I'm curious if the community here has a preference for the time of day to schedule an exam? Do you prefer morning or afternoon?

I've always preferred morning just given that I can shower and be fresh. For those that prefer afternoon - do you shower before going to the doctor?

You tend to go to the doctor when you can get an appointment ! And yes I always have a shower before I go

I guess it depends on why I am going. If it's for my annual physical I like to schedule it for first thing in the morning when he has more time, before he gets busy and behind with other patients. If it's for a problem or something I think I need to be seen for I will take what ever time slot I can get. I always try to shower and have on clean clothes before going.

I try to schedule all of my appointments - medical and non-medical in the morning. I don't like wasting a day waiting for an appointment. Often times the doctor is running later as the day progresses so morning is better to get in on time. Always shower in the morning before an appointment.

For my physical exams I try to get mornings if nothing else so blood can be taken at the same time.

For anything else time doesn’t matter. If there is a reason for me to be “fresh” because I’ve been sweating or gotten dirty I will generally hop in the shower beforehand.

Like many others have stated, I try to get the first or second appointment of the day for my annual physical. I find that the doc is less likely to be rushed. My current doc books 45 minutes for what is listed as a "30 minute annual physical" - the other 15 minutes are for the nurse - the doctor, so far, spend the full 30 minutes confiding the physical.

I've had a few TBSEs with my dermatologist as the last appointment is the day, but instead of feeling rushed so that she could go home, I've found her more likely to take extra time since she didn't have another patient. Their office is open one or two nights a week for later appointments, but I think that's primarily cosmetic dermatology.

I do mornings for fasting labs and so I don’t have to think about it all day for physicals. Everything else is what it is.

I try to go as early as possible in the day. Many providers schedule appointments too close together, and end up further behind as the day goes on. I have a low tolerance for long waits, so I try to go as early as possible. I also arrive early, so I'm not the one causing delays that would put them off their schedule.

I recently had a series of dermatology appointments, most of which ended up being in the afternoon because mornings weren't available. I didn't feel that I waited longer for those, so maybe this is a perceived concern more than an actual one.

I do like the idea of being freshly showered, but I haven't taken off my clothes for my primary care provider for a decade or more, so I hardly think it matters much at this point.

Always ask for the first appointment of the morning so as to avoid having to wait when the doctor ends up running behind schedule. Even with that, I find that doctors often will squeeze in someone who needs to be seen more urgently before what their first scheduled appointment of the day is and you end up waiting anyway.

I prefer to go in the afternoon. This is for a real consultation or MEDFET. I always take a shower before going to the doctor.

Same as @aniceguy , i try to schedule early to avoid long waits. Also, i like to get it over with so it doesn’t, or minimizes, breaking up my day. If I know it’s just going to be a consult, I try to schedule a virtual appointment to avoid the drive. We have lots of doctors appointments between my wife and I, so I’m trying to “cut back” unless there’s a good reason to be seen or heard.

My preference is morning exams.

@ccc: I guess it depends on why I am going. If it's for my annual physical I like to schedule it for first thing in the morning when he has more time, before he gets busy and behind with other patients. If it's for a problem or something I think I need to be seen for I will take what ever time slot I can get. I always try to shower and have on clean clothes before going.

This says it perfectly. Also, I have my preferred doctor in the practice so it depends on when I can be seen by her.

If I have the opportuninty to get one in morning, I prefer that, because I can't really focus on studying or other stuff when I know that I have an examination later ...

Mornings are preferred for me whenever I go in. It's easier for me to get it out of the way and have the rest of my day to myself. I also hate not being able to shower shortly before exams like my skin checks or physicals, so the morning makes that easier to get my business done, get showered, and get going to my appointment feeling fresh.

My understanding is that doctors recommend mornings for physical examinations. I remember some being after school, though, when I was a kid.

For a physical, it try to get the first/second appointment so I am in and out before the doc gets backed up. For other visits I still try for one of the first appointments, but not as strict about the time

First thing in the morning. I don’t want to think about what awaits me. The week and days leading to it are full of rehearsal and anticipation.1

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I like to go early to an exam. That means I don’t have to shower again before. But reality is, that I have to see when I get an appointment. I am happy with my doctor and I wouldn’t change her just to get an earlier appointment.

I take the time slots that are available.

For PCP who takes our blood draws (usually after fasting) and labs I schedule early mornings. Other doctor appointments are late morning or early afternoon. As most are about an hour to get to.

Without question morning. As some have said fresh to start the day. Also not as much waiting. Plus fasting is a pain. To me anyway.

I used to be like most others on here and prefer morning appointments, before the doctor can get too far behind on their schedule. However, not that long ago, when I switched providers, I was scheduled for the last appointment of the day. I did have a long wait in the waiting room, but the doctor really took his time with me and didn't rush at all. I feel like he wasn't rushed to get to the next patient, so he probably spent about twice as long with me compared to what my appointment was scheduled for. So I now I try to book either the last appointment before lunch, or the last one of the day. I also really don't mind waiting for later in the day, or in the waiting room... It gives me more time for my anxiety, nerves, excitement, dread, apprehension, arousal, embarrassment, etc to build. I really love & hate those feelings before my exam!

As for showering, I ALWAYS shower right before I leave to go to any appointment. Especially a medical exam or physical. It's just common courtesy to the doctor. I wouldn't want to look at or touch dirty, smelly people all day.

I like to have my appointments in the morning. I allways shower before.

@MissStress I absolutely hate afternoon appointments that involve fasting blood draws. I have caffeine and food waiting for me, in the car, when it's done.

@FreakyDoc I sometimes have my homemade cold coffee waiting.

@MissStress Cold coffee is better than a doc with cold hands I guess? Just.

I like early mornings - the first available appointment if possible because schedule glitches have a cascading effect meaning that late afternoon times might be an hour or even more delayed. In this post-COVID era doctor waiting rooms no longer have anything to read other than a medical journal and Modern Dermatology holds little interest for me.

I have a simple method of choosing time at a doctor's .... since most doctors are INCAPABLE of keeping their office schedule, I request -no insist- on the first time slot in the morning or the first time slot after their lunch break (usually 2pm). Only except is when the visit requires a procedure that is time dependent...like 24 hours fasting... or a cleansing enema four hours before a colon exam.

For one doctor who was 30 minutes late to my 8 am morning appointment (his first of the day..) I sent him a watch along with a request to transfer my medical records to another doctor.

I am not much of a morning person and as such I don't want to schedule much ofl anything prior to going work unless it is of course an emergency visit. My doctor has even noticed I have a more relaxed attitude during a PM appointment.