Undressing No Longer Part of Physical?

@Feesii Being naked for skin exams makes sense, until they develop a better way to detect skin anomalies.

I am quite surprised by this thread as my doctor is definitely old school about checking my weight and height. During my annual physical I am weighed and measured in my underwear. Other than that it is boots off only. I have a slim athletic physique and my weight does not deviate much but like many others I have noticed a significant weight difference between dressed and disrobed. I weighed myself after stepping out of the shower one morning before an appointment. When I was weighed fully clothed there was a 15 pound difference.

Any MD worth their salt needs to factor this deviation (some do not) before giving a patient the riot act about healthy weight and BMI.

I weighed myself after stepping out of the shower one morning before an appointment. When I was weighed fully clothed there was a 15 pound difference.

Was this in clothing for winter weather? If so, no wonder that people feel more sprightly and nimble in the summer when one only needs clothes out of social custom and not as protection against the weather.

Here in germany at my doctor at least it still ist, but, every doctor is different, but I heard it from other people also

Every physical for the last 3 years (since turning 40), the nurse takes me to the room, does vitals and ends with ”for the physical they have you get undressed, put on this gown, you can leave your underwear on”…

First time at this office the instructions were “undress completely“. I had seen a few doctors in my 30’s that didn‘t do much at the annuals, so when i found one that did i stuck with them, not sure if it was my age or the doctor.

Here in Mexico they don't usually strip you naked but I've heard from several companies or in the army that if they leave you in your underwear or completely naked

I am a doctor with experience in occupational medicine and I sometimes have to examine women and men

I have not undressed at the doctor in many years. That is why I'm glad I had my childhood and teenage physicals in the 1970s and 1980s when they still made you take off your clothes.

Same here @JakeNewYork . It makes one wonder/fear what all is being missed when one goes to the doctor today. I can tell you from knowledge within the industry that a lot of the diagnostic tests (i.e. blood tests, saliva tests, etc.) have very high rates of false/positive, much of that associated with shoddy work with the collection devices and the preservative solutions.

A lot of diagnostic tests on the market today are either made in China or use by products in their supply chain from China and I don't think I need to say any more about how concerning that should be.

My most recent (real) physical exam certainly required fully undressing! It involved a DRE and complete genitalia examination.

My most recent (real) physical exam certainly required fully undressing! It involved a DRE and complete genitalia examination.

Glad someone still remembers how they should be done

Was this in clothing for winter weather? If so, no wonder that people feel more sprightly and nimble in the summer when one only needs clothes out of social custom and not as protection against the weather.

It was a cool autumn morning, actually. My clothing consisted of a leather jacket, hooded sweatshirt, jeans, a heavy belt with a flashlight, Leatherman multi tool and steel toe work boots. Hence the extra weight difference

The last two years I have not had to undress. He just has you remove or lower what is needed during that part of the exam. Prior to this you were completely naked and in a gown. The doctor does a complete and through physical just no more undressing.

Since moving to a different city 5 years ago I have gone to two different Dr.'s. First one was around my age and I did take my shirt off but, that was all.

The second one, which is still me current, I do take everything off bar my underwear. He does a DRE and just has me turn sideways and slips down my underwear. I guess its better than nothing at all.

I’m guessing that it’s still done, but I haven’t experienced it in at least 20 years. My GP is very respectful of patient privacy. She doesn’t poke and prod, and I’ve only unbuttoned my shirt to facilitate her listening to my chest.

I havent experienced any undressing in the past years at the VA. Exams arent even that in depth.

I was at my Gf's checkup with her internist and he has her remove her top down to her bra, but thats about it.

During the exam, my previous GP (who retired 2 years ago) would hand me a paper sheet and tell me to take everything off except my underwear and drape the sheet over my lap. He would then leave the room so I could get undressed in private. Since I don't wear underwear, I was fully nude, except the paper sheet in my lap. He would come back in, and start the physical part of the exam. The sheet would immediately come off. I would then get the full exam (including hernia check and DRE) with nothing on. My new GP has not ever asked me to take any clothing off at all. All I get is blood drawn, blood pressure check and temperature taken. That's it. I doubt I'll find another doctor like my previous one, so I'll stick with the new one until I find one who does things old school. 

For thirty years I didn't even get the paper sheet, it was just "take 'em off, all of 'em" and I didn't get dressed until he was done in about 30 minutes. Then he retired in 2013 and I haven't taken them off since. I have been stripped at the hospital.

My experiences have been similar to others here. It's been at least thirty years since I've had to take anything off, and twenty since the doctor even went underneath the back of my shirt for heart/breath sounds. This would be three male doctors, one female, and one NP. As a kid and up to my early twenties, it was full monty with hernia and digital exams, even, a couple of times, the dreaded barium enema - which is one thing I do not miss at all.

I had a few physicals where I wasn’t required to undress and noticed it’s usually the younger doctors. Two of them was when I was a teen and one as a adult. The older doctors are a lot more thorough, my primary now has me in a gown and does a head to toe exam.

I’ve had the same female doctor for 23 years. At my physical her assistant asks questions then has me completely undress and put on a gown. After my doc goes over my chart she starts with my eyes and works her way down. As I’m laying on my back she’s pushes the gown to my knees and examines my genitals then I roll on my left side for the DRE. She even takes tissues and wipes off the KY once she’s done. I’m in the exam room close to an hour. It’s always been this way. Guess I’m very lucky that she’s thorough. Most docs rush through. She’s part of a group that’s owned by a large hospital but that hasn’t changed a thing. I love my physicals.

I’ve had the same female doctor for 23 years..

That's probably a good thing, having a doctor for a long period of time, because then things are likely to stay the same, vs going to a new doctor. That way you have a rapport, and there's no real reason to cut back on any procedures.

At my yearly “well visit” I have to take off my socks.

I don't think I have been asked to disrobe for an exam in over 20 years - except when I had jock itch.

I don't think I have been asked to disrobe for an exam in over 20 years - except when I had jock itch.

When I had jock itch I was attempting to show it to her as I got up from the exam table and my pants + underwear fell down to my ankles. Later she thanked me for showing it to her.

Reading this thread makes it seem like medicine is actually doing what it's supposed to.

- Foreskin check? No significant health problem. No need to invade in patient's privacy.

- Hernia check? No significant health problem. No need to invade in patient's privacy.

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Patient reports coughing blood? No significant health problem. Refer patient to DrFriendlyAI-powered-by-GPT-7.

I found most doctors my wife and I have went to over the past 10 years basically asked questions that i. Almost all my doctors then did a basic heart, ears, blood pressure a couple blood tests, clothes on. That was it. Then my wife began seeing an Naturopath MD and was very satisfied with a thorough head to toe physical. So I decided to make an appoint with her also. This female NMD first sent me for a comprehensive blood work and told me the complete physical may take up to 90 minutes. She spent about ten minutes on questions, 15 minutes reviewing every line item of the blood work, and about an hour just on the physical exam portion, no clothes on. She also reviewed my current diet and exercise and then gave me ideas on better food choices as well as some exercise choices to improve my core, balance and posture

She did a complete head to toe exam and also completed a full skin exam, flexibility, posture, then the head to toe portion that included a full genital exam, rectal exam and then a digital exam of my prostate. This was the MOST thorough exam I ever had.

I think that medical studies have shown that the physical exam of a person without symptoms as a screening test is actually not very helpful. Not much is picked up that you don’t get with modern blood tests etc.

IMO and not being an MD, I believe a good hands-on/clothes-off physical exam is an important skill that can only be learned by practice and experience. I have a friend who is a retired "old school" doc and who is very critical of "kids these days" relying only on blood tests and imaging. I can think of any number of things that could be picked up in a physical exam that the patient might not either be aware of or not want to mention out of fear or embarassment. My last physical exam as part of an annual health check was at least 10 years ago. Not sure if the skill isn't taught any more or if insurance won't cover the time required.

I agree. There is no such things as a yearly physical with clothes off these days. I love when the dr office called to schedule an annual physical especially now that you are older.

It would likely depend on the medical practice, or particular doctor. Science has advanced to the point where bloodwork can uncover many things that previously involved poking and prodding. I find it very unpleasant to remove my clothes.