Medical checkup routine

How would your childhood/adolescent checkups play out? Typically mine would start with auscultation, ears checked, palpation, then inevitably last would be the vaccinations. Was this the same routine standard or did it vary for you?

Mine was a bit different. Stripped to underpants to begin. Weighed, measured and other vitals checked. Listened to heart and lungs, tested reflexes and had me walk around and checked posture. Then underpants down (or off) for genital exam and inspection of the anus.

We only ever had such school medical examinations in our primary school which were not very memorable just a bit of a nuisance. My Mum would be there and I would have to just strip down to my knickers. I cannot really remember any details but it was just about seeing if there was nothing serioulsy wrong with us as their were still a few childhood complaints that were about at that time. Mum thought that they were a bit of a waste of time as if she had noticed anything wrong with me she would have made an appointment to see the GP which was far easier back then !!

For me it was almost like for "examined" each year of school and to the nurse's office of the school with school doctor and school nurse and no parent present , it was rather thorough and embarrassing ( undressing in just briefs in group of about 15 boys students all together under supervision of a Pe teacher before entering in the exam room and being stark naked in front of two females medic persons , sometimes three if there was also a young student nursing girl which happened very often even at last grade of high school, we were aged 17-18 and in the buff and she was certainly no more aged than 20 or 21 or may be 19 age if she was in first year )

As a kid and all through high school, they never varied much. Was told to undress to underwear. Parent always in the room. Height and weight, scale in the room, followed by blood pressure reading. After that, was told to lie down sneak turn over on my tummy, while the nurse got the rectal thermometer ready. Took it out of the alcohol filled jar, shook it down, and applied a generous amount of Vaseline. Underpants taken down and thermometer inserted, and held it for about 5 minutes, which seemed an eternity.

Was told to remove undershirt and wait for doctor. Was examined head to toe by doctor. Eventually underpants came down so he could examine genital and backside. Any shots were given at the end. Penicillin was given only if sick. Most of the others were vaccines round went in the arm, except for tetanus booster which was given in rear. After that, it was time to get dressed and leave.

For me it was almost like for "examined" each year of school and to the nurse's office of the school with school doctor and school nurse and no parent present , it was rather thorough and embarrassing ( undressing in just briefs in group of about 15 boys students all together under supervision of a Pe teacher before entering in the exam room and being stark naked in front of two females medic persons , sometimes three if there was also a young student nursing girl which happened very often even at last grade of high school, we were aged 17-18 and in the buff and she was certainly no more aged than 20 or 21 or may be 19 age if she was in first year )

I would have LOVED to have had an experience like yours!

Physicals during high school were conducted in the nurse's office and provided by the school nurse and a visiting doctor who was in his mid 60s. The process was to have males present for an exam during gym class with our teacher. 15- 20 of us marched to the nurse's office without any advanced notice and assembled in a large room. There we were told to undress to our underpants and then line up in the next room adjacent to where the doc would do his exam. Alphabetical order was required. The process seemed to take forever if you were midway to last on line. Upon reaching the nurse at the entrance of the exam room, she weighed you while you saw your naked peer standing in front of the doc. As soon as he finished with him, the nurse ordered me to remove my briefs and meet the doctor. His exam was relatively basic; heart, lungs, and then testicle and hernia exam. He did a visual inspection of the anus by spreading my cheeks wide open. Upon completion, he then dismissed me to return to the larger room where my classmates were dressing unless you had no proof of tetanus vaccination. For those it meant strip off your briefs, approach the nurse and get a shot in the butt.

More or less the same thing for me

My early childhood doctor visits were extremely terrifying. From ages 4-14 I was in foster care. I was asthmatic and underweight. The system (so to speak) gifted me with constant anxiety and low self esteem.

At one point I was taken to a juvenile care facility after my 3rd Foster Parents broke my arm during an abusive attack on me. Upon arrival at the facility I was forcibly stripped naked, examined (rectal thermometer) and then held down and given a tranquilizer injection in my right buttock

When I was 11 I had been attending a Catholic boys boarding school on a scholarship. If you think I was abused while there, think again. My teachers were exemplary mentors who challenged my intellect and convinced me to believe in myself. I was taught how to swim and started platform and spring board diving.

I stayed at the school until my HS years. My new FP's (age 11) could have taken me from the school but believed in the old adage "if it's not broke don't fix it" I was home on some weekends and holidays. This made the transition to a stable and caring home a very seamless experience. I was adopted by them at 14.

A few weeks into the summer I was taken to a pediatrician for a complete physical exam. My FP's were concerned about my health issues and struggles with anxiety. I was dreading going to the doctor but eventually getting my yearly check up became a positive experience due to my doctor's kind demeanor. I now had a great team on my side. A decent education, loving parents, a kind doctor and a stellar child psychologist along with a loving and playful Airedale Terrier had me going in the right direction. I was treated with some new medications that greatly reduced my asthma from a consulting pulmonary specialist. My doctor recommended a high carb and fats diet to get me out of my borderline unhealthy underweight status. One of the house rules was daily physical activity. They had me exercising with dumbbells and resistance bands along with a hefty dose of pushups, sit ups etc. My parents are healthy and physically fit so they knew how to train my growing body. Exercising together was also just good bonding. Running and playing with the dog (she had boundless energy) gave me a good cardio workout. I gained some weight and muscle tone along with a high degree of self confidence. My performance on the diving platform greatly improved and I excelled in other high school athletics. I became a new boy in so many ways but I certainly did have my struggles and challenges. I still have bouts of insomnia over my early childhood experiences.

My annual physicals were always quite thorough. I had to strip to my underwear in front of my doctor and FPs (I started going alone at 14). I was weighed and measured and my vitals signs were taken. Then came a full body exam. HEENT, neck, thyroid and auscultation and percussion of my torso and back. Lie back with my hands behind my head. Round two of more auscultation and percussion of my throat and chest. My armpits were felt for swelling and sometimes I actually had a breast exam. My abdomen was auscultated and percussed in all four quadrants. She would lower my underwear and check my femoral pulses. Then I was instructed to me to point my toes and lift both legs, then one leg at a time. My thighs, knees and calves were felt with a moderate amount of pressure followed by an orthopedic exam of ankles, feet and toes. She would turn out the light and reexamine my eyes. When the lights went on I sat up and was given a neurological exam. Follow my finger with the eyes and reflexes in arms and legs. ROM test of arms and legs. Stand up straight, arms out to the sides then slowly lift my arms above my head, bend over and touch my toes. My spine and back were felt and she would lower my underwear a little to check my spinal base. Then stand up, squat down and duck walk. Remove the underwear, hands behind my head with feet shoulder width apart. She would then check my femoral pulses a second time then feel my crotch area then examine my penis head and shaft. Both testicles were then rolled followed by a hernia check. Then I got back in my underwear while the doctor complimented me about how strong and fit I was getting and told me I did a great job and all that was left was an ECG and a Pulmonary Function Test completed by a technician. I also received any immunizations that were due. During my first exam I took 4 shots. Then off to the conference room to meet with my FPs where we talked about school (I always did well) and how I was managing my anxiety and insomnia. Things were slowly getting better. I had a great doctor. She then sent me to have some blood work, a urinalysis and a chest x-ray.

I’m not sure I remember the exact order for childhood exams but it went something like this:

Office was in an old multi story house (google ‘3 decker’. It’s an old New England mill town type of housing.) He was on the 2nd floor.

Wait in the waiting room until called. Often they had Highlights magazine which I loved.

Get called and it was everything off, but not consistently. I distinctly remember having to take everything off and I distinctly remember keeping panties on. I think the fully nude was when I was younger, the panties on when I was preadolescent.

Height and weight were done early on. Weight was always drama as I was always underweight. I didn’t like eating. I’ve had stomach issues (IBS and lactose intolerance) from way back and little kids drank milk in those days. My father in law had the same issue growing up and in the damned 1930s his doctor/family was smart enough to recognize it and give him goats milk. Mine not so much. I was forced to drink milk which made me sick. Catch 22.

Up onto the exam table for heart and lungs, ears and throat, reflexes. No temp or BP. I do remember the ‘quick peek’ at my genitals. I wasn’t spread or anything (that came later and I’ve written about that enough) but I swear I remember one time him having me stand on the exam table with my panties down while I talked about something to do with my genitalia to my mother. I remember him pointing and sort of touching. I don’t recall the details.

If there was a shot it came last. Usually in the arm, rarely in the bum.

We didn’t have school medical exams beyond lice checks.

I like the term “3 decker”. It might be a term used by the Boston F.D. And surrounding municipalities that had similar structures.

And I often heard the term “ mill construction a common type building in New England. The things I learned in the Fire service.

@OverRainbow One of my work colleagues grew up in Boston. I have herd him use that term on more than one occasion. It is without a doubt a Boston colloquialism. The movie The Departed when referring to South Boston working class as "Three Decker Men at best."

It's a New England thing, not just Boston. It's ubiquitous throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and parts of Connecticut as well as some of the larger cities in Maine and New Hampshire. Less so in Vermont because they don't really have them.