Medical examinations for school and university

Interesting, it seems that in the US, things work differently, with each university actually defining its own medical examination requirement - or absence of. In most european countries, it is different, with such exams being usally managed by the state and often conducted by some kind of public medical departments.

" gphilg "

you are right to say that things have changed a lot

According to what I read now about physicals at school or university now in France, the regulations are very different from one school and one university to an other one, and even when examinations are still required and performed at school or university, there is much more privacy, there is no group exam like in the past normally and certainly no nudity required ( but an exception is always possible ), even for those who want to practice sport in a team, it is different than in the past.

I agree with "Doc Peter" that privacy is more and more respected while it was often the last concern of the medical staff and the administrative local authorities in former years at schools or even at universities or great schools after undergraduation of high schools.

At my student time in France when entering for the first year of a great school (the regulations could have been different in an other one except that there migh be a check of the health of the studentst), the practice of sport like swimming was mandatory as well as the PE lessons, so we had during the first week after entrance at this school a compulsory physical examination in the office of the chief of the sport department, a group of 15 male students aged between 18 and 21 was summoned to come on one morning all together at the same hour ( it means that the last to be examined had to wait their turn for almost all the moring, at least more than two hours), then a Pe teacher instructed us to undress in briefs in a kind of big looker room and then to wait to be called one by one.( it means that some of us stayed undressed in briefs for a long time)

As we discovered it when we were called to enter in the office, there was in that room one female nurse, one male doctor and three Pe teachers and among them a woman Pe teacher, the three teachers were dressed in gym clothes and the doctor and nurse in lab coats.

Once in the room, I was first questioned about my family, my studies, my practice of sport, my health, my fitness to military service since I was supposed to have been examined in a military pre-induction center at 18 age to check my fitness like all boys of that age, then examined standing in front of them like in a draft board commission with a visual look at me, head to toes, face and back ,and then I had my vitals checked by the doctor and the nurse as well as my vision, after I was weighted, heighted, measured for the turn of the chest, the waist and so on , then I had a check of reflexes with a hammer, and then to do a few orthopedic exercices like squatting several times, lifting the legs one by one and the arms one by one and so on, standing on the toes of the feet for a while, spreading my legs and my arms, touching my feet etc. Then, ( I don't know if it was the standard process for all the students or because they have noticed that I had a curvature at the spine ), I was instructed by a male Pe teacher, I assume that he was the chief of the sport department because he was the older man) to remove my brief and to put it on a stool that I found near me, then to stand face to them who were sitting behind a desk, then to turn on the side and after to turn completely around always stark naked and to stand back under their sight from the back for a while. I could hear some comments about my spine curvature and my well shaped buttocks for which I was congratulated by the chief of the sport department, then I was told to bend over and touch my ankles, then to lift up again slowly, then to walk towards the wall and came back., It was the last part of the exam and after that I was told to put again my brief, they told me that I was not a very strong young man but that I was able to practice sport because the curvature of my spine was not important, it was not a real issue since I could move easily without any issue, So they decided to subscribe me in a group with compulsory Pe lessons ans swimming lessons too because they thought that It would be very good for me to practice more sports, but with young men at the same level, they said that I was classified in the" A" group for Pe lessons and swimming lessons ( I learned after that there was three groups "A level", "B level" and "C level" )and then I was told to get out of the room.

It was in the first 70's and it is obvious that an examination in a great school, even for sport, would not be performed like that today because privacy was more respected

At that time it was different because they knew that each male student had already been examined in the nude in front of a draft board commission for military service at 18 age, so the concern about modesty of young men was not important !

Up until the ACA, the US had private and public (state) colleges and universities. Private ones could establish policies as they wished, subject to state laws. State adhered to state, not meaning national, criteria. There really wasn't an overarching agency.

At my student time in France when entering for the first year of a great school ( The regulations could have been different in an other except that there migh be a check of the health of the studentst, the practice of sport like swimming was mandatory as well as the Pe lessons, so we had during the first week after entrance at this school a compulsory physical examination in the office of the chief of the sport department

It was in the first 70's and it is obvious that an examination in a great school, even for sport, would not be performed like that today because privacy was more respected

I went to a Belgian high school during the 1960s and while we had, what I suppose were state mandated exams, I cannot recall ever having had an exam, however cursory, for participating in sports activities. Frankly, I think the Jesuits running the school didn't give a fig about sports. It was something they encouraged you to do after school hours, on your own time and dime.

Maybe because in France there is more expectation of a later military service for male students, that more emphasis was placed on sports.

May be since it was in the last 60's when there was still a mandatory military service but even at that time it was not the same in all great schools, some did not require that students practiced sport, and it was after high school for older boys more than 18 age who had already be examined to decide about their fitness to military service and had a postponement for studies before military service.

I have never asked to a girl student if they were submitted to the same kind of examination in the same way, I doubt of that but I cannot know !

But now I find it rather useful to separate the students according to their fitness for sport in groups of around the same level when they had to do sport even if the process of the examination was really unfair since the three Pe teachers were not medic persons and our privacy might have been more respected but who cared at that time ?

When I was applying for colleges in the late 80's some required a physical and some did not. All that I was looking at were in the midwest and most were state colleges. Maybe 30-40% of the ones that accepted me (both private and state schools) came with a form to be filled out by the physician of my choice and returned with all the other paper work. The school I chose to attend did not require a physical so I can't say how detailed it was. From the form, I remember thinking it would be similar to a regular high school sports physical.

Do you mean they were requiring a medical exam as part of the application process? in other words, if you were applying for several colleges, would you be required to undergo several medical examinations? or would they just examine you after you decided you would go and study with them?

Do you mean they were requiring a medical exam as part of the application process? in other words, if you were applying for several colleges, would you be required to undergo several medical examinations? or would they just examine you after you decided you would go and study with them?

If you were current with your doctor, you usually just brought the form to them and they checked the boxes and signed on the dotted line.

It would also be interested to know how school and medical examinations were in former eastern european countries. I read a few things about that in various forums, and it seems exams were extensive without much respect for privacy. Anybody has such experiences to share?

Going to my doctor for a routine examination required when changing schools was the first time I wasn't afraid because I reasoned that, not being ill, I would be spared the usual painful humiliation of bending over the receptionist's lap for a penicillin shot in my bare bottom. I had, however, forgotten about booster shots and got three quick stings in that dread position which didn't hurt much when I got them but left me unable to sit down next day.

My wife had to get a physical exam from her doctor prior to admission to the college she attended. It was a complete physical that included a breast exam, pelvic exam and Pap.

She also tried out for the track team and made the cut. The team had to have a sports physical by the college's athletic department physician. It was a group physical done in the women's locker room, the male track team members had their exams done in the men's locker room first, then it was the women's turn.

My wife and the other team members wore their track outfits for the exam. You know the outfit, like what the women track competitors wore at the Olympics. The tight, shiny spandex short shorts and tight, shiny spandex cropped tank tops with a sports bra underneath. It was a pretty thorough physical and it did include a brief internal exam while in stirrups.

The group physical started with vitals done at one station, height and weight done at another, with the women rotating between the two. Then it was range of motion and balance checks done as a group. Before they started they had to go to their lockers and remove their running shoes. They were wearing their track outfits, since the first team practice was planned for after the exams. The outfit consisted of shiny black and gold lycra spandex short shorts and shiny black and gold lycra spandex tank top. The tank top was just short enough to show an inch or two of abs. The women wore whatever sports bra they wanted under the tank top. My wife told me she wore a black spandex sports bra and thong panties under her shorts, and black low cut no show anklet socks.

After the group exercises, they lined up outside the door to the trainer's room, which consisted of a standard exam table with fold away stirrups and a few flat bench type treatment tables. The rest of the physical was conducted one on one with the athletic department physician.

My wife happened to be third in line, and she told me the exams went faster than she thought they would. She could tell how the two women ahead of her were embarrassed as they left the exam room, and she soon found out why.

When it was her turn, the nurse opened the door, and after the woman that was just examined left, she steps out and says next. My wife walks in and saw the stirrups extended on the exam table. She had that feeling of dread about the exam being more thorough than she thought it would be.

The doctor had just finished changing the table paper, and had my wife sit up on the end of the table between the stirrups. After ascultating her heart and lungs by having my wife lift her tank top up over her breasts, he had her lie back, pulling out the table extension for her legs. With her top still pulled up, he ascultated her abdomen, then thoroughly and deeply palpted her flat firm tummy. He then had her sit up as he pushed in the extension and informed her of the required internal exam.

The doctor instructed my wife to undress from the waist down and place her shorts on the chair next to the table, then sit up on the table again. After she complied, he had her lie back and place her feet in the stirrups as he pulled on a nitrile glove on his right hand. After she placed her sock covered feet into the stirrups, he had her slide her bottom just over the edge of the exam table as he lubed up his index and middle fingers. As he approached her he told her to relax her knees to the side as far as she could. She complied by opening her very flexible legs obscenely wide. He slowly inserts his fingers into her tight vagina and briefly rotated them around, feeling her vaginal walls, then gave her cervix and uterus a quick palpation, checking for cervical motion tenderness. There was none. Then he gave her ovaries a brief palpation, which she told me made her wince a little and curl her toes tightly, as she usually does during ovary palpation. He then slowly slid his fingers out, told her she can slide back and sit up, and removed and tossed the soiled glove into the biohazard bin. She told me that was probably one of the fastest internal exams she has ever had, maybe 30 seconds max. And the whole exam by the doctor took maybe 5 to 7 minutes, most of it spent carefully ascultating her heart and lungs.

After she sat up, the nurse handed her some tissues to clean up with, and told her she could get dressed. As she cleaned up and pulled on her thong panties and shiny spandex short shorts, the nurse and doctor disappeared behind a divider to give her some privacy and to fill out her medical forms to show she was cleared for full participation. When she was dressed the doctor and nurse reappeared, the doctor told her she is cleared to participate, handed her a paper stating such to give to her coach, and the nurse showed her out.

Looking forward to the rest of the story, rabidbiker!

This incident is 8 years old. I had a mandatory physical at the time of joining college. It was a minor one though (well, most of it, so to say) It wasnt like a full head to toe.

It was conducted in the college classrooms itself, Special arrangement was made in those rooms. Our college did not have a dedicated medical room.

First we were given pre exam forms to fill in. It contained questions regarding our medical history. Then our weigh height and BP was measured and was recorded in the form.

Then we were guided to the large hall of our college where a group of boys and girls had their pulse checked and their heart and lungs asculated. The lady doctor I was assigned too seemed to be very thorough for an exam of this cursory level. She asked me to take of my jacket 😃 and sthed my heart and lungs. Till now I haven't understood the logic of keeping it separate, couldnt the nurse taking our vitals check our pulse and do a little bit of stething etc

From here boys and girls were separated to go into two separate rooms. I had heard about this whole exam thing from my friends in other colleges but none of them told me about this part, for obvious reasons. The room where this part was being done, was a room with two doors, one each being used for entry and exit. So we couldnt know what all was happening inside. Moreover the examination area in that room was blocked by placing a screen, so nothing could be seen from outside.

On my turn I went in and saw a lady doctor. She asked me questions about my periods etc and any issues that I had. It was embarrassing answering such questions since I was doing it for the first time

Then what she said surprised me "Strip till your waist and sit here (pointing towards the exam stool next to her)"

Though I like medfet but being told like this out of the blue was surprising. Atleast at that age it had been quite a long time since I took of my top even in front of my mother, so a complete stranger was out of bounds. Then I realised why my friends had not told me about this part. Anyways, that was part of a mandatory physical so I had to comply. I took of my jacket, unbuttoned my top and unhooked my bra, now sitting topless in front of the doctor.

She palpated my left breast and then the right, pinching my nipples to check for discharge both the times. My face was red with embarrassment. "Relax its ok", the doctor kept repeating to calm me down while explaining the imprtance of Self Exams.

I thought it was done when she said "Now take off your jeans and panties and lie down on bed here" I was like what. She understood my hesitation and said "It is just a minor pelvic, it will be over before you know...come on here" I was stunned but was thankful that the rooms of the college were sound proof so converstion couldnt be heard outside.

I somehow gathered courage to finally strip completely and lie down on the bed as instructed. The doctor said "I am going to check you there, if it pains, tell me and she wore a pair of gloves. She inserted her lubed finger and started examinig my insides. In the two minute exam itself I felt as if her finger was there since ages. Finally she said "All ok. You can get dressed now" I jumped from the bed like a spring got dressed and was out before she changed her mind 😃

The last part was a minor eye exam, reading out the alphbet chart and colour blindness check. This part of the exam was way minor to what I had just been through.

That ended the exam. Sorry for a very long post.

I had an exam before my studies as a teacher. We had to go to a certain doctor.

He giggled about each question he asked me.

Then i had to give an urine example with only a thin curtain between us.

I could not get a single drop out. It was very embarrassing.

Hi Carli, thanks for posting your experience. And how was the actual examination by this doctor? Was it a detailed exam and how much did you have to undress?

When I was in elementary school it was required that you have a physical every year. You could have it done by your family doctor; students who didn't would get exams at school. Mine were always done by our family doctor.

In high school I played sports and received a sports physical which also counted for the annual requirement.

While I was in high school I worked summers at a local hospital. A new, full-time employee was hired and she had to have a physical exam which was conducted in the hospital's small emergency room by a doctor and nurse on the staff. Sometime after her exam I was asked to take some papers to the main office.On top was our new employee's physical exam form. In the area for vital signs I saw that she had her temperature taken rectally. As a devotee of rectal temperatures I tried to think of a way to get myself bare bottomed up. When I returned to my department I asked if I needed an exam too. Unfortunately they told me no since I was a summer employee. It was hard to hide my disappointment.

When I was in school, we were required by the school district to have a physical every year, but this was always done by my family doctor. Interestingly, though, in 6th, 8th, and 10th grade, we did have scoliosis checks at school, where we'd go behind a set of curtains, take our shirts off, and we'd have to bend over and be checked by a nurse.

My school was an early experimenter in what is now called "school based health centers." We had lots of low income students, so it not only did physicals but was also, for many of us, usually our primary care doctor and where we got booster shots, etc. The actual clinic was in the High School building but starting when I was in 5th grade they started to send us there for school or sports physicals. Big, full physicals were station-to-station style, with a number of stations set up in the gym, then others in the health office down the hall from there. This was in the 1970s-80s and was for the time, and definitely by today's standards, a pretty thorough physical. Once you took into account all the stations which included not only the basics but things like EKGs, fitness tests, growth and development assessment, etc., and all of the waiting when it was a really big group, the whole process could take 2 to 3 hours (again, a lot of that was waiting in between stations as things bottled up).

That ended the exam. Sorry for a very long post.

You shouldn't be sorry. it was quite informative & folks here enjoyed it. Your account covered a lot of good stuff, as it was very well described.

Hi easterman

Sorry for not getting back sooner, but I have been naughty again and had to suffer the consequences

Perhaps things have changed since I was examined but I know the attitude to nudity here, but then a lot of things were mandatory then including the manner we were examined. .We might have been the only place to carry out the exam as they did but it was the one academy that I had any experience with. That said as you say there are cultural differences and things have certainly changed, when I went in prison for the fist time apart from a few admin staff there were no other men in the place, now they work on the wings.

I would have loved to have been involved with a forces physical. I have a male friend that had to spend half a day naked when he had his physical. He said he could not work out what was worse, being naked in front of the nurses for so long or the other men as he feared he would raise to the occasion.

I hope I can clear up any confusion about the x-rays. When my step mum found that I had had sex I was taken to the doctor to be put on birth control. In most of Europe when you work here you have to have a physical. I had a chest x-ray at the local hospital and then I went to my physician for a through medical.

Acting as an interpreter, I get to see a lot of these exams.

In most of Europe when you work here you have to have a physical. I had a chest x-ray at the local hospital and then I went to my physician for a through medical.

Acting as an interpreter, I get to see a lot of these exams.

How thorough are the physicals? Does it include pelvic and/or rectal exams for the women?

In most of Europe when you work here you have to have a physical.

_____________________________

How thorough are the physicals? Does it include pelvic and/or rectal exams for the women?

There are 20 and some countries in Europe, some with large regional differences between the various parts of the country. It makes little sense to talk about Europe as a single entity when trying explain things like nudity/non-nudity in medical exams. You really have to be much more specific than that. And even in a same region there may be differences between various physicians and doctors.

Sorry alacier, I like to keep some things very close to my chest, that way I keep my anonymity

Hi rapid

The exam was not invasive but I had a friend that had to be checked and that was done in the medical room I assume not only for privacy, but less time constraint.

In the UK from when I started school in 1981 until I left in 1993 there were no full medical exams required for school or college . There were just a few basic checks carried out.

At aged 5 everyone in Reception class had a height , weight , hearing and vision check done .

Aged 6 every child got a dental check

Aged 11 just before going up to Secondary school everyone got a height and weight check again

Aged 13-14 everyone got height , weight and vision checks again.

All of these checks apart from the hearing and vision checks were carried out in front of everyone else. No one got undressed . It was just shoes off for the height and weight checks. Everyone lined up and took their turn.

The hearing and vision checks were carried out on different days. You were called one by one for those but they were also carried out in school . If anything un towards was found a letter was sent home with you . You'd then get an appointment in the post to go for further testing at the hospital or an opticians a few weeks later .

The checks done in Secondary school at aged 13-14 were carried out individually in the medical room. Again no proper undressing . It was shoes and blazer off only.

Nik

@Mellow said

..... In most of Europe when you work here you have to have a physical. I had a chest x-ray at the local hospital and then I went to my physician for a through medical. .....

@agracier said

There are 20 and some countries in Europe, some with large regional differences between the various parts of the country. It makes little sense to talk about Europe as a single entity when trying explain things like nudity/non-nudity in medical exams. You really have to be much more specific than that. And even in a same region there may be differences between various physicians and doctors.

@mellow - I agree with @agracier's comments. Europe is not a country, so I think you have made a rather hasty generalisation. There may be some local requirement in your specific location, for some reason or other, but it is certainly not something that applies generally.

DrZ

You are perfectly in your rights to hold the views that you do and I respect you for them as I hope you do me. Europe has 800 million people and of course there will be cultural variations but I disagree that I am making hasty generazations..

You include as a quote about me having a physical, would you not have one if you joined a new practise in your country. And what I think needs to be bourn in mind is that for Europe I was referring to it as the EU where for the most part you are free to cross borders without hindrance, take up residence in another EU country and receive the same level of medical care that you would receive in the UK as a UK national.

I on the other hand am not from the EU, do not have the same rights as you and aglacier have and in the eyes of the EU I am a foreigner like you will be in 2 years time. Like my fellow Americans I need to have a work permit which is a laborious process and which I have to arrange for my staff so I have a bit of insight in this matter.

You are perfectly in your rights to hold the views that you do and I respect you for them as I hope you do me. Europe has 800 million people and of course there will be cultural variations but I disagree that I am making hasty generazations..

Apologies, I will be more precise. I was in fact referring to the EU, not the whole of continental Europe.

You include as a quote about me having a physical, would you not have one if you joined a new practise in your country.

Actually, no I wouldn't. It doesn't work like that here.

I on the other hand am not from the EU, do not have the same rights as you and aglacier have and in the eyes of the EU I am a foreigner like you will be in 2 years time. Like my fellow Americans I need to have a work permit which is a laborious process and which I have to arrange for my staff so I have a bit of insight in this matter.

The UK points based system for non-EU migrants intending to stay longer than 6 months does involve some kind of medical examination to ensure they aren't a risk to public health and aren't in need of major medical treatment, but I don't claim to be an expert in the matter.

You include as a quote about me having a physical, would you not have one if you joined a new practise in your country. And what I think needs to be bourn in mind is that for Europe I was referring to it as the EU where for the most part you are free to cross borders without hindrance, take up residence in another EU country and receive the same level of medical care that you would receive in the UK as a UK national.

In Belgium, where I live, there is as far as I know or have ever read, no requirement to have a physical exam when taking up residence here, either as a working or non-working resident. The same goes for Spain, where I am also a resident. You need to do the, not so really extensive, paperwork and get approval, but a medical exam does not enter the picture.

This is why I like to point out that EU countries are not all alike.

Secondly, an EU citizen, when abroad from his own country, does not automatically receive the same level of medical care he would in his own country. He gets the same level of medical care as residents do in the country where he is. This can be quite an important distinction. In most cases he will not end up paying more for medical help than in his own country, but the level of help, the quality and services available will be those of the hosting country.

And moreover, EU citizens when traveling to other EU countries must have a valid medical insurance card issued by the medical health entity of his residing country. These are only valid for 1 year at a time and run from Jan. 1st to Dec. 31st. With a non valid or expired international med insurance card, you risk paying the Full Monty for medical costs.

As with many things, the devil is in the details. And with each EU country, come different details ...

It's true what Agracier says about the medical care in the EU. Also for the new residence non-working or working, they don't need to have a physical exam in The Netherlands as well. We don't need to take medical exams when we get ( or have ) a job. This is only needed for specific jobs like: fireman, policeman and military personnel.

But that wasn't the main topic of this thread.

In The Netherlands we have school medical exams during primary and secondary school.

Around the age of 6, in the first room you started with vision and hearing checks. After that you had to go to the next room , first of all they checked your height and weight. After that you had to do some exercises like walking and jumping around. Next you had to lie down on the exam table, here they checked the testicles and if you could pull your foreskin back.

Around the age of 10, only weight, height, vision and hearing checks were performed.

At aged 14, this was the only exam preformed during secondary school. You had to fill in some question form, a few weeks prior to the exam. During the exam you had an eye-test, and your height and weight check was done. The questions they asked were about drinking sexuality and drugs. This exam was performed in a room at school.

There were no dental checks performed during those exams. All exams were in private.