Amazing how a different pediatrician does Physical exams

I moved from Ohio to Massachussets, and in Ohio, I had a pediatrician in a busy office building.The office was in a big office building, where it housed several different businesses in an urban area.

The pediatrician was male. I had physicals from him from 8 to 13 years old. Every time it was same, and he just made me strip down to my briefs, and gave me a gown. For the genital exam, he just had me pull the gown up, and pulled the briefs down to my mid thigh, where he just did a hernia check, and testicle exam. I was uncircumcised, but he just asked me if I had any problems with my foreskin, and then told me to pull the underwear back up. During the genital exam, I just pulled the gown up, so I wasn't naked. My mom only came in twice for years 8 and 9.

When I moved to Massachussets when I was 14, my mom picked a lady pediatrician. I remember the first incident clearly, as it was shocking to me. We went there about a week after we moved since I started getting allergies and complained about itchy eyes and runny nose. Several things were unique. The office was in her house. From the outside, it looked like a house, and it was located in a relatively nice neighborhood. Outside, there was a small sign on the door stating that it was indeed a pediatrician's office. The living room was the waiting room, and had several toys just lying around. After checking in with the receptionist, we waited. The house had the old 1900 styling to it, and the old female pediatrician (looked like 70) greeted us and told us to come in.

I was ecorted with my mom to a room, and it was a larger room. There was a large wooden desk and bookshelf, and few chairs alonsg the wall. It looked like a consultation room, but there was also a green exam table along the wall. The female pediatrician asked what was wrong, and I told her about my allergies. She checked my eyes and nose, and then slid the stethoscope under my t shirt and had me breathe in and out.

She then said that it is probably seasonal allergies and that she will write me a prescription.

I was surprised when she turned to my mom, and said that since I am a new patient, she needs to perform a physical exam, and then turned to me and told me to take off all of my clothes, including my underwear.

I took of my shirt, and then asked my mom if she could leave the room. She just said OK, and left. I stripped down to my briefs and sat on the table, but then she told me to take off my briefs also.

She did the exam with me completely naked from start to finish. She put on gloves, and told me that she is going to check my genitals. The genital exam was more through. She first checked the sparse pubic hair, and did the hernia and testicle check for lumps, and told me how to do it as she rolled it around.

She then took my penis and pulled the foreskin back, and pulled the hole open. I remember her checking the foreskin several times, and then went to her desk and brought what looked like a bead. I found out later that it was called tanner balls. She compared the testicle size to the bead, and took the gloves off. She then made me to duck walks, and then had me stand in front of her and bend foward like a diver, and I felt her tracing my spine with her fingers.

What was shocking to me was that she then put another pair of gloves on, and told me to stand facing the exam table, and put my chest on the table. I did so, and she told me to part my legs a bit. I heard of rectal exam and I was very nervous, but she only parted my cheeks, and I only felt her pushing on the outside of the anus for couple of seconds, before telling me that I could get dressed.

So I was surprised that a pediatrician can differ a lot in terms of physical exam procedures with age and gender.

I forgot to mention, I was surprised that my friend at the time who also had the same pediatrician, said that he had to strip completely from the start. His female classmate was in the waiting room when he came out of his physical. Apparently this girl had a brother, and knew that the guys were stripped naked from the start of the exam. He said that he was embarrassed when she asked him if he passed the "naked exercise."

I won't compare my pediatric experiece in the 1960's with anything done today. My pediatrician was very thorough, but I came to believe that he received his medical degree from a Crackerjack Box.

I can tell you that there is a difference experienced in the level of exam in the state I live in. We moved about four years ago and my kids had to go to new doctors. I have attended my son's physical and it is fair to say that his new pediatrician or family doc is far more thorough. According to my wife, my daughter has experienced the same thing.

I don't know exactly what accounts for this, but these doctors do work in a practice where several veteran doctors are in the lead.

I talked with my youngest brother of his experience with the below doctor. (We never had our exams at the same time) He only had two physicals with her. After talking to him, several things were different from my experience.

1. Mom waited outside, and the nurse, instead of the doctor, called him and took him to the doctor's exam room. I was called by the actual doctor to the exam room, and mom followed in.

2. The nurse told him to strip down to his briefs and told him that the doctor will be in few minutes. For my exam, the actual doctor told me to take off everything. After the doctor came in and greeted him, she told him to remove his briefs.

3. After the spine check, I had to put my chest on the table and the doctor performed an external exam of the anus. (no DRE) My brother had to lie on his back, and bring his knees to his chest, as the doctor examined his anal region. There was no rectal exam.

4. He did get erect after the anal check, and the doctor asked him if he had any pain with his penis when it is like that, and gently retracted his foreskin. He told me he was embarrassed. He said that the doctor assured him that everything was normal.

Bump. Any inputs?

My pediatrician always hads me completely nude for physicals from the age of 12-16

Interesting, but I don't think pediatricians makes the boys completely naked during physicals anymore.

My pediatrician always had yu strip to underwear no matter what you were there for. It could be a physical or a basic head cold, every time u had to be in nothing but your undewear

What struck me as odd is that the same doctor performed physicals differently. We are missing element the time period. In some cases laws, in other cases awareness have changed aspects, hence what could be called 'gown creep:' the increasing prevalence of patients being handed gowns. While babies would be examined naked, with a parent, usually a mother, required in the exam room, it made sense for sons to keep underwear on at least until areas needed to be looked at were beneath and then the doctor would do the exam to minimize exposure. Were it not for Android phone limitations on posts, I would love to break experiences down by location and year.

[quote author=wrestler link=topic=57836.msg440981#msg440981 date=1336390242]

What struck me as odd is that the same doctor performed physicals differently. We are missing element the time period. In some cases laws, in other cases awareness have changed aspects, hence what could be called 'gown creep:' the increasing prevalence of patients being handed gowns. While babies would be examined naked, with a parent, usually a mother, required in the exam room, it made sense for sons to keep underwear on at least until areas needed to be looked at were beneath and then the doctor would do the exam to minimize exposure. Were it not for Android phone limitations on posts, I would love to break experiences down by location and year.

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I'd love to see those experiences, wrestler! Do you have a regular computer where you can post your experiences, rather than the phone? Although I haven't had a lot of physicals in my adult years, it seems that it's the younger doctors that are handing out the gowns. (I had an older doctor in the mid-1990s, I think it was, and when I saw him for complete exams, I wasn't offered a gown; just stripped to my shorts, and then he would want them off completely, not just pulled down, for the genital and rectal exams. My last exam before he retired, I decided that I would have a little fun and take all my clothes off, including shorts right off the bat and be naked for the whole exam. I had secretly always wanted to do such an exam where from start to finish, I'm bare-butt naked.)

Wrestler,

It wasn't the same doctor. The male doctor before I moved respected the modesty by giving me a gown and not having to remove underpants, but pull down for the genital exam.

The old female doctor was totally different.

Telephonepole and anyone else, my access is only via the Android. I can't reply to messages, only quick replies. What I meant above is for anyone posting exams to note area and year so that we could map things like gown creep.

I've posted in other threads that I had a couple different pediatricians examine me during my childhood. My normal pediatirian was a kindly middle-aged woman, a couple times a young male doctor who also worked at her practice saw me if she was out, the school doctor who gave sports physicals and the doctor who helped at the sleep-away camp I attended from grade 3 (age 8 )grade 8 (age 13). I noticed a difference in each how they did the exams.

My normal pediatrician would check for hernias at the end of the exam so she would see my genitals but she didn't actually touch them until I turned 13. The other doctor from her practice examined my genitals for the only physical he ever gave me when I was only 10. The school doctor would do a hernia check and testicular exam for sports physicals, but he never examined my penis. The camp doctor would have us undressed from start to finish. The first two years she only did a hernia check and we were good to go, from 10 to 13 she did a full genital exam.

I grew up in Massachusetts, and can address some of the things you noted:

1. Office space can be expensive, especially with only one doctor in the practice, so having home offices is not unusual. Also, around here, there are a lot of old homes that have spacious areas (formerly the "Parlor' that is connected to much smaller rooms, which make great exam room. They are (or were) cheaper to rent than regular "offices."

2. Your Doc already explained why she needed to do a full exam. You were a new patient, and she needed to get a 'baseline."

3. The level of nudity is at any point in the exam is up to the doctor's discretion

4. Since you were 14, you were probably entering puberty, hence the careful genital exam. (If you hadn't moved, your old doc probably would have started doing more thorough genital exams.)

5. Back in the day, a doctor could take his or her time, not make sure they examined X number of patients to meet some HMO's quota.

6. Lastly, a personal observation. Female doctors always, to this day, seem to be more thorough than male doctors. (Just my opinion.)

This was the similar exam room that I was in. It was essentially an office in a house, with a old wooden table and an exam table. It felt weird since it felt like I was naked in someone else's home.

http://home.earthlink.net/~mputnam3/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/m0000015.jpg

[quote author=ADPETXG77 link=topic=57836.msg454665#msg454665 date=1341577905]

This was the similar exam room that I was in. It was essentially an office in a house, with a old wooden table and an exam table. It felt weird since it felt like I was naked in someone else's home.

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Your photo reminds me of how dentists offices used to look back in the late 50´s in the US ...

I so want to go to a doctor exam that is in a converted house. I went to a dentist like that years ago. but to go to an exam in a converted house. to be undressed in what once was a bedroom, to be in the waiting area, and hopefully catching a glimpse inside an exam room. I wonder if some of the more old school doctors that have practices like that don't bother with gowns. and they have their patients in only their underpants, or fully nude.

I wasn't going to share this, but I did go to her three times for a yearly sports/wellness exam.

2nd time was when I found out that the girls are given a gown. It was about a year later. My mom and I waited in the waiting room, as the receptionist checked me in, and said that the doctor was a little behind. I wanted to use the restroom so I ased the receptionist, and she told me that the restroom is down the hall and on the far right. I did my business and came out, and the door to the exam room was open, and the doctor was standing by the door saying see you next year for a physical, and good luck in school. I walked by, and glanced through the door, and there was a girl about my age at the time sitting on the exam table. She was covered with a gown.

I almost bumped into the doctor as she walked out, and she said hi, and closed the door. I went back to the waiting room and waited for about ten minutes, and the doctor came and stood where the hallway meets the waiting room (no door) and told me to come back. My mom waited reading a book.

I went in and the doctor closed the door, and we exchanged greetings, and asked how I was doing. She looked through the files, and said, "Oh ok, you need your physical form signed for school." I remember dreading if she was going to make me get completely undressed again, and that was confirmed as she told me to "remove all clothing including your underwear. Like the last time, she had me step up on the scale that was inside the exam room completely exposed, and took my weight and height. Like the first time, she told me to keep my hands at my sides as I covered my genitals with my hands as she took the weight.

I undressed and sat on the exam table, and asked her if I get a gown. I don't remember her exact words, but she said something like it will be in the way for the examination. As she examined the genitals while lying down on the table, she did tell me that I have developed since the last time I saw her.

Funny, reading this reminded me of my old doctor. It was not a pediatrician, but an general practitioner. And I mean a true GP. Today, too many doctors seem to specialize and the lose the whole patient approach. Our GP took care of all use kids, my parents and grandparents. He even did minor surgery, but deferred to a specialist only when it was not routine.

Anyway, I remember the last physical I had with him. It was required for high school and it had been a while since I had a "complete" physical. I was expecting to have to strip to my briefs like I did when I was younger, but I was fully dressed for the entire physical. He did height and weight, blood pressure. He listened with the stethoscope, looked in my mouth and ears, poked my belly and neck and a few other superficial body parts. The funny part it when it came time for the "genital" exam he had me lay down on my back on the exam table. He undid my belt, unzipped my pants and stuck his hand down my underpants and placed two fingers just above my penis and had me cough. He tell pulled his hand out, told me to "get dressed." I now realize that there was very little he could learn how well that part of my anatomy was functioning from that exam, but I was also glad not to have to strip down to my underpants like I usually did when I went for physicals when I was younger.

Among my friends, some of us got undressed with a gown, some without, and some did not get undressed at all.

I'm from MA, and I had two different pediatricians. One was male and in his 40s, the other was female and in her 60s. The male was my pediatrician from about 3-10, and the female from 11-18. Both had me strip to my underwear for the whole exam...they never really came off...both just lifted the front waist band when it came time to check the jewels...and lowered the back slightly when checking my spine.

I always had to be completely undressed for the whole exam at my pediatrician. Don't know if gilrs also had to

Growing up I went to a pediatric practice and both doctors required that you be completely undressed for the whole exam. This went on through my senior year of high school.

No gown...our pediatrician was male...and we just stripped to our panties...at some point he would pull them down and check out our vagina and anus...I would blush...but he would be fast about it.

I can't remember that far back honestly. 10 and 12 aren't really a good memory of me. I remember sports physicals but certainly not at this young of an age

While going to the Peditrician it was always in my underwear with tshirt off. When it came time for the genital exam she just pulled them down without asking or even alerting me that it was coming. Talk about being mortified as a young boy! Never went back to her. My male GPs were old school and never thorough at all. Decided to leave them because of their lack of thoroughness. They were never into the gowns. Had me leave my pants on. The next GP I found used gowns. He would have me lay down and he placed a second gown on my legs from my hips down. Was rediculoud because he would shift the gowns up and down to keep my genitals covered until the big reveal. Finally told him...I am not using gowns going forward and he was fine with that.

In italy i've never stand naked in front of a pediatrician

Interesting to see how methods differ from pediatrician to pediatrician. I may share my third and last experience with the massachussets pediatrician I had later when I was 16.

Well since we dot use gowns over here its just dow to underpats......at some point also complete udnressed

Every doctor, whether in pediatrics, family medicine, or a specialty field differs, even within the same practice, in techniques and proceedures. It seems to take a lifetime to find the one you like best and I never have yet found what I consider to be the perfect doctor for me.

Yes it is interesting how differently pediatricians in the same practice perform their physical exams. I had one pediatrician until age 11 at which time he passed away. That doctor would not have me undress at all and would just examine me around my clothing. He did the genital exam by putting his hand down inside my briefs and feeling the penis and testicles. After his death I went to another doctor in the same practice. The new doctor had me strip down to my briefs for the entire exam. If that was not intimidating enough, imagine how mortified I was when he pulled down my briefs to completely expose the genitalia and then thoroughly palpated the testicles and checked the head of the penis including spreading of the meatus.

Reminds me of most of my exams too...thanks for sharing. I am grateful to have had a good doctor who took their time