Examination | Amazing how a different pedia…

Views: 8139 Created: 2011.09.29

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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."

JJM

I went to a couple of pediatricians, until I turned 17, at which time I was sent to an adult gp. I don’t remember being naked, or having my temperature taken, or blood drawn. The doctor listened to my chest, did a quick hernia check, looked down my throat, and that’s it.

agracier

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agracier

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@maletist
he used indirect relaxation suggestions, wheich helped. I was in a trance state when he performed the abdomen and genital exam.

Can you explain a bit more perhaps? Did the doctor hypnotize you on purpose do you think?

Pecan nutjob

@GraceT: My understanding is that from childhood to puberty, girls' genitals are usually left alone (perhaps a quick external check), while boys' undergo more invasive procedures (having their scrotum palpated to check for presence of testicles and hernia, having their foreskin pulled back, sometimes forcefully…).

Then in adult age women get bothered a lot about their genitals (go to the gyn, etc.) while men are rather left alone. One may get some palpation of testicles, especially when young, to check for abnormal growths, but that's not comparable to gyn exams.

Then in older age, men get the prostate checks. 😉

scotty95

When I went to the doctors as a boy when I was ill, they would often decide to do a more detailed exam and ask my mam or dad “can you strip him down to his underpants please?” and they would help me remove my clothes so I was only wearing my briefs, or boxers when I was older. My big brother was also in the room so he got to see me being examined. It wasn't greatly detailed and they would take my height and weight, check my eyes, ears and do a throat test, reflex tests, and listen to my heart, breathing and belly, as well as palpating. If I was lucky they let me listen to myself with their stethoscope also which I enjoyed. I didn't get my genitals examined in these exams, only at school when I was older.

doctordave

I was examined by the same pediatrician mostly ages 6-21 and always resulted in very embarrassing yet consistent exposure. Often even for colds or stomach bugs I was examined intimately. However, on several occasions when I had to be seen by other providers in the practice it was a very different experience. Even at one of my physicals around age 10 or 11 the other pediatrician who was covering excused my mother and then took what was no more than a 2 second peek at my by quickly lifting my basketball shorts and briefs away from my body. I remember she counted “1, 2 3 all good” and then sent me on my way. With my regular pediatrician often she would lift up my waistband for a preliminary visual exam and then a few minutes later would lower my shorts or pants and underwear to mid thigh or lower before examining my scrotum, testicles and penis extensively. She seldom ever exhibited any urgency in pulling my pants and underwear back up.

DrC

I was always stripped naked when I was at the doctor's. but got to keep my undies as i got older under the gown

Laura L

In the UK you rarely see a “pediatrician” unless there's some kind of problem and you're referred to a hospital. Examinations are generally done by the GP. Most doctors surgeries seem to have any number of doctors working there and whenever I've visited from when I was young right up to now I've honestly rarely seen the same one. It must be nice to actually know which doctor you're going to see!

GraceT

I only had one pediatrician my whole life until I was 18, after which I went to college and never returned to see him. His physical exams were very consistently the same. They made me very nervous and very excited, and I always knew what was coming and thought about it for days and weeks afterward.

Srgfgahs

Doctors practice the ’Art of medicine’ not the science of medicine. That leaves their interpretation of what constitutes an exam up to them. Scientific method only comes into play IF they are so inclined.

Medical man

In the UK you rarely see a “pediatrician” unless there's some kind of problem and you're referred to a hospital. Examinations are generally done by the GP. Most doctors surgeries seem to have any number of doctors working there and whenever I've visited from when I was young right up to now I've honestly rarely seen the same one. It must be nice to actually know which doctor you're going to see!
@Laura_L standard practice all over the uk no guarantees you will see the same doctor unless you are in a small practice

DrC

I've had pediatric exams done in México and the US. When I was little never notice any differences expect the order they were done in…

Skikds

So i grew up in a military family, so never had a single pediatrician or doctor. Always saw someone different, often in a different part of the world. It was usually the same basic script – go in, nurse/assistant takes vitals, undress to some level, exam, then the genital/hernia check, then finally shots at the end. But each time was different in the details of how those would go – and where the doctor would spend more or less time. That uncertainty definately added to the awkwardness and anticipation of the exam.

But it is hard to know if certain things that happened were based on age or just because it was a different doctor's style. For example, one year being asked if I knew about or did testicle self-exams: was that typical for a 14yr boy that was midway through puberty, or was it because that doctor did it regardless of age or maturity? College was similar – never saw the same person twice. It wasn't until after college that I had a more regular doctor that I had some consistency.

JJM

Even adult gp’s do physical exams differently. Some make you strip off your clothes, and they prod and poke you, while others just ask a few questions, and maybe listen to your chest, without removing your clothes. My former doctor was very invasive. My current doctor, not in the least. I had a pediatrician that I went to until I was 17, and was switched to an adult gp. My pediatrician never had me strip off my clothes, no thermometers in my ass, and no bloodwork. He worked from his home, and had no staff. He also made house calls, which was common back in the 60’s.

BenDover

... His physical exams … made me very nervous and very excited, … and thought about it for days and weeks afterward.

@GraceT I don't know about anybody else, but I also think (and masturbate) about it for weeks before my scheduled exam, not just afterwards. The nervous anticipation leading up to an exam is very arousing to me.