Physical Exam Appointment Length

In real life, maybe 30 minutes of examining. In play, as long as it takes.

30-40 minutes from start to finish is my experience, if there isn’t a lot of waiting around. Fortunately my Doc is pretty good about keeping on schedule.

For a complete physical, the appointment length is scheduled for 45 minutes. From the time you are called back to leaving the exam room after getting dressed, in reality it runs pretty close to that. Sometimes it runs a little over, sometimes a little shorter, depending on if they are behind schedule or if you have a lot of questions or a concern for the doctor.

Since my wife and I have been having conjoint physicals for the past 3 or so years, we are scheduled as back to back 45 minute appointments. But the total time for our exams usually ends up being less than an hour and a half.

A REAL physical exam takes about an 90 minutes for me and about the same for my husband. His company execs and their wives get a presidential quality exam, our daughters get somewhat less.

When it comes to a play exam, about 45 minutes is plenty for me. At the conclusion I expect a good hard fucking.

The physical exam is an essential part of any doctor's visit. Surprisingly, though, there are no absolutes in a routine physical. A good doctor may be thorough or brief ranging from 15 to 90 mins.

Annual exams usually check your:

History. This is your chance to mention any complaints or concerns about your health. Your doctor will also likely quiz you about lifestyle behaviors like smoking, excessive alcohol use, sexual health, diet, and exercise. The doctor will also check on your vaccination status and update your personal and family medical history.

Vital Signs. These are some vital signs checked by your doctor:

Blood pressure: Less than 120 over less than 80 is a normal blood pressure. Doctors define high blood pressure (hypertension) as 130 over 80 or higher.

Heart rate: Values between 60 and 100 are considered normal. Many healthy people have heart rates slower than 60, however.

Respiration rate: From 12 to 16 breaths per minute is normal for a healthy adult. Breathing more than 20 times per minute can suggest heart or lung problems.

Temperature: 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or 37 degrees Celsius is the average, but healthy people can have resting temperatures slightly higher or lower.

General Appearance. Your doctor gathers a large amount of information about you and your health just by watching and talking to you. How is your memory and mental quickness? Does your skin appear healthy? Can you easily stand and walk?

Heart Exam. Listening to your heart with a stethoscope, a doctor might detect an irregular heartbeat, a heart murmur, or other clues to heart disease.

Lung Exam. Using a stethoscope, a doctor listens for crackles, wheezes, or decreased breath sounds. These and other sounds are clues to the presence of heart or lung disease.

Head and Neck Exam. Opening up and saying "ah" shows off your throat and tonsils. The quality of your teeth and gums also provides information about your overall health. Ears, nose, sinuses, eyes, lymph nodes, thyroid, and carotid arteries may also be examined.

Abdominal Exam. Your doctor can use a range of examination techniques including tapping your abdomen to detect liver size and presence of abdominal fluid, listening for bowel sounds with a stethoscope, and palpating for tenderness.

Neurological Exam. Nerves, muscle strength, reflexes, balance, and mental state may be assessed.

Dermatological Exam. Skin and nail findings could indicate a dermatological problem or disease somewhere else in the body.

Extremities Exam. Your doctor will look for physical and sensory changes. Pulses can be checked in your arms and legs. Examining joints can assess for abnormalities.

Male Physical Exam

An annual physical exam for men might also include:

Testicular exam: A doctor can check each testicle for lumps, tenderness, or changes in size. Most men with testicular cancer notice a growth before seeing a doctor.

Hernia exam: The famous "turn your head and cough" checks for a weakness in the abdominal wall between the intestines and scrotum.

Penis exam: A doctor might notice evidence of sexually transmitted infections such as warts or ulcers on the penis.

Prostate exam: Inserting a finger in the rectum lets a doctor feel the prostate for its size and any suspicious areas.

Female Physical Exam

A woman's annual exam might include:

Breast exam. Feeling for abnormal lumps may detect breast cancer or benign breast conditions. The doctor will also check the lymph nodes in the underarm area and look for visual abnormalities of the breasts and nipples.

Pelvic exam: The pelvic exam allows examination of the vulva, vagina, cervix, uterus and ovaries. Routine checks for sexually transmitted infections are often done. A Pap test and HPV test can screen for cervical cancer and help assess risk.

Laboratory Tests

There are no standard laboratory tests during an annual physical. However, some doctors will order certain tests routinely:

Complete blood count or Full Blood Count

Chemistry panel U&E's . LFT'S

Urinalysis (UA)

Unless symptoms already suggest a problem, however, these tests are unlikely to provide useful information.

A screening lipid panel (cholesterol test) is recommended every 4 to 6 years, according to the American Heart Association. Your doctor might check more frequently if you have risk factors for heart disease. Abnormal cholesterol levels increase the risk for heart attacks and strokes.

Like RN1993 post. physical exam should include detailed health history and head to exam. no less than 45 minutes.

Generally mine are pretty short (and they always were). I almost always spend more time waiting than I do at the actual exam. The physical itself usually takes 15 - 20 minutes, and 10 minutes of that is usually spent in taking questions. Nothing like a play exam!

Mine are pretty short as well. Usually waiting 90% of the time, taking 8% and exam 2%.

An average appointment duration here is around 10-15 minutes. It's possible to book a double appointment if you have a more in depth concern or a full physical is required.

Yes unfortunately in the UK , most GPs only schedule 10-15 min for most patients as stated by medical-exam:

An average appointment duration here is around 10-15 minutes. It's possible to book a double appointment if you have a more in depth concern or a full physical is required.

Which I feel is quite inadequate to perform a detailed Physical Exam. We don't pay to see our GPs in the UK so I expect this has something to do with the exam length . It seems that the GPs are always rushed, trying to get you in and out fast, no wonder things get missed or misdiagnosed.

It all really depends. One GP I know takes up to 45 minutes, others were 5 minutes in length.

My last Physical Exam was 35-40min, plus another 60min for the X-rays and Lab work to be done.

Its wierd mine usually take only 5-10 minutes to do. Its the prepping that takes like 10-15 minutes so like 30-45 minutes total.

Yes unfortunately in the UK , most GPs only schedule 10-15 min for most patients as stated by medical-exam:Which I feel is quite inadequate to perform a detailed Physical Exam. We don't pay to see our GPs in the UK so I expect this has something to do with the exam length . It seems that the GPs are always rushed, trying to get you in and out fast, no wonder things get missed or misdiagnosed.

This morning I called to make my appointments for exams for this year. First was the VA appointment where I have a new doctor whose name I can't pronounce. He replaces Heidi who has been my APRN for 15+ years because she retired. So now I have a doctor to replace a nurse at the VA.

I wanted the VA appointment first ahead of my local Medicare doctor so I will have the blood results to bring to my local doctor. Two years ago my local Dr. sent me to her lab for blood work which our old folks health care refused to pay for costing me over $200 plus her charges as the old folks health care applied that to my deductible. When I told the person I spoke with to make the appointment she seemed to know that Medicare would not pay for the blood work as she was not surprised at all when I told her why I wanted her appointment AFTER my VA appointment. She also informed me they have a new method for doing Medicare wellness checks. I will be seeing a nurse only, not my doctor. So I gained a doctor at the VA and lost one at my local Medical facility. So maybe the only place I'm going to get a semi-real physical will be the VA. My appointments aren't until the end of March so I will be back with the next episode of this story then.

I recently had a complete physical exam by a new PCP. It was scheduled for 60 minutes but the receptionist told me to come 10-15 minutes early to fill out paperwork and get checked in. I don't know if that's because I was a new patient or they always do that. I arrived 15 minutes early and immediately started filling out paperwork in the waiting room. Within 1 minute the nurse came for me and started her check-in procedure of weight, BP, meds, etc. When she left, I sat in the exam room and finished the paperwork. After completing that and turning it in, I had maybe 2 minutes of waiting in the exam room before the doctor entered, right on time of my scheduled appointment. We talked while he took my history for around 40 minutes. Took approximately 10 minutes for him to physically examine me. Then we talked for another 10 minutes or so about the results and a plan going forward. When he left, the nurse immediately came in with my flu shot and prescription for lab work. I think I walked out 5 minutes later than the scheduled end time. Very efficient and yet thorough!

My physicals are usually 15 to 20 minutes long. That doesn't include getting undressed before and getting dressed after.

My appointment today was booked for 40 minutes but started late so was maybe about 25-30 mins in duration. Mostly chatting while we went through the exam. Kept clothes on most of the time. The only time I really removed anything was when I was asked to stand and drop my underwear and jeans for a testicular exam. Relatively brief, not even much a visual inspection more of feel each quickly then ok everything feels good. I trust the doctor, but its anticlimactic and seems abbreviated. Anyone else have this time of exam?

My appointment today was booked for 40 minutes but started late so was maybe about 25-30 mins in duration. Mostly chatting while we went through the exam. Kept clothes on most of the time. The only time I really removed anything was when I was asked to stand and drop my underwear and jeans for a testicular exam. Relatively brief, not even much a visual inspection more of feel each quickly then ok everything feels good. I trust the doctor, but its anticlimactic and seems abbreviated. Anyone else have this time of exam?

That sounds very much like what I've been getting under Medicare since Obamacare took over and my old doctor closed his practice. He used to split my checkup into two, one every six months. One was just looking at the blood work and listening to my chest. The second one I had to get naked right from the start and he checked everything including the ooo-ooo test (dre). I sat there naked for about 30 to 40 minutes so I felt he was looking me over pretty good. If there was something unusual on my skin I'm pretty sure he would have noticed it. With today's clothing on exams I don't know how she would see it. At the VA I have a female doctor now and at the end of the listening part of the exam she asked if I wanted a dre to which I replied yes. She also checked my testicles and showed me how to self examine them. I still want a professional to check them, I don't know if I'd detect anything myself unless it was the size of a third ball.

This year I signed up for a new Medicare plan called Medicare Advantage. It's been available in MA for a few years but I think this is the first time in NH. The first time I saw the ad on Boston TV a few years ago, I called and was told it was only available in MA. This year I called and got signed up for the AARP plan. It's an HMO so my doctor has to be on the list. Maybe I'll actually see her instead of a nurse this time.

Mine have always been brief, just 15-20 minutes. I get a gown and leave my underwear on then just pull them down briefly for the genital exam.