Annual Exam from both GP and GYN?

Ladies, is it common to have an annual from both a GP and GYN? My wife does and I thought it was odd. The GYN does the breast exam, pap, pelvic, etc. - she is not undressed at the GP.

My GF only gets it from the Gyno.

GF mentions at a GP it's usually a breast exam, visual check of pelvic region.

GP docs do it all....cheap insurance companies. They usually seem uncomfortable. This is not what I went to school for.....

My wife gets only a breast exam from her internist and a breast and pelvic from her GYN.

My wife sees both. Her gp does not do a pelvic or rectal.

This is, in a nutshell, what "managed care" is all about. The GP is the "gatekeeper" and is in overall charge of guiding and monitoring the patient's care. For anything else, the patient is referred to a specialist. In this case, that would be the gynecologist. My GP is perfectly capable of performing a pelvic exam and a PAP smear, but he prefers not to because that's not his area of expertise. That's okay because I wouldn't want my gynecologist to monitor my diabetes or my retina specialist to perform my kidney transplant.

So yes, two different doctors for two different exams. If that seems like over-specialization, bear in mind that the medical community has given the public exactly what they asked for (demanded) in the 70s. We demanded managed care as a way to reduce healthcare costs, and this is what we got; hand surgeons for hangnails.

I go to both. my gp does not do breast or gyn exams.

I go to my GP for everything unless what needs to be done is out of his comfort zone or out of his scope of practice. If you are a basically healthy adult getting a regular physical, there is absolutely NO need to go to a gyn. The GP can do your breast and pelvic exams, paps and whatever else. Now if he finds a lump or something, t hen he will send you to someone else, but other than that, it's just a waste of time and my money.

Mashie

I actually always thought that from a medical standpoint, if not a health care services one, breast and pelvic exams were just components of the overall physical exam? My GP does it as one exam and also will prescribe initial treatment for minor gynecological problems, with a referral to a gynecologist if that doesn't help. I've never actually been to a gynecologist. But I do know some women who have chronic issues like fibroid tumors, and get their annual pelvic exam from their gynecologist rather than during a general physical.