I had a physical last week from a new doctor. I am 45 and hadn't had a complete physical in several years. The doctor is retired military (approximately 60, and active in the Reserves), and has a serious, all-business demeanor without being stern. He spent an extraordinary amount of time on the exam, relative to other "rushed" experiences I've had with doctors over in the past. Although the nurse had taken a medical history from me, he went back over nearly everything I said to her orally with me in surprising detail, which included thyroid surgery and a colonoscopy a few years ago. Finally, he stood up and said "take off your shirt and let's get started." I had on a t-shirt and he said, "let's get that off too," taking it from my hands and placing it on a chair when I got it over my head. Everything proceeded normally (eyes, ears, throat, etc., first), but he paused for minute noticing the barely-noticeable scar on one side of my neck where I had a thyroid mass removed 10 years ago. He palpated my neck in the thyroid area in detail. He then listened to my chest, front and back, and then had me lie back to palpate my stomach which, again, he did at some length, pressing pretty firmly on my lower abdomen (more so than I can remember in any past exam). He finally said "let's stand up and do the unpleasant part", pulled on an exam glove and said "drop your pants and bend over the table." (Maybe because I'm past the age of risk for testicular cancer and wasn't complaining of hernia like symptoms, there was no testicle exam, though he seemed to glance down in that area right as I dropped my pants.) The weird or slightly funny/embarrasing part came next: I did as I was told and dropped my pants and shorts, right as he began talking about prostate enlargement and urinary problems and symptoms at some length. I like to look someone in the eye when they are talking to me, but was likewise mindful of doing as I was told and bending over the table. So I ended up in a "halfway" position -- half standing and looking up at his fact, but halfway bent over the table with my pants and underwear dropped to my knees. This went on for what seemed like a couple of minutes. I was self conscious about the position I was in, but didn't want to seem like I was cutting him off, especially since many doctors seem in such a hurry to move on to the next patient. (Trust me -- it's harder to listen than you might think while half crouched over an exam table, looking at the doctor in the eye, while he's got an exam glove already lubed and holding it upwards to prevent dripping.) A couple of times he seemed ready to stop with his lecture/overview, and I shifted my chest lower to the table, only to have him keep on talking. I have no idea why he went on so long, as I'd not complained of anything that I think would be prostate related -- though he did know I have a family history of prostate disease from my medical history. Finally, he said "let's go ahead" and put his ungloved hand on the small of my back and inserted his gloved finger. It felt like he pressed down about three times and then turned his wrist to one side and then the other, and withdrew. No kidding, I raised up slowly just because my back was sort of stiff from the amount of time I'd been in that position. He turned his back to do an occult blood test, and said "everything's fine" as I raised my pants. He asked me to come back in the morning for lab work since I had already eaten on the day of the appointment. I didn't see him when I went back to have blood taken, but will see him again, just because of his attention and the time he spent.