Were your pediatricians more thorough than your current doc

I don't know about the rest of you, and maybe reading these posts has given me unrealistic expectation but I have now had three different exams by a GP, a dermatologist, and a urologist and none of them can compare to the final exam (when I was 18 ) at my pediatrician.

My GP doesn't even perform a genital exam, hell I'm not even in a gown. He'll just tell me to lift up my shirt and undo my belt when its time for the abdominal exam which lasts all of 6-8 seconds. I crave for old days when I was just in my underwear and I knew exactly what was coming after the abdominal exam when the doctor's hand worked lower, and lower, and finally slipped under my waistband to check the pulses and lymph nodes right before pulling my underwear slightly down to examine my penis and testicles. I would always be rock hard by that time and of course all of you who have read my prior posts know what happened back when I was in 6th grade!

Well its like a 180 these days, I dont even get a semi during any exam and I long for that butterfly feeling when driving to my appt or sitting in the waiting room/exam room. The only joy I still get is the people watching in the exam room. Luckily, my current girlfriend allows me to accompany her to her exams so those two are always something to look forward to. Her GP does a sneak and peak but nothing internal.

Anyone else feel like their pediatrician was more thorough than their current doctor?

As I have posted, when we have a sense of the time period it often helps, how long ago you saw a pediatrician versus the urologist or dermatologist? If I compare my pediatrician back in the 1960's who had us in underwear only with a dermatologist from the 1990's, who had us in a gown, then yes. But there were also other dermatologists from the 1990's who did very thorough exams with me completely undressed.

My last physical with my pediatrician and my adult physicals with 2 separate doctors have all occurred this decade (but not every year) so I have a very current perspective. All 3 doctors performed a genital exam with me exposing myself and standing in front of the doctor. The thoroughness of each exam was fairly comparable.

My pediatrician kept me fully dressed throughout the exam as did the doctor at my first adult physical. My current doctor who I've had 2 exams with had me change into disposable boxer shorts the first year and change into underwear and a gown the second year.

The doctor who performed my first adult physical was the least thorough. He only did a quick cup of my testes before doing a quick hernia check on both sides. I received the most thorough genital exam at my most recent physical where along with checking each testicle, he also checked my penis by lifting it and checking the underside and each side.

I have not yet had a physical where the doctor has not examined my genitals.

My perspective on this issue is rather black and white. The gown is used as a courtesy for people who have a problem with modesty. I am willing to swallow my pride and give my doctor (what I asuume) the ability to do her job with ease. So out of some level of respect I strip down to my underwear when such disrobing is needed. She is going to observe and examine what needs to be observed or examined regardless. I am far more interested in an accurate and proper diagnosis over a debate about using a gown. I never saw an exam gown until I was in my 30's.

I'm surprised that someone was still seeing a pediatrician at age 18. But in some parts of the country that may be the norm. Growing up in Texas in the 1950s, I think I only saw a GP after about age 3.

In this thread and many others we see a conflict between the desire to have every inch examined from head to toe, which may be exciting to someone with a medical fetish, and those who want the doc's limited time to focus on those things which need attention. If the patient has no complaints or concerns about his genitals, why should the doc spend lots of time on them? If the patient has a concern or issue in that area, then it should receive due consideration.

I mean in a lot of cases it's easier just to go to a pediatrician until you get to be an adult because they have all your stuff, and if you're comfortable with them I don't see any harm in it, especially if you trust them and stuff. Just depends on the patient and the parents as well.

I started seeking care from a pediatrician at age 14. She had a subspecialty in Adolescent Medicine. She only accepted new patients from age 11-21: Preteens, Adolescents and young adults only.

If the patient has no complaints or concerns about his genitals, why should the doc spend lots of time on them?

Why? Because the patient doesn't have any medical training and isn't a doctor! That's why. The patient may not have any complaints, but that doesn't mean there isn't some underlying problem that could be diagnosed early and treated. It can't be called preventative medicine if the doctor doesn't make a thorough attempt at actually preventing future problems. And you can't leave it up to a (medically) uneducated patient to decide what is and what is not worthy of further attention.

If the patient has no complaints or concerns about his genitals, why should the doc spend lots of time on them? If the patient has a concern or issue in that area, then it should receive due consideration.

I would suspect doctors spend a lot of time on the groins and genitals is because there are a number of very common conditions that are pretty easy to diagnose without any other diagnostic tests beyond the physical examination. Testicular cancers and hernias are easily diagnosed or suspected with routine examination. Even doing role play exams, I found a man whose foreskin would not retract because of phimosis. It would make the doctor look pretty lackadaisical if he had done a recent exam and had missed an obvious genital abnormality.

Maybe you're not nearly as nervous/excited now but yea, I definitely feel like my pediatrician exams were much more intriguing

I'd also add that the genitals tell a lot about a child's growth and development. For both boys and girls, there are some signs like body hair, voice changes, and breast that signal proper development, but those signs aren't as reliable indicators as changes to the genitals. In fact, for boys, the appearance of the genitals is the sole factor in rating sexual development according to Tanner staging. Girls have breast development as a secondary rating.

I dont remember my pede doctor doing it better or worse compared to my GP, but it was a rite of passing to not go back to the "baby doctor". I hated it when there was always screaming, crying little twerps in the waiting room when I was almost a grown up at 16.

I never went to a pediatrician our Family Doctor took care of all ages. I always hated going to him because I never knew what was going to happen to me so I always feared going and would give my Mom a hard time about it. Even when she got to it and try tricking me by taking me and my Brother out for Ice Cream before going there but the minute she would pull into the Dr's drive I would go crazy crying so she couldn't trick me. I always hated the way it smelled inside when we stepped inside you could smell the alcahol when you stepped in the front door. I always associated that smell with injections and the rectal thermometers kept in the office another reason I hated the Dr's office because even though I was at the age to have my temp taken orally they still insisted on taking it rectally which I hated I mean I was 9 yrs old and still having my temp taken rectally. Then if I had to have a shot it was always given in my butt or thigh which really hurt a lot. No wonder I still afraid of needles to this day. 😜

Yes. And that's why I have a medical fetish today. I still remember the way his hands felt.

So patience did you go to a pediatrician or just a GP?

So patience did you go to a pediatrician or just a GP?

"JUST" a GP.. Ouch

Doc

I see my gp at least 4 times a year or more depending on what s going on and I'm never in a gown . He is thorough in what needs to be taken care of at the time but all my vitals are taken and my lungs and heart are listened to as well as my eyes nose and throat and whatever is bothering me at the time is focused on. The days of stripping down in my area are long gone unless it's a gyne exam . I never had a pediatrician so I don't know the difference .

"JUST" a GP.. Ouch

That's almost as bad as saying "I saw JUST the nurse"!

Mine was a ped, but my kids see our family doc.

My exams growing up became increasingly more thorough and remain that way today.

That's almost as bad as saying "I saw JUST the nurse"!

That depends on the definition of "just."

fair as in justice -- he got a just reward

just as in an immediate time frame -- I just saw the nurse a minute ago

just as in only or exclusively -- I only saw the nurse

just as in " I just/only saw the nurse, not the doctor I wanted to see."

There are probably a few more.

My Pediatrician was very thorough and discovered my underweight condition and treated me accordingly. For me, the fact that they specialized in children, their illnesses, and their injuries prolly was the reason my Mom took me to them... I think that ALL my Doctors were and are very thorough in my exams.

By memory, no. There is less to check on kids than on adults. Always peed in a cup but no blood drawn as a kid that I remember. More shots definitely as a kid but that wasn't part of the exam. Stripped down to underpants, temp, height, weight, quick check of heart, lungs, ears, eyes, nose, quick look over and then underpants down for the hernia and ball check. Sports exams in school did the same but even though those took longer because of all of the boys examined, the individual exam stations were quick once it was our turn. First real adult physical in my 20s. Thorough history taken first, then had to strip down for a detailed exam. I was a healthy kid so no reason to do much.

I think a lot of people have no idea of the amount of training a family practice Dr. goes through, before he hangs out a shingle.

Family medicine is a hot specialty among Med. Students and it is hard. Only the brightest students can get into a family practice residency. When you think about it, the F.P> Doc has to be up to date on Peds., GYN, geriatrics, dermatology, endocrinology, pulmonology, cardiology and Psychology. Getting a Board Certification in Family Practice is a tough test, because it covers so many specialties in medicine.

I never took my kids to a Ped. on purpose; Peds see nothing but kids all day, while a F.P. doc doesn't, so to the F.P. a kid is a nice change of pace and he will spend time making over a kid. If you have a good F.P. Dr., he will know if it's time for a referral to a Ped., or any other specialty.

Years ago, when Med. School grads did a one year internship, then opened a practice, they were truly "just a G.P." That has all changed; family medicine is one that requires a 3 year residency and continuing medical education. The vast expanse of medical specialties covered in family medicine demands it. Some of the smartest and most knowledgeable Docs I ever met were in Family Practice.

To me, there was no difference belonging the thoroughness of my docs when I was teenaged. The dermatologist, the gastroenterologist and the urologist were as thorough as the paediatrician was, but all these exams seemed to be more thorough than most of the exams later.

To get back to the OP...I feel my current doctor is just as thorough as my former pediatrician. There is no doubt in my mind she cares about my health. Having that said just remember this fact. You can find another doctor with relative easr. It's one advantage of a market drivin system: Consumer choice.

You can find another doctor with relative easr. It's one advantage of a market drivin system: Consumer choice.

Just so people don't get the wrong idea about government run health programs: in Belgium everyone is free to choose whichever doctor they wish and they will still be reimbursed and pay the same (low) fees. If you want to go to a doctor within walking distance of your home, or if you wish to drive 250 km across the country (can't go much further than that ... ha ha) or anywhere in between, it is all the same. A patient can choose whichever doctor he wishes. No limitations. Which, just to make a point, is not always the case with the American privately run health insurance industry. To be reimbursed, you need to stay within the approved list of providers. In Belgium, you can choose whomever the bleep you want, there being no lists of approved providers.

People in Belgium (and France I am quite sure) have absolute free choice of doctors in the state run health system. The same applies to hospitals. Free choice, consumer choice. That is also why you have to pay a small supplement out of pocket (6 euros for a normal consult and other fees according to treatments).

Just saying, so people don't get all caught up in the rhetoric about markets and state run systems. There are complexities, nuances, intricacies and many misunderstandings beyond b/w sloganeering.

I think my GP is more thorough.

My current doctor is more thorough than a pediatrician ever was.

I would say in many cases this is a fact that pediatricians are more thorough than doctors who examine you as an adult. My own experience supports this fact although I haven't had as many exams as an adult than I had when I was young. Actually I had neither family doctor nor own pediatrician when I was a child. We went to a local or a private doctor when I was ill. Otherwise, I had regular physicals at school which exams were more thorough including almost everything except a rectal exam. The nurse at school and the doctors who performed the exams were always very thorough. It was a good system covered by the taxpayers' money.