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How to Prepare for Your Annual Physical Exam

The best way to make the most of your annual physical is to prepare for it. But knowing how to do that isn’t always obvious or intuitive. We asked Dr. Keri Peterson, a New York-based primary care physician, what patients should do before, during and after checkups. Here are tips to help you create a checklist. 


How should a patient prepare for an annual physical exam?

First and foremost, I need to know everything about a patient’s medical history. Patients fill out a form that asks numerous questions about their medical history, family history, medications, allergies and surgeries that they have had.

What is pertinent to a patient’s medical history?

For me to get an accurate assessment of patients’ general health, I need to know the medical problems they’ve endured throughout their entire lifetime. This information gives me a sense of what to look out for in the future, how vigilant I need to be and what sorts of screening tests that I need to order.

Problems I need to know about include chronic medical issues like high cholesterol and diabetes. Patients have on occasion failed to mention medical problems that are already controlled on medications because these conditions are not currently an issue.

I also need to know about any significant medical issues patients have had in the past, such as skin cancer. I should know whether a cancerous mole was removed even if it’s no longer an active issue, so that it is on my radar.

How much family history do you need?

First, I need to know what medical problems a patient’s parents and grandparents have had, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Any family history that has a genetic component is going to influence my screening for potential disease. If the patient has a first-degree relative who had colon cancer at an early age, for example, I would want to order a colonoscopy before the recommended starting age. Even multiple second-degree relatives — aunts, uncles or grandparents — with cancer means there’s a higher probability of the patient having it.

Should patients bring their medications with them to the physical exam appointment?

Not necessarily, but they should make a list of what they take with names, dosages and whether they are prescribed or non-prescribed. Be sure to include vitamins and over-the-counter drugs as well. I like to also remind patients that this list should be in their wallets at all times, in case they wind up in the emergency room.

What other information do you need for your annual physical?

Allergies, including any side effects to medications, are important for me to know, so I don’t inadvertently prescribe them. I also need to know the type of reaction that they had, such as a rash or anaphylaxis.

I also want to know the patient’s vaccination history. Adult vaccines need to be maintained, updated or even delivered for the first time. Some patients don’t know what they’ve received in the past, so it’s ambiguous whether they will need it now. Patients in their 60s should receive pneumonia vaccines, but older patients often don’t remember whether they’ve received it or not. Tetanus shots should be given every 10 years, so if you’re cut by a nail in adulthood, we won’t know whether to administer another shot or not if the immunization records aren’t up to date.

What should a patient bring to the appointment?

It’s always helpful when the patient brings a list of questions for me. Write down your concerns and any symptoms you’re experiencing ahead of time. Otherwise you might be nervous and forget at the time of your visit.

Be sure to bring pen and paper to write down notes once the exam is over as well. During the appointment I will recommend screening exams and tests — mammograms, colonoscopies, eye exams and skin cancer screenings, among others — writing them down ensures that you won’t forget them.

Should the patient fast before the appointment?

For an annual physical, my staff advises patients to fast eight hours prior to the appointment for the bloodwork. Water and a cup of black coffee is fine if you usually drink it in the morning, though.

What about attire? Does it matter what the patient wears?

For annual physicals, patients will be gowned, so they shouldn’t wear constricting, hard-to-remove clothing.

What do you typically ask the patient in an appointment?

I ask all the questions on the intake form all over again so that I can learn about their history in more depth. I ask about surgeries, dental care — does the patient floss? Does he or she wear sunscreen? Has he or she had a skin cancer screening or ever been anemic? I’ll ask about eating disorders and other subjects the patient may be too embarrassed to bring up or to list on the intake form. I ask if the patient wants to be checked for any STDs.

I want to know about the patient’s lifestyle, exercise habits and how the patient’s diet is, including any dietary restrictions and whether he or she is vegetarian or vegan. This opens a door to a conversation about counseling if needed and lets me know whether to check for any vitamin deficiencies.

I also like to get to know my patients on a personal level, so I will ask them about their marital status, whether they have children and what they do for work.

What makes for an effective appointment?

The most effective appointments occur when patients have knowledge of their medical problems and the medications they take and are prepared with a list of things that they want to talk about.

When I’m getting a medical history during an annual physical, patients should be honest and forthcoming. Patients should never feel ashamed or embarrassed. If you have a sexually transmitted disease or had one in the past, or have or had depression, be candid. When asked about alcohol, be accurate in the number of glasses you drink in a week. If you smoke, be honest about how much you smoke per day.

What about an ineffective appointment?

It’s challenging if patients don’t know their medications or when they’ve had screening exams. It’s also challenging if they don’t know the details of their medical history.

What are some common questions patients ask you?

“Can you give me advice on how to lose weight?”

“Why am I so tired all of the time?”

“What are you checking for in the blood tests?”

How do you answer?

For weight loss, I have an extensive conversation assessing food intake meal by meal, and I make recommendations for dietary changes. I also assess exercise habits and give tips.

For fatigue, I do an extensive review of the patient’s medical history and associated symptoms, and then do an exam and order blood work to rule out possible causes.

For routine blood tests, I do a blood count, lipid panel, metabolic panel, diabetes screening and urinalysis. Depending on the patient’s age and sex, I will also order tests for PSA (prostate-specific antigen) to screen for prostate cancer and TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) to check for thyroid gland problems.


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Show Comments (11)
  1. Tyler Johnson

    I didn’t know that you should fast before a physical exam. I would have eaten before I went into the doctor’s office since I didn’t know that they would do blood work. It’s been a while since I’ve been, but I’ll have to make sure to keep that in mind next time I go.
    http://www.physicalexamsinc.com/drugs-alcohol-screening/

  2. Sam Weaver

    It’s good that you mentioned here how important it is for physicians to know the medical problem and history of a patient for this will let them know what to look out for and how vigilant they should be with screening tests. I have always been aloof to tell any doctor about my breast mass history. Whenever I have my annual check-up, I always disregard this information for fear that it may bring terrible news. Knowing about the importance of sharing information to a doctor, I will make sure to be more open and tell everything to my attending physician. Hopefully, by this weekend, I can go to a clinic wherein I can have my regular check-up and disclose this concern of mine. https://www.davenshiremc.com/medical-services-info

  3. Liz Hudson

    It’s good to know that I should fast for 8 hours prior to a bloodwork appointment. I’m getting a blood test next week and I want to be prepared. I will keep this information in mind and be sure to fast before my blood test to achieve the most accurate results. https://www.vidanthealth.com/Services-Treatments/Services/Childrens

  4. JHENG

    IS IT NORMAL TO TAKE A ANUAL PHYSICAL EXAM EVEN YOU DONT HAVE SLEEP A WHOLE NIGHT AND YOU DONT HAVE REST

    1. P

      No. What are you even talking about

  5. Peter

    Make sure to get ALL of the results, including lab work, and examine it carefully. Don’t feel (too) badly if it’s not all “good news”; consider it as an opportunity to remedy your situation before it’s too late!

  6. Maureen

    I would like “thepapergown” to identify themselves by name and specialty. I find their assertion that “I have an extensive conversation assessing food intake meal by meal” to be laughable.

    1. Maureen

      Oops, misread the opening paragraph. Patients should still know that the vast majority of physicians do not ask about diet.

  7. Bill

    I find my Doctor doesn’t spend sufficient time going over all my test results. Should review the good and the bad about the blood work. Since I’m a little overweight, he should talk about ways to reduce my weight since my eating habits are good. This year and the virus has made it very difficult to do many of the things I use to do such as play golf, travel, and visit others. Most important is talking about the blood tests, so many initials and no understanding of what is Bilirubin, ALT, AST, and how I can get and of these higher or lower depending on the numbers. I review all my history now that doctors have the My Chart system where all my history is stored such as vaccinations and dates.

  8. Jan

    Doctors don’t do squat during an exam. they are rushed, disinterested and NEVER has a doctor discussed diet. And as far as test results goes, doctors don’t even talk to you about them. you get an email or letter telling you to log into Mychart to review results.

    1. Ramona Berymon

      Good points. Sounds really familiar to me also. I know they are always in a hurry as they try to squeeze as many patients in as they can throughout the day, which some times is frustrating for some of us, who may need just a few more minutes with our Dr. 🙁

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The Paper Gown, a Zocdoc-powered blog, strives to tell stories that help patients feel informed, empowered and understood. Views and opinions expressed on The Paper Gown do not necessarily reflect those of Zocdoc, Inc.

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