Comprehensive Physical Exams

ANNUAL PHYSICAL EXAM (Routine Physical, Check-up, Wellness Visit): A comprehensive assessment of overall health, typically performed once a year. It focuses on preventive care, early detection of potential health issues, and updating vaccinations.

Components often include:

• Medical History Review: Discussion of past illnesses, surgeries, medications, allergies, and family medical history.
• Vital Signs Assessment: Measurement of blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, height, and weight (and BMI).
• Head and Neck Exam: Examination of eyes (including vision), ears (including hearing), nose, mouth, throat, and palpation of lymph nodes and thyroid.
• Cardiovascular Exam: Listening to heart sounds for murmurs or irregular rhythms, checking peripheral pulses.
• Respiratory Exam: Listening to lung sounds for crackles, wheezes, or decreased breath sounds.
• Abdominal Exam: Palpation to assess organ size, tenderness, and listening for bowel sounds.
• Musculoskeletal Exam: Assessment of bones, joints, and muscles for abnormalities, range of motion, strength, and reflexes.
• Neurological Exam: Evaluation of mental awareness, motor function, balance, sensory response, and reflexes.
• Screenings: May include blood tests (e.g., complete blood count, metabolic panel, cholesterol, blood sugar), urinalysis, and discussions about recommended screenings like mammograms, colonoscopies, or bone density tests based on age and risk factors.
• Lifestyle Discussion: Questions about diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol use, and mental health.
• Vaccination Review: Ensuring immunizations are up-to-date.

EMPLOYMENT AND PRE-EMPLOYMENT PHYSICALS

• Pre-Employment Physicals: Required by employers to assess an individual’s health status and physical capacity before starting a new job, ensuring they can safely perform job duties. May include drug screenings, vision and hearing tests.
• Executive Physicals (Comprehensive Health Assessments): Often more extensive than a typical annual physical, these may include a wider range of laboratory tests, imaging (e.g., chest X-ray, EKG), and specialized consultations, sometimes including nutrition and fitness assessments.

SPORTS PHYSICALS (Pre-Participation Physicals): Evaluates a person’s fitness level and medical readiness for participation in sports activities, aiming to identify conditions that could put the athlete at risk. (https://fhsaa.com/documents/2025/7/17/EL2_form_2025_07_.pdf)

SCHOOL & CAMP PHYSICALS: Ensures children meet health requirements for school enrollment, often including vaccination checks and general health screenings.

Department of Transportation (DOT) Physicals: Mandated for commercial drivers (CDL holders) to ensure they meet specific health and safety standards for operating commercial vehicles, focusing on vision, hearing, cardiovascular health, and absence of conditions that could impair driving. Components include:

• Vision Test: Minimum 20/40 acuity in each eye (with or without correction), and at least 70 degrees of peripheral vision.
• Hearing Test: Ability to hear a “forced whisper” from 5 feet away or less.
• Blood Pressure and Pulse Check: To screen for hypertension or irregular heartbeats.
• Urinalysis: To screen for conditions like diabetes.
• Physical Examination: Comprehensive check of general appearance, eyes, ears, mouth, throat, heart, lungs, abdomen, vascular system, genitourinary system, extremities, spine, and neurological system.
• Specific considerations for: Diabetes (especially insulin-treated), cardiovascular disease, respiratory conditions, neurological disorders, and musculoskeletal issues. (https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/2025-04/Medical%20Examination%20Report%20Form%20MCSA-5875%20508pdf.pdf)

US Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Physicals (MRO-Certified for Drug Testing): Exams tailored to the unique health requirements for maritime professionals. (https://www.browardmedicalurgentcare.com/merchant-mariner-medical-exam/)

Travel & Pre-Cruise Physicals: Pre-travel health assessments to advise on necessary vaccinations, prophylactic medications, and health precautions for specific international destinations. (https://www.browardmedicalurgentcare.com/travel-medicine-clinic-travel-vaccines/)

SCUBA (PADI) PHYSICALS: a medical evaluation to determine if someone is physically fit to dive. These exams assess various aspects of a diver’s health, including cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological systems, to identify potential risks associated with diving. Key Components of a Scuba Diving Physical:

• Medical History Review: Reviewing past and present medical conditions, medications, and any previous diving experiences.
• Physical Examination: A thorough check-up with a focus on areas relevant to diving, such as the ears, sinuses, lungs, and heart.
• Other Tests: Depending on the individual and the type of diving, additional tests like EKGs, chest x-rays, spirometry, ETC., may be required.

HEALTHCARE WORKER PHYSICALS: Focus on preventing the spread of communicable diseases and ensuring the ability to perform patient care duties.

• Immunization Status Check: Verification of required vaccinations (e.g., Hepatitis B, MMR, Varicella, Tdap, flu).
• Tuberculosis (TB) Testing: PPD skin test or blood test.
• Drug Screening (MRO Certified).