Everything you should know about school physicals

while requirements vary based on school district, nearly all schools require that children between the ages of four and 17 undergo annual physicals or “well-checks” that include immunizations and vision/hearing tests. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children have an annual physical exam throughout adolescence.

The schedule of immunizations begins at birth and goes into late adolescence. Because immunization requirements change frequently, an annual physical is an opportunity to ensure that your child is up to date. Your child's primary care physician will have an accurate account of their vaccine records and can assist in filling out the requisite school forms.

The doctor-patient relationship

Having an annual physical exam can also help your son or daughter establish a happy and healthy relationship with his or her primary care physician. Take this opportunity to ask your child’s doctor to address any concerns you may have about health, weight, nutrition, safety, exercise, rest, and even attitude, peer pressure, and feelings.

A sports physical is different

An annual physical administered by a child's primary care physician differs significantly from a sports physical performed at an urgent care facility. Physicals performed by doctors at UrgentWay Walk-In Medical Center are considered health supervision visits.

"It's not just a person looking at you for five minutes and saying, ‘OK, you want to go camping' and filling out your paper and sending you out the door," said Dr. Khan, a family practice physician. "It's about forming a relationship so that when there is something wrong, and you, as the patient, go back to see that person, you do have some type of relationship."

Mental health and safety

During an in-depth annual physical, doctors inventory a patient's physical development and cognitive well-being. As a patient age, the range of issues a doctor screens for does as well. The more familiar a doctor is with a child, the more effective they can be at coaching him or her to make smart choices.

Fighting obesity

When patients see a doctor annually, medical professionals have an opportunity to stay ahead of health problems and address them at the outset. Among these is the growing epidemic of childhood obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 17 percent of children and adolescents ages 2-19 are obese.

That's a very critical activity that we do. So we can see if they're having upticks in their weight and begin to approach being overweight or obese. In that kind of situation, we can provide nutritional counseling. This type of counseling can help prevent the development of Type 2 diabetes and other conditions in the future.

Well-child visits often are covered 100 percent

Physical exams also include screening for hearing loss, vision impairment, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse among other issues. A child's annual physical exam is generally covered by an insurer often without charge. The changes a child's body goes through over 365 days are significant.