School Physicals Questions and Answers

School physicals should be completed for any child entering school or childcare for the first time. A school physical is one way of monitoring the growth and development of children and is basically the same thing as an annual physical. Each state will have their own laws around the need for a child to have a school physical prior to entering school and at different points throughout their educational career. While an annual physical is not required in most cases, it is recommended for all kids and even adults as a yearly check on the overall health and well-being of individuals and allows the primary care physician or family doctor to monitor any ongoing or early signs of potential health concerns. Check with your state laws, as well as your child’s school, to understand how often a school physical is required. Children who play sports may be required to have an annual sports physical, again depending on the state and the school.

A school physical is very similar to an annual physical and in children, is focused on not only the child’s physical health, but also their development, emotional and social health. Their vision, speech and hearing will be tested as part of a school physical, as these can have a huge impact on the child’s learning and development if they are not functioning properly. Early intervention allows the child to get the resources needed to overcome any of these deficiencies, so they are successful in school. Physicals are also an opportunity for the doctor to ensure that all immunizations are up to date and flag any that are overdue or upcoming to ensure the child’s vaccinations are all in place. Physicals provide an opportunity to identify conditions like allergies or asthma early on and as children get older, they can be used to discuss issues such as depression, nutrition, exercise, sleep and drugs, as well as sexual health and STD’s. Having a physical done on an annual basis allows the doctor to notice any drastic changes in health from one year to the next and do further testing or schedule regular monitoring of the changes.

Sports physicals and school physicals are very similar, with a sports physical having an additional focus on the child’s personal health and their family history to determine if there is a predisposition to health conditions that could be aggravated by sports. The purpose of a sports physical is to get an understanding of the child’s health and any risks they may have, so that the coach and school are aware of any potential medical issues that could arise. Medical conditions that could be worsened by sports activities include asthma and heart problems, as well as any previous broken bones or injuries that could flare up through sports. Understanding of the child’s health conditions will enable the coach or the school to be prepared should an emergency happen or if a child should get sick or injured while participating in gym class or extracurricular sports.

School and sport physicals can be completed through your family doctor or primary care physician prior to the start of the school year. If you are unable to get into your family doctor or if you urgently need a school physical due to switching schools, or some other unforeseen reason, an urgent care clinic will be able to complete one as well. Urgent care provides a quick, easy and convenient option for school physicals as they can be done on a drop-in basis with no appointment needed. Urgent care will be able to share the results with your family doctor, so they have the records on hand for future use, as well as provide you with a copy or send one to the school directly if needed. If you have any more questions, call us now.

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