I have never in my life had a doctor have me completely undress. Well, I guess the gynecologist sort of has but they don't examine the whole body.
I will say that I am not sure now that they really do have to have us undress to gain information. A skin check I guess would involve that although limited.
Ahhh, yes. The dermatologist.
Well, that's ONE exam where she looks at (almost) every square inch. She instructs me to leave on my tidy-whiteys. Now, a doctor friend of mine in the Islands says that they should look at EVERY single square inch - even the okole (Hawaiian for "where the sun don't shine") BECAUSE she points out: melanoma often presents itself in places that sun rays don't usually reach. Heh, heh, they never reach mine! I don't look good in a thong bathing suit - not that I've ever actually worn one.
It's true that doctors rarely have you strip nude, but in the past, there was usually at least an incident of "drop trau" and certainly "take off your shirt." But I especially recall as a young man, every "physical" included the "turn your head and cough" routine (or, in Arlo Guthrie's case - "Alice's Restaurant" - it was "turn your hat and cough.") If you haven't seen the movie, it's worth a look just for the draft physical scenes (and then, you will understand the occasional obscure reference to "The Group W bench.") But I digress.
Up until relatively recently - when the guidelines apparently changed - there was the dreaded DRE. Of course, that was also an opportunity for an occult blood test which has saved many lives. But, apparently, the DRE led to too many false positives. I wonder if it just takes too much time. to have patients in and out of clothes during an exam. If I were a PCP, I would at least ask patients if they wanted a cursory exam for suspicious skin lesions. IF I found anything like that, I'd insist they visit a dermatologist.
What I want from a PCP or other doc is a thorough exam that gives me the best chance of living a longer, healthier life. I don't suppose anyone really likes being "looked" at clinically but it can save your life, done properly. My PCP (who actually seems better than most - at least he spends a good amount of time with me) never checked my neck for swollen glands (or whatever) and I eventually had a lung biopsy which showed I had stage 4 thyroid cancer. A simple neck exam might have caught that earlier. By the time my thyroid was removed, I could feel the swelling and changes suggesting something was wrong.
Spending health care dollars wisely is a delicate game. Catching the "easy" stuff with blood tests is probably the most cost-effective approach. But, just "looking and touching" doesn't cost much and could easily turn up something a blood test missed.
End of what ever this is - a rant? I don't think so, but it's okay if anyone else thinks so. Returning you now...