Has the doc ever spread your cheeks during a med cert?

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I'm a student pilot. While the doctor was looking for signs of a hernia (pants down), he asked me to turn around. I didn't realize I was going there. Just when I think I'm getting the "full treatment " (I'm only 34), he spreads my cheeks, takes a look , and says "ok, just doing what the FAA tells me". I was confused as to what he was looking for and researched it. I came up null. I told my CFI what happened.....he said he's never heard of that one and we had a good laugh.

Was he looking for a vile of someone else's urine??????

:hairraise:confused:nono::dunno::yikes:
 
Did you report a hernia?

I reported a hernia surgery and the AME wanted a look... Had to drop trow.... I've seen him for 10 years now and that was the only time it got personal....
 
Did not report hernia , but he new I injured my back pretty bad, and I lift heavy items on the regular. But what does checking in there have anything to do with a hernia.
 
He did actually. I was hoping it had nothing to do with it. I thought he was looking for a vial of fake ****.
 
Are you sure you said hernia and not hemmoroidia? :wink2:

I think I remember my AME doing the ol cheek spreader as well. No big deal.


Just sing moon river. Still my favorite Fletch scene ever.

 
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There's an old saying in medicine: "There are two reasons not to do a digital rectal exam. No digit, or no rectum."

My current AME has always followed the FAA's guidance (which I wasn't aware of until seeing it linked above) in that he always offers one. I've always declined. He does do a cursory genitourinary exam including testicular exam and visualizing the meatus. Not sure what the FAA guidance is there.

But my point is, he's an older guy, and for a lot of doctors, doing a full physical exam is a flow they've been doing for so long that it's hard to change. So yeah, if you're in a complicated medical position where you need your AME to do exactly the FAA regulated minimum so they don't find anything irrelevant, seek out an AME who will do that. But for a lot of the older docs especially, a physical is a physical and they do what they do.
 
Just wanted to make sure I wasn't taken advantage of. My CFI told me to post this anonymously. I guess to protect the doctor. All that matters is I'm cleared and close to solo. Spread them anytime, just don't deny the med.
 
Mcmanigle:
He is older, and referred by friend, whom I need to have a chat with, and I'm always glad to know I'm in good health, but he barely spread the top half. There is no way he had a visual on the balloon knot.
 
Sounds like the TSA is getting involved with the medical process :)
 
FAA class 2 or 3, no. Military class 1, yes...with the finger. :( Military class 2, sometimes.
 
I'm sorry, but the day my flying privilege requires the doc to push two knuckles past the exit-only sign, I'm getting a boat and never flying again.
 
Had a flight surgeon from the guard,who is an Ame,try to give me a prostrate exam,refused. He has since lost his medical privileges for prescribing diet pills to women.
 
Unregistered said:
I'm a student pilot. While the doctor was looking for signs of a hernia (pants down), he asked me to turn around. I didn't realize I was going there. Just when I think I'm getting the "full treatment " (I'm only 34), he spreads my cheeks, takes a look , and says "ok, just doing what the FAA tells me". I was confused as to what he was looking for and researched it. I came up null. I told my CFI what happened.....he said he's never heard of that one and we had a good laugh.

Was he looking for a vile of someone else's urine??????

:hairraise:confused:nono::dunno::yikes:
Click to expand...
maybe it was something you said? :yikes:

No....never had that pleasure. :no:
 
My very first exam included a prostate and hernia check -- he even threw in a flexibility test. :eek: Naturally, I thought every pilot had the same experience. By the next one, I knew better. :nono:
 
My very first AME did this. For reasons other than that, I've used a different one since. My current AME does not do it, but always asks when the last time was that I had that exam. I get a routine physical every year from my own doc, just prior to my AME appointments anyway, so I'm covered...inside and out.
 
mcmanigle said:
There's an old saying in medicine: "There are two reasons not to do a digital rectal exam. No digit, or no rectum."
Click to expand...
My regular doc has stopped doing this exam (which he used to do) during routine physicals. He says that as long as the PSA is good, there's no need. OTOH, my AME a few years ago asked if I'd had a DRE recently, and the answer was that the last was 18 months ago. He then offered to do one, and knowing I have a slightly enlarged prostate (BPE), I accepted the offer -- and it was "no change". He hasn't offered since.
 
so....other than a bad case of optic-rectitus....how is this affecting my flying abilities?

I'm not using anything down there to control my aircraft.... :no:
 
My AME offers to do a prostate exam. I usually allow it. It isn't any different than an occasional colonoscopy. Prostate cancer is common and easily treated when caught early. I'm reaching the age where statistics favor checking it every couple of years. Easy enough.
 
I've only had one AME do the rectal thing (old dude.) I've found that even with regular physicians, female doctors and PA's don't go there.

With one exception, and she was a bit of a freak. She spent so long prodding Little Arrow while he was in a state of rigor mortis that I seriously almost blasted one in her face.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
so....other than a bad case of optic-rectitus....how is this affecting my flying abilities?

I'm not using anything down there to control my aircraft.... :no:
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Prostate cancer is a grounding condition because of the various effects it could have on your ability to safely pilot your aircraft over the term of your medical certificate.
 
Stewartb said:
My AME offers to do a prostate exam. I usually allow it. It isn't any different than an occasional colonoscopy.
Click to expand...
It sure as heck is different -- I don't have to go through "bowel cleansing" before a DRE.

Prostate cancer is common and easily treated when caught early. I'm reaching the age where statistics favor checking it every couple of years. Easy enough.
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I reached that age quite a few years ago, and consider it one of the prices you pay for the gift of getting older.
 
One of the AME's in the RDU area is known for including rectal exams as part of the physical especially if a) you are over 40 and b) you have not had regular physicals.

It surprised me as well as I never had the procedure before. Keep in mind a DRE is not out of context with the FAA physical guidelines (ie he's not doing it for his jollies); more than likely the AME he's really concerned about your health.
 
Ron Levy said:
Prostate cancer is a grounding condition because of the various effects it could have on your ability to safely pilot your aircraft over the term of your medical certificate.
Click to expand...

well shoot.....a full body scan would be needed for other types of C. They don't do that. :no:
 
After watching what my wife went through during 36 hours of labor with my daughter I vowed to never complain about a rectal exam again. We guys have it SO easy!
 
Apparently, the latest in medical thought (I go to a clinic at a teaching hospital; my doctor is 15 years old) is to not do the prostate exam (or even a PSA) unless there are other symptoms to indicate a need.

My former AME (in Denver) did them as a matter of course. I recall I once said to hi, I hate these." His response was, "You only have to do it once today. How do you think I feel about it?!!"
 
"It surprised me as well as I never had the procedure before. Keep in mind a DRE is not out of context with the FAA physical guidelines (ie he's not doing it for his jollies); more than likely the AME he's really concerned about your health."

I believe this is correct. There is some controversy in the Medical field about this. The American College of Physicians, does not recommend routine PSA and/or DRE, whereas the American Cancer Society does. I personally follow the guidelines of the ACP. However I do not condemn Dr.'s who follow the ACS guidelines. What is a fact is that routine PSA testing leads to increased "unnecessary" procedures that have the potential to be harmful. Without a corresponding ,significant, decrease in Prostate Cancer fatalities. That is well documented in the medical literature. I'm sure multiple people will bring to the discussion, anecdotes to the contrary. However the studies are clear. So this Dr. may have been a very conscientious Dr. following the ACS guidelines. As an aside , when I was in training, during CCU (Cardiac care Unit) rotations , the majority of our Cardiology attending (teachers) would insist on rectal examinations. Most people would say I'm having a heart attack, who gives a $h!t about my prostate ? But , although our cardiologists used the excuse of prostate cancer, there is also a risk of bleeding seriously if you have a GI bleed. So you will find Dr.s doing DRE's under the weirdest circumstances. I don't find them particularly pleasing, but I do have to do them on occasion.

Cheers
 
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