Whether your child wishes to participate in a school sports team or is beginning the school year, the New York State Education Department requires a complete physical examination and an update of age-appropriate vaccines as the school year begins.
Let’s talk about where you can for this important assessment in Tuckahoe, NY.
See Your Child’s Pediatrician for a School Physical
A child’s doctor knows the young patient well, maintaining the health record, including developmental milestones, medications, family medical history, surgeries, injuries, and more. Kids receive vaccines according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine schedule, and the pediatrician makes the shot record available to parents, schools, daycare, and other organizations as needed.
Given the comprehensive nature of the services received at the pediatrician’s office, it is the most logical and usually most convenient place to get a school physical. This in-office assessment of body functions, growth and development, hearing and vision, and more captures the most accurate clinical picture of the child’s fitness to attend school and participate in extracurricular activities, such as sports.
Will a Walk-in Clinic Physical or In-school Exam Do
The short answer likely is yes; you can take advantage of the services offered by your neighborhood urgent care walk-in clinic or the school district physician. However, the examination will be somewhat more cursory as the provider performing the assessment has not followed your child as a patient for any time.
An unfamiliar provider has not established a personal relationship with your pediatrician, and your youngster has developed through the ups and downs of childhood diseases, injuries, and other circumstances. So, whenever possible, get a physical exam for school entrance or sports participation with the doctor your family knows best.
Plus, urgent care centers and school districts typically do not employ board-certified pediatricians for physical examinations. At best, your child may see an emergency medicine physician or internal medicine physician who cares for patients of all ages. As we all know, a child’s physiology differs from that of a full-grown adult. Your pediatrician is specially trained in diseases, conditions, nutritional needs, growth and development patterns, and other factors particular to childhood and adolescence.
Finally, pediatricians partner with parents in monitoring health, including special issues like learning and behavior problems. When you bring your child to our practice, you can ask the doctor questions and get valuable counsel on a wide range of health concerns.
Get a School Physical at Village Pediatric Group
If you are looking for a school physical, consider Village Pediatric Group. Our four board-certified pediatricians and their support staff are happy to perform the physical examinations necessary for school attendance and sports participation. We provide a wide range of health-related services, including acute and chronic health problems and stress preventive services, such as physical exams, vaccines, nutritional and mental health counseling, and more, caring for newborn babies, preschoolers, school-age children, teens, and young adults up to age 21.
To know more, call us today at (914) 771-7070, or request your child’s appointment online. We look forward to seeing you soon.
