ped office

[Kalliope]

We can in our city. My son just got some immunizations he needed for a trip. The ped didn't have the unusual ones like Typhoid, so he sent us to the health department for all of them. We just did this in July. We just had to pay out of pocket and bill insurance ourselves.

Under the ACA you aren't supposed to by law.

 

[bsblady01]

That's bad that you are just finding out that your DD needs a physical to start school.

That would not sit well with me that we would have to do a physical just in case a child may play sports. We always did an annual physical, but I know some parents with crappy insurance that did them every couple of years.

What kind of sports do 5th graders do that they need physicals?

they have soccer, basketball, softball/baseball

 

[kimblebee]

That's definitely something that I've never heard of. Kids around here don't need a physical before they go to school for any grade. Why is it required?

 

[bsblady01]

That's definitely something that I've never heard of. Kids around here don't need a physical before they go to school for any grade. Why is it required?

they do it to make sure the kids have all their shots and are healthy

 

[kimblebee]

My daughter is in high school but as far as I know elementary schools here don't require proof of immunization. I never had to show it and my daughter is only going into grade 10 this year. We have to fill out a general information form at the beginning of the year but it only asks for contact information.

 

[kaytieeldr]

our district has been like this for three years now, I don't agree with 10 year old kids being with 13 and 14 year old kids. I think they are doing the physical so that the kids can do after school sports in 5th grade and not have to do a second physical.

That's interesting. Way back in the olden days, before there was almost a different school for each year, we had 13 and 14 year olds in the same schools, and even on the same bus, as five and six year olds!

 

[robinb]

My DD's doctor is booking physicals into October. I have no clue why you think you can get in before school starts. My DD's physical was back in November 2014, so it's valid for school athletics. I just made one for November 2015 that will cover next year.

 

[kuhltiffany]

It's a US thing, we don't have such a rigid schedule here in Canada. I think they have to see their doctors regularly as a part of a health care plan requirement?

Here only kids with special needs and a GP referral go to a paediatrician, in the US most kids do. They do yearly physicals, camp and sport forms, so much paperwork for the doctors!

That's definitely something that I've never heard of. Kids around here don't need a physical before they go to school for any grade. Why is it required?

 

[NHdisneylover]

It's a US thing, we don't have such a rigid schedule here in Canada. I think they have to see their doctors regularly as a part of a health care plan requirement?

Here only kids with special needs and a GP referral go to a paediatrician, in the US most kids do. They do yearly physicals, camp and sport forms, so much paperwork for the doctors!

Yep---we live in Germany and have needed the medical forms a few times for DD to do Girl Scout events in the US. Just trying to explain to doctors here about why she needs them filled out is interesting. The first couple of times the doctor was convinced DD must be going to do something extremely physically taxing and unusual to need medical clearance.

 

[firecracker725]

Yep---we live in Germany and have needed the medical forms a few times for DD to do Girl Scout events in the US. Just trying to explain to doctors here about why she needs them filled out is interesting. The first couple of times the doctor was convinced DD must be going to do something extremely physically taxing and unusual to need medical clearance.

And here in France we have to have them for our kids to go to ski school or climbing groups. Then again, I suppose those are pretty physically taxing activities.

 

[Gracie09]

There is always a grace period. Usually you have until October or November to get proof of immunization etc in. My dd2 turn 5 days before kindergarten started. I told the nurse I wasn't paying to have a physical before she turned five to only get a second a few weeks later when she turned five. Besides some of the shots have to be done a certain times to "count" or they just have to get redone later. She agreed and asked that I have everything in my the middle of october.

 

[SirDuff]

Here only kids with special needs and a GP referral go to a paediatrician, in the US most kids do. They do yearly physicals, camp and sport forms, so much paperwork for the doctors!

That's weird. My brother and I (and cousins) all went to a paed, as do all the next generation (and most of my friend's kids). Only a couple have any sort of special needs. They don't, however, need a physical to go to school each year (camp forms and some sports forms are a thing around here).

 

[anniemae]

If you can't get in, CVS minute clinics do all kinds of physicals.

 

[brooke789]

We don't have to have any type of physical for the kids to start school in SC. They do have to be up to date on their immunizations, but that form was due when registering (my kindergartners) in January. My two school kids have a summer birthday so we do have a summer appointment. They don't book it a year out (when they had their last appointment) but advise calling 3-4 months out to schedule the appointment.

Our doctor will not schedule 3 children in the same family at the same time, which was a disappointment for me. If you want a 3rd child seen on the same day you have to have two very separate times like one morning appt and then an afternoon appointment. This makes no sense to me b/c what difference does it make b/c even when you have back to backs (two seen at the same time) they schedule two actual appointments.

 

[mjkacmom]

It's a US thing, we don't have such a rigid schedule here in Canada. I think they have to see their doctors regularly as a part of a health care plan requirement?

Here only kids with special needs and a GP referral go to a paediatrician, in the US most kids do. They do yearly physicals, camp and sport forms, so much paperwork for the doctors!

Sure, paperwork, and we pay $5 for each form filled out, even if it's just a stamped signature.

 

[BearFamily]

Another one here for "make back to school appointments WAY in advance". Although our old pediatrician's office used to bring in a nurse practitioner just to do back-to-school physicals to handle some of the load.

I actually teach in a school in upstate NY that does include 5th graders as part of middle school. The 5th/6th grade kids are part of a separate teaching team and get a transitional experience that's somewhere between elementary and typical junior high. The 7th/8th experience is more like a usual middle school. We don't completely segregate them, per say, but they also aren't hanging out socially or taking classes together. It mostly works well for us and is a pretty smooth transition.

That being said, all those 5th and 6th graders are in PE daily and can also choose to take after school "sports" (intramural only, non-competitive, since NY does not start actual school sports until 7th) and they do NOT need an additional physical beyond the one they had to have for 4th grade. I think our parents would have a fit if we added on to what NY already requires without some sort of really pressing reason!

 

[EMAW_KSU]

If you have health insurance, you can't get shots at the health department anymore.

When did that start?

 

[mom2rtk]

If you have health insurance, you can't get shots at the health department anymore.

Same here. And maybe they should stop offering them at the health department since we've solved the uninsured problem in our country.

 

[mom2rtk]

I think they have to see their doctors regularly as a part of a health care plan requirement?

No.

 

[mom2rtk]

OP, I hope you get appointments. I imagine as a teacher it would be hard for you to get away after school starts to get it done.

If I were you, I would schedule next year's appointments when you are there this year.