What to expect from a sports physical

Why do you need a sports physical?

Sports physicals are required by most school sports teams to ensure the safety of all players. Also called the pre-participation physical examination, or PPE, it is required before every year or season. Your local primary care clinic offers sports and many other kinds of physicals to residents in Germantown, MD, Montgomery County, and beyond.

Health history

The first step of the sports physical is to review your health history. This includes serious illnesses that run in your family, as they could be genetic, such as asthma, diabetes, or epilepsy. It also includes any prior serious ailments, injuries, or hospitalizations, especially breaks, fractures, sprains, concussions, surgeries, or times you have felt excessively dizzy, hard of breathing, fainted, or had chest pain. You will also be asked about your nutrition, sleep habits, sexual activities, any history of violence or abuse, and use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.

Physical exam

The next part of the sports physicals are the bodily exam. During this section, your doctor will measure your height, weight, and blood pressure, and examine your eyes, ears, throat, mouth, joints, reflexes, lungs, abdomen, thyroid glands, skin, strength, and posture. Females who have begun menstruation may be asked about it.

Germantown Primary Care

Germantown Primary Care has seen thousands of people over the past 20 years from Hyattstown, Germantown, Gaithersburg, and Montgomery Counties. Dr. Manbir Takhar has served as the clinic’s Chief Medical Officer since 2012. Germantown Primary Care offers an array of physicals beyond the sports physical, including pre-college, immigration, annual, and Departmentof Transportation. 

Information on the pre-college physical exam and what to expect

What is the college physical exam?

College physical exams are a standard requirement by most colleges and universities across the United States. Your local primary care clinic provides these and many other physicals and health services to residents in Germantown, MD and Montgomery County. 

Medical history and questionnaire

The first step in the college physical exam is to review your medical history. Your doctor will either give you a questionnaire to complete or ask you questions verbally. Your medical history includes any prior injuries, major ailments, hospitalizations, disorders, or a history of certain diseases in your family. It may also include questions about your nutrition, exercise, sexual habits, sleep routine, history of violence or abuse, and use of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.

Physical exam

The next step is the physical exam itself. Your doctor will first measure your height, weight, and blood pressure. Then, they will examine your eyes, ears, mouth, throat, joints, abdomen, thyroid glands, skin, heart, lungs, and reflexes.

Vaccinations

Depending on what you have already been immunized against, you may only need the annual flu shot. Other standard shots include tetanus, measles, mumps, polio, chickenpox, meningitis, and hepatitis A and B, as well as HPV for women.

Germantown Primary Care

Germantown Primary Care has seen thousands of people from across Germantown, Hyattstown, Gaithersburg, and Montgomery Counties. Dr. Manbir Takhar has served as the clinic’s Chief Medical Officers since 2012. Dr. Takhar and the rest of the staff at Germantown Primary Care are dedicated to service patients with trust, care, compassion, and accessibility for college physicals and beyond.

Standard and travel vaccinations in Germantown, MD and Montgomery County

Why Do You Need Vaccinations?

Vaccinations help keep you healthy by protecting you against potentially life-threatening viruses. All of the standard vaccinations you will need are available at your Germantown, MD primary care clinic, as well as travel vaccinations, tests, allergy shots, and many other health services.

Types of Vaccinations

Standard vaccinations include the flu vaccine, which is given every year since the strain changes annually. They also include measles, rubella, mumps, typhoid, varicella, diphtheria, pertussis, Gardasil, also called HPV, and hepatitis A and B. Some of these shots are only administered once in a lifetime, with booster shots every ten years, while others, like HPV, are given as a series of three shots space out over the course of several months. Non-standard vaccinations include those for yellow fever, which is recommended before travel to Africa or South America.

Physicals

Immunizations are a part of all standard physicals. The annual, sports, pre-college, DoT, and immigration physical are offered at your local primary care clinic. When visiting the clinic for your first time, it is best to bring a copied record of your previous vaccinations, so staff members know what you may be missing.

Germantown Primary Care Associates

Germantown Primacy Care Associates is a primary care clinic in Germantown, MD serving patients in Montgomery County, Gaithersburg, Hyattstown, and Germantown. On staff is Dr. Manbir Takhar, Chief Medical Officer, since 2012, a position she held with Medical Access PC since 1999. You can count on Germantown Primary Care for all of your vaccination needs. 

Information on primary care in Germantown, MD and Montgomery County

What is Primary Care?

Primary care is the standard medical care that you are advised to receive from childhood through your adult years. Excellent primary care provider is located at your Germantown, MD primary care clinic, serving patients across Montgomery County and beyond.

Primary Care Services

Primary care includes tests and exams, treatments and diagnoses, and vaccinations. There are many kinds of physicals offered at your local primary care clinic, including the standard annual physical, sports physical, pre-college physical, DoT physical, and immigration physical. Another patient service is vaccinations. This includes the annual flu vaccine, as well as standard immunizations like typhoid, measles, rubella, mumps, varicella, HPV, diphtheria, meningitis, and hepatitis A and B. Allergy shots and travel vaccinations are also offered. Your Germantown, MD primary care clinic offers consultations, like mental health screenings, family planning, and counseling. They can also treat injuries, for example minor burns, breaks, and cuts, and are affiliated with an emergency unit next door. They can perform lab tests, diagnose illnesses, and provide treatment, including medication.

Germantown Primary Care

Germantown Primary Care offers primary care medical services for patients throughout Montgomery County, Germantown, Gaithersburg, and Hyattstown. The clinic has seen thousands of people over the past 20 years, and maintains excellence through the ACT mission. On staff at Germantown Primary Care is Dr. Manbir Takhar, who has been with the clinic since 2012 as Chief Medical Officer, a position she held with Medical Access PC since 1999. This quality primary care clinic strives to consistently meet patients’ medical needs, provide individualized care, gain trust, and operate with respect. 

Primary care physicians in Germantown, MD and Montgomery County

What are Primary Care Physicians?

Primary care physicians specialize in continuing, non-emergency care. They are your main health care provider. The core functions of a primary care physician are to provide preventative care and advise you on living a healthy lifestyle, identify and treat common conditions, assess the urgency of any problems you experience, and refer you to specialists for extenuating injuries and treatments as necessary. Primary care is given in an outpatient style at your Germantown primary care clinic, meaning you do not stay overnight. However, your clinic does have an urgent care division.

Types of Primary Care Physicians

Primary care physician fall into one of five major categories: family practitioners, pediatricians, internists, obstetricians and gynecologists, and nurse practitioners and physicians assistants. Before choosing your primary care provider, check with your insurance to see what type is covered. Also consider the clinic’s location and office hours, communications modes the provider uses, treatments and evaluations offered, and reviews.

Germantown Primary Care Associates

Germantown Primary Care Associates is a primary care clinic that sees patients in Germantown, Montgomery County, Hyattstown, and Gaithersburg. There are a number of accomplished, compassionate, and dedicated primary care physicians at the clinic, including Dr. Manbir Takhar, Dr. Hiru Khianey, and Dr. Joseluis Jimenez. Dr. Takhar has been the Chief Medical Officer of the clinic since 2012. She completed her residency program first at Columbia University’s Harlem Hospital, and then at Prince Georges Hospital in Cheverly, Maryland. She is a Civil Surgeon, board-certified in Internal Medicine in the State of Maryland, and certified from the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation.

Patient services in Germantown, MD and Montgomery County

Injury Treatment

Doctors are trained to treat both minor and significant injuries. This includes bone, joint, tendon, and muscle injuries, like sprains, strains, dislocations, and fractures. It also includes skin injuries, like punctures, burns, scratches, bites, and cuts.

Medical Evaluations

Doctor at your primary care clinic perform both recurring and ad hoc medical evaluations and exams. Recurring evaluations, like those that are part of the annual physical, include basic heart, lung, skin, gland, eye, ear, nose, throat, and joint health, plus your blood pressure, height, and weight. Non-recurring evaluations are for allergic reactions, Lyme disease, tuberculosis, eye infections, dehydration, urinary tract and bladder infections, pneumonia, bronchitis, and more.

Physicals, Vaccinations, and More

Your primary care clinic offers physicals, including the annual, pre-college, sports, Department of Transportation, and immigration physical. They also offer the standard suite of vaccinations, including those for travel to foreign countries and the flu. Other services include prescriptions, lab work, counseling, and family planning. 

Urgent Care

Your primary care clinic has an urgent care division, which has lower rates than hospital emergency rooms. With a state-of-the-art facility and equipment, including a clinical laboratory and x-ray machine, your primary care clinic can treat most urgent care needs.  

Staff

Germantown Primary Care Associates sees patients in Gaithersburg, Germantown, Montgomery County, and Hyattstown. Their top-notch doctors are compassionate and dedicated to patient health and wellbeing. Germantown Primary Care Associate’s Chief Medical Officer is Dr. Manbir Takhar. Dr. Takhar is a Civil Surgeon, and board certified in Internal Medicine by the State of Maryland. She is an invaluable asset to Germantown Primary Care Associates.

Primary care doctors and services in Germantown, MD and Montgomery County

Overview

Primary care includes medical examinations, internal medicine, treatments, diagnoses, and other health services. Patients in Germantown, MD, Montgomery County, and the surrounding areas can visit their local primary care clinic for these important services.

Physicals

Your primary care clinic offers a number of physical examinations to suit your needs and lifestyle, including the annual, sports, pre-college, DoT, and immigration physical. The sports physical is for children and teens involved in school sports that require proof of ability to play safely. The pre-college physical is a requirement of most colleges and universities before students can attend campus. The DoT physical is required of all Department of Transportation employees.

Other Evaluations

In addition to the standard exams and evaluations that are part of the annual physical, individuals may require specific evaluations. This includes testing for STDs and pregnancy, family planning, prostate and breast exams, Pap smears, testing for skin disorders, lung health, and heart health.

Lab Tests

Your primary care clinic my suggest certain lab tests, and can write scripts for them. Lab tests may be for: STDs, anemia, cholesterol, tuberculosis, or thyroid problems.

Immunizations

All of the standard vaccinations, flu and travel vaccinations, and TB and allergy testing are offered at your local primary care clinic. 

Your Clinic

Germantown Primary Care has seen thousands of patients over the past two decades throughout Germantown, Hyattstown, Gaithersburg, and Montgomery County. The Chief Medical Officer of Germantown Primary Care Associates has been Dr. Manbir Takhar since 2012. She has a passion for using her expertise to better the lives of her patients.

Annual physical exams in Germantown, MD and Montgomery County

Overview

Annual physical exams are a vital component of healthy living, especially as you age, which is when health issues or concerns with your body’s primary functions are more likely to occur. Patients in Germantown, MD and Montgomery County, as well as the surrounding area can go to their local primary care clinic for this important exam, as well as many other medical services.

Exam

The annual physical entails an exam and vaccinations. During the exam, your doctor will check your vital signs and organs, as well as your joints and glands. Your doctor may also ask you about your lifestyle and medical history, or have you complete a questionnaire. Lab tests may be required depending on the results of your physical exam, or answers, which could include testing for: anemia, cholesterol, STDs, tuberculosis, and thyroid problems.

Vaccinations

The other portion of the annual physical exam is vaccinations. If you can, it is best practice to bring documentation of your prior immunizations when visiting a clinic for the first time, so that staff has an idea of which shots you may be missing. In addition to the standard vaccinations, shots for yellow fever and other travel-related viruses are offered, as well as TB testing, flu vaccinations, and allergy shots.

Your Clinic

Germantown Primary Care has seen thousands of patients over the past two decades throughout Germantown, Hyattstown, Gaithersburg, and Montgomery County. The Chief Medical Officer of Germantown Primary Care Associates has been Dr. Manbir Takhar since 2012. She has a passion for using her expertise to better the lives of her patients.