I mean actually going into the exam room with you? For something like a sore trouf or an eye exam my mother would usually come in untill I started driving myself at 16. But for a checkup she stayed in the waiting room (or had her’s does at the same time in another room) starting about ten. As as I can remember I’ve never had a doctor check “down there” with her present (though it must have happened when I was very young). The only times I remember my father taking me he sat in the waiting room. For those with children when did you stop going or when do you plan on stopping? For doctors (and PAs and NPs) what do your patients do?
At some point in my teens - 14 I think - when the doctor took it upon himself to unzip me and inspect my genitals with my parents standing right there. And it wasn’t just a quick peek, it was a lengthy inspection.
After that I decided their presense would no longer be required at the doctor’s office.
GP, can’t remember…but my specialists my parents always came in with me…had to remember all my medical history LOL.
When I was about 16 or so.
When I turned fifteen, I was preparing for a school trip to Tanzania so I took myself off to the doctor every three weeks to get all the shots I needed in the lead up to leaving. Apparently I was the only one who thought to do this starting in August when the trip was in December because everyone else went to the travel doctor two weeks before we were due to leave and got eight shots at the same time.
When I moved in with my dad at sixteen, I knew I’d have to take myself to the doctor for birth control and all that so I went and got my own Medicare card (school had a lesson devoted to going to the GP on your own and that you can get your own Medicare card at fifteen) and have yet to go accompanied, even when I had Implanon put it. I think that as soon as the individual has the knowledge of their own medical history and knows what has to be picked up/examined, they’re fine.
For normal stuff, after my son was about 12 if it involved any kind of personal exam I’d stay out; and for my daughter, probably whatever age she asked me to go away. Except for orthopedic visits – she has a very rare orthopedic condition and I have the best knowledge of her medical history, much of which occurred when she was too young to know clearly what happened when. So even today I go with her for those periodic visits if I’m close enough; if I’m not, I’ve written up a history, but it’s not the same as being able to talk about it myself with the doctors, who usually have a bunch of other questions.
Yeah, I’m the parent of two doctors. As such, it was rare if I saw a doctor unless I was missing a leg. I do have to see a neurosurgeon regularly. For those visits, it depended on why I was going. For a regular checkup, past 16 I was on my own. Anything more and it often ended up being a family visit with my mom and aunt(also an MD) along for the ride. Comforting but clingy.
Heh, I had an appointment with the neurologist last September and Mom came… she said she figures that way I don’t have to explain it later 
When I’m “home” and she has a specialist appointment, I go too. And now she’s had my SiL appointed as her GP*, so she’s definitely covered in the “relatives with you at the doc’s” department.
- You know how sometimes we say things like “my head hurts” and all we want is to hear “oh, that’s too bad, have you taken anything?”? Well, SiL’s reaction was along the lines of “oh, here, take this and if it hasn’t gone down in three hours let me know again”. Same reaction for “I’m tired” or “I feel real sad”. So Mom said “if she’s going to act like she’s my doctor and not like she’s my daughter in law, she’s going to be my doctor by Jove!”
My mom still comes with me to check-ups if she isn’t busy. It’s nice to have someone to help you put on the paper gown and stuff 
AdoptaKids are 14 & 15 years old and I recently tried to remain in the waiting room while AdoptaDaughter saw the pediatrician for a physical for school sports. Nope, the nurse came back and got me and said I must be in the room with her.
I’ve encouraged my kids to take charge of their own health care since they were old enough to talk to the Dr’s about what was going on with their bodies. I’d like for them to know that their doc is their partner and a valuable resource to talk with if AdoptaDad or I aren’t available, or if they have something going on they want to keep private (std, birth control, etc). I was a little disappointed that they required me to come back with her and plan to ask on our next visit when they can begin to see her alone.
Unlike Patty O’Furniture’s experience, when AdoptaSon had a sports physical, my son and I both (simultaneously) asked if I could step out of the room. I haven’t seen those parts in years and don’t need to
I don’t remember my parents coming with me to the doctors since I was about 13. But I don’t think I needed to go between then and when I went for vacinations at 17 for my trip to Eqypt.
Adoptamom_II Why did they insist you be in the room with your daughter, but not your son?
I resented this for a long time…my mom came into every doctor’s appointment until I was 18. And she’d sit there with this horribly disapproving look on her face. Forget trying to ask the doctor anything private. And i don’t mean just sex, since I wasn’t even having sex, but anything at all.
But that’s not really why I posted. The reason why I posted…This is going to embarrass the heck out of her, but the more posts i read about Adoptamom_II’s kids the more I like her. She seems like a wonderful mom, and having been adopted myself, a wonderful adtopive mom. I would have given my left leg for a mom like her. So I just wanted to say - it seems like you’re doing a great job! Carry on.
This doesn’t count, but that’s exactly why I go along with my wife to most of her doctor visits. Also, I think she gets a little freaked by herself . . . she can convince herself of the worst about anything.
When I was a lad you were still a minor until your were 21. That means that the doctor had to have your parents’ permission to treat you. At that time doctors still made house calls so having at least one parent present was sort of automatic.
The only illness I can recall having in late teens was pneumonia in the winter of 1942 while I was waiting to be called to active duty in the army. As I recall, the doctor came to the house and put me in the hospital raht now.
After about 10 or 12 she stopped routinely coming into the exam room, but there were exceptions. No big deal from my viewpoint. After I left home at 18 mom definitely stopped coming with me, as she was then living 300 miles away from me.
A couple years ago, when I took leave from work to help my seriously ill parents, I was driving them to the doctor’s office and even sitting in on their exams.
One of the weirder parts of getting older.
Backstory: When I bring my kids to the doctor, I’ve always tried to prep them in advance of what might happen so they aren’t caught unawares. This helps them trust me, their doctor, and gives them a chance to beg the nurse for pills before she walks in with a butt shot <g>.
So, AdoptaSon knows he’s going in for a sports physical - his first. As a mom of five daughters, I had NO idea that part of the procedure involved her checking his nut sack, etc. When she asked him to drop his pants, my very modest son turned to me with a stricken look of betrayal on his face that also conveyed SAVE ME NOW MOM! Did I mention that his doctor is young (early 30’s) and beautiful? Bless his heart, this was part of the exam I didn’t know about, so hadn’t prepped him for, and he was mortified :eek: He almost decided, on the spot, that being a part of the track team wasn’t important after all! Luckily, she sensed his extreme discomfort, took some time to explain what she needed to do and why, at which time I offered to leave the room as he was asking me if I would please step out. Exam commenced, over in less than a minute, and they called me back into the room to finish out the rest of the exam.
Cute story that we laugh about now, but we both fussed at AdoptaDad when we got home for not telling us in advance that was part of a sports physical. 
As for why it was different for AdoptaDaughter - apparently a pelvic isn’t part of female sports physicals, and even if it were, she nor I are modest with each other about that sort of thing.
Anaamika I’m blushing. Thanks
I think my parents stopped coming when I was old enough to get there myself, by bus or bike, unless I was as sick as a dog and getting there on my own wasn’t an option.
Oh, and age-wise that would be about 14. Don’t really remember, but I’m thinking ninth grade.