/assets/images/provider/photos/2829045.jpg)
New Year, New Job? What to Expect During Your DOT or Pre-Employment Physical
Starting a new job can be nerve-racking and exciting. Before you begin, you may need a pre-employment or DOT physical to ensure you’re healthy for the position.
At Calvary Urgent Care, Dr. Joseph Goin offers DOT and pre-employment physicals at the practice in Humble, Texas. He’s an experienced physician who provides a range of services, including drug testing, workers’ compensation exams, and occupational medicine.
What is a DOT physical?
A Department of Transportation (DOT) physical is an exam required for people to drive commercial vehicles. Anyone who starts a job as a commercial vehicle driver must have a DOT physical to ensure they’re healthy enough to drive on the road.
A certified medical examiner must perform the exam, ensuring they check all essential health components for driving safely. During the exam, we check the following components of your health:
- Hearing
- Vision
- Blood pressure
- Height and weight
- Mental health
- Pulse
- Urinalysis
- Drug testing
- Blood sugar
Before the physical exam, we discuss your past medical history and current medications, including any past surgeries and medical diagnoses, to help us determine your overall health.
We also need to know about any aids you use, including glasses, hearing aids, or contact lenses. Please provide other pertinent information, such as A1C results for diabetics, a recent INR if you take blood thinners, or the compliance report for a C-PAP machine.
What to expect at a pre-employment physical
A pre-employment physical is for jobs, other than those by the DOT, that require a screening to ensure you’re healthy enough to perform the job. Any employer may request a pre-employment physical before you can start.
It’s a physical and mental examination to ensure you can perform the required tasks. We can perform a pre-employment physical, along with any necessary drug testing and lab work.
The physical typically includes a review of your medical history, your current medications, and any current diagnoses or symptoms. During the next step for the physical exam, we listen to your heart, lungs, and stomach and take pertinent vital signs.
Depending on the job, we may also have you perform functional tests, such as lifting a specific weight or carrying objects, to ensure you can complete the task without health issues or injury.
Other jobs may require a mental health evaluation to ensure you’re mentally sound. You may also need lab tests for conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, or heart problems.
The purpose of both types of screenings is to ensure you’re healthy enough to do the job to protect you and others. It’s also a way to hire fairly and maintain compliance at specific jobs.
To schedule your DOT or pre-employment physical, visit our urgent care facility in Humble, Texas. You can call our office for assistance or book an appointment online through our website today.