What a Doctor Does During a Checkup
Medi the friendly guide stands in a bright doctor's office, holding a stethoscope and smiling at a child sitting on a crinkly paper-covered exam table, with a stadiometer measuring stick on the wall and a scale nearby.
- Identify three things a doctor does during a checkup: looks, listens, and measures.
- Explain why a doctor uses a stethoscope at a checkup.
- Identify what tool the doctor uses to measure how tall you are.
- State one reason a checkup helps keep your body healthy.
Key terms
- checkup
- A visit to the doctor when you feel fine to make sure you are healthy.
- stethoscope
- A tool the doctor uses to listen to your heart and lungs.
- stadiometer
- A tall measuring stick on the wall that shows how tall you are.
- otoscope
- A small light the doctor uses to peek inside your ears.
Look, Listen, and Measure
At a checkup the doctor does three main jobs, and each one tells them something different. When they look, they check your eyes, ears, throat, and skin to see that everything appears healthy. When they listen, they hear your heart and lungs working. When they measure, they learn how tall you are and how much you weigh. Together, these three steps give the doctor a full picture of how your body is doing.
Why Checkups Matter When You Feel Fine
It might seem strange to visit the doctor when nothing hurts, but that is exactly the point of a checkup. By looking, listening, and measuring while you are well, the doctor can make sure you are growing the right way and catch any small thing early. Think of the doctor as a body detective: the more clues they gather when you feel fine, the better they can help you stay healthy.
Worked examples
Match the doctor's job to the right tool.
- To LISTEN to your heart and lungs, the doctor uses a stethoscope.
- To LOOK inside your ears, the doctor uses an otoscope.
- To MEASURE how tall you are, the doctor uses a stadiometer.
Answer: Stethoscope is for listening, otoscope is for looking, and the stadiometer is for measuring height.
Activity
Sort each doctor tool into the bin that matches what it is used for: LOOKS, LISTENS, or MEASURES.
Practice
Name the three main jobs a doctor does at a checkup.
Explain one reason a checkup helps even when you feel fine.
Common mistakes to avoid
- You only go to the doctor when sick.Doctors also see you for checkups when you feel fine to keep you healthy.
- A stethoscope measures how tall you are.A stethoscope is for listening to your heart and lungs, not for measuring height.
Check your understanding
What does a doctor use a stethoscope for at a checkup?
You only go to the doctor when you are sick. Is this true or false?
Which of these does the doctor do at a checkup?
Recap
A checkup is a doctor visit when you feel fine. The doctor does three jobs: they look at your eyes, ears, and throat, they listen to your heart and lungs with a stethoscope, and they measure your height and weight. Checkups help make sure your body is healthy and growing just right.
Reflect
Why do you think the doctor is called a body detective at a checkup?