Comments on: Can any doctor do a DOT physical?

By: Donna

Donna — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:05:55 +0000

Thanks for the information! My hubby thought there were only specific doctors that could do the DOT physical but thanks to you I called our regular doctor & he does them

By: Larris Noble, D.C.

Larris Noble, D.C. — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 22:24:52 +0000

In my first few years in practice I had several drivers comment that they had never had so thorough a physical as I had given. I believe in recent years that most doctors have become more thorough and the physical has been modified and better organized to make it more efficient for the doctor to use. I recently had a driver with Bp of 200/150. He did not pass and could not even qualify for a 90 day temporary certificate.If I as a chiropractor try to do a sloppy physical I risk losing that privilege for the profession.

By: Eric Arnold

Eric Arnold — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:40:04 +0000

Dr. Wolf: I’m glad you do the DOT physicals correctly. And you have a point about making my point with too broad a brush, so I have edited my original post. However, I have seen repeatedly, medicals where a driver has a blood pressure of over 160/90, and the driver is given a 2 year medical, without following the steps listed on the form for high blood pressure. Or, a driver who has 20/60 vision, and is given a 2 year medical. When DOT finds these type of things, they take little or no action against the doctor, rather, they fine the motor carrier for using an unqualified driver. These are not common occurences, but they do happen.

By: Jack Wolf

Jack Wolf — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:49:37 +0000

Eric:

When you say “The instructions are on the examination form, but very few doctors are going to take the time to read that, I would imagine.”

You might imagine, but as a physician, I know the opposite is true. Most doctors will read what they are doing.

We are conscientious practitioners, and I would never think of signing my name to any exam that I hadn’t read. Now most MDs may not read the entire detailed DOT instructions unless they run into something questionable, but the vision and BP requirements are right on the form and cannot be missed and it is hard to imagine any MD ignoring them.

Jack Wolf MD, Graham, NC
Doing DOTs for 25 years