How To Pass A DOT Physical

The Federal Motor Safety Carrier Association (https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/) oversees the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. Certified Medical Examiners are the only healthcare providers that are able to perform DOT physicals. As a tenured medical examiner, I am going to share with you today how to pass a dot physical.

There are standards put in place by the FMSCA for examiners to follow when determining the results of a particular exam. The toughest and strictest areas of the exam include blood pressure, vision, and hearing. Other common roadblocks are diabetes and other medical conditions. Rest assured, as long as you are relatively healthy, taking medications properly, and have adequate documentation, you are likely to pass the dot physical exam.

Urinalysis

Let’s start with the urinalysis. You will be required to provide a urine sample that will be collected at the time of the exam. This is not a drug test and we are looking for the specific gravity, protein, blood, and sugar. Any abnormal result here could indicate further testing if needed. The most common irregularity here is sugar. The presence of sugar in the urine means that the body is not regulating blood glucose properly indicating probable diabetes. If you are diabetic, you can pass the exam, even if you take insulin. In the case of type 1 insulin dependent, you will need the ITDM Assessment Form filled out by your treating physician to certify that your blood sugar is well controlled. In the case of type 2 diabetes, your most recent blood work will be requested to check your A1C levels. TIP: Prepare and bring documents/letters with you on your visit so that we can get your card to you same day!

Health History

The medical examiner will review your health history. Surgeries, medications, and other factors may need to be reviewed if it could potentially effect your ability to drive. All of these things are up to the medical examiners discretion. If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea you will need to bring a print out of your recent CPAP compliance report. TIP: bring a letter from your treating doctor if you are concerned about a particular surgery you had or a medication you take, it will speed up the certification process!

Blood Pressure

Next up is blood pressure, this is the most common reason that drivers fail or get reduced certifications. Your blood pressure needs to be 140/90 or less to pass without complicating things. TIP: Do not smoke, drink coffee, or energy drinks before the exam! These will elevate blood pressure.

Vision

For your vision screen, you will need to be able to have at least 20/40 vision in both eyes. TIP: wear your contacts or glasses in for the exam so that you pass this portion!

Hearing

For the hearing screen, you will need to hear a forced whisper at at least 5 feet. Typically the examiner will forced whisper (a loud whisper) a number, and you will repeat the number when you hear it. TIP: if you wear hearing aids, wear them in so that you can hear and pass!

Physical Exam

And then lastly, a physical exam will be performed. The examiner will look in your ears and eyes, listen to your heart and lungs, evaluate your joints and look at your spine. There are other parts to this as well, but these are the highlights.

And that is it! If you did your homework and were well prepared for this exam, you are completed with the dot physical. If everything went well, you should get your medical card before you leave.

Your examiner will determine how long your medical card will be certified for. Typically the most common limitations are with heart conditions and diabetes. The FMSCA recommends a 1 year card in those instances.

Now you know the inside information on how to pass a DOT physical. Please keep in mind that the determination is ultimately up to the medical examiner and it is best to be honest and talk about any concerns you have with him or her.

Dr. Glenn Ezell is a certified medical examiner that practices in St. Charles, MO at Ezell Chiropractic. He provides DOT physicals for many drivers and comes highly recommended.

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