As If your profile picture isn't the same amount of creepy as this is.

It's NOT creepy in the slightest. A proper pulmonary exam should not be masked by restrictive clothing which can not only muffle sounds but also restrict movement of the chest. Not only should a doctor watch your breathing, he should do it BEFORE listening. And to do a full exam he should percuss too (tap on the chest), but I'm sure everyone here would consider that malpractice and advise her to sue, right?

OP can still cover herself with the bra, can't she? Just hold it up after undoing the back.

DocBastard, I'm gonna sue you for what you just said. Now, where do you live again? South Amefricaustraleurope?

Is he attractive? Wdhe

Is he attractive? Maybe OP has a secret fantasy! **

@DocBastard. Only if he drools while he's doing it, or asks OP to remove her panties as well. (seriously, Doc, I understand where you're coming from. Medicine is hard enough without the malpractice of Damocles swinging overhead)

Actually, I'm thinking that this is why doctors should always, always have a nurse in the room with them when they have female patients. This protects both the doctor and the patient.

I agree. Either the doctor gets bitched at for being inappropriate or for not diagnosing or missing something in his exam. Its a lose-lose situation. A female nurse should have to be present otherwise shit like this will just keep happening.

87&89: Although that's a great idea, to have an RN in the room when an MD is doing an assessment, it's not realistic. The reason being, RNs have so many pts to care for, and to use their time witnessing an MD perform an assessment, whether it be head-toe or specific assessments, is just a waste of precious time they could be using elsewhere.

why does it need to be an RN why can it not be a EEN or an EN?

Where I work, if the doctor asks for a chaperone, they get one but I don't think a respiratory assessment requires a chaperone. OP was asked to undo her bra presumably to listen to her lungs from her back, bra straps would hinder that.

C'mon docbastard, lets be serious... As a surgeon, I'm sure the last time you actually held a stethoscope was intern year. This situation is a classic outpatient primary care visit scenario... Something a typical trauma surgeon probably doesn't do. And yes. Having an MA in the room would make the physical exam less "awkward", And she doesn't have to be there for the entire visit. The physical exam on a typical visit is a max of 3 mins, which is usually pushing it. Also, it's possible OP is wearing much more constricting clothing, has excess soft tissue, denser clothes, or specific pulmonary symptoms that requires a more precise exam. Or the doc is just a pervy prick of a physician with a palate for perky.... pumas.

Dalink - For the record, the last time I used a stethoscope was yesterday. And I plan to use one today as well. I have to know if patients have breath sounds to see if they have a collapsed lung, for example. And ALL of my patients are completely disrobed. You know what they say about assumptions...

I'm probably missing something here, but, from the sound of it I'm guessing OP is a younger girl who's growing and probably had a bra that was too tight or friends who don't have a large chest. My ex had a large chest and the one time I drove her to the docs she handed me her bra before she went in because she didn't want to deal with it inside, she said she always had to undo it for her physicals.

what is your picture of?????? *-*

I agree this is very creepy. I'm going out on a limb, thinking that maybe OP is big chested? If her bra is too small and is on way too tightly, it would cause her to not be able to take deep breaths. But he didn't have to ask her to take off her bra. He should have just brought it to her attention.

:/

I'm with #6. You can't rule out that maybe the bra you were wearing was tight enough that he couldn't get a proper breathing analysis.

It's not that odd or creepy. Her bra might have been a style where the strap blocks where his stethoscope needs to be. My boobs are, well, huge; I was a D-cup by 11th grade. My doctor has to have me hold them up to listen to my lungs and heart under them, and she's a hetero friend of mine.

42, why do you need to let everyone know what size you were? Was it necessary?

@46 Maybe because it had something to do with the rest of what she was saying, that she has to hold them up at the doctor? Kind of goes along with the boob / doctor FML, don'tcha think?

My jealously meter dials up to a 7.5 here, boys. We got a live one!

49 is right. It's an example of how doctors sometimes need to ask us to do awkward things because of our differing body types. I'm not looking for attention, just trying to make OP feel more comfortable about her doctor.

Do not report the doctor. He was doing his job. You may have been big chested or the bra type may have covered an area where he needed to listen or he may have heard something in the upper lung and needed to check it further.

Next time just ask for a nurse to be present and try wearing a different style of bra.

Or get an appointment with a female doctor..

#2 she doesn't need to report him. Many doctors ask their patients to undress etc! Read DocBastards reply to #1. Ive had nurses and doctors ask me to become fully nude to examine me etc. Don't be so quick to judge the doctor just because his procedure may have been different from the other ladies. Also having a RN in the room etc can be allowed to protect the doctors reputation for situations like this. Where some people who dont understand normal doctor procedures cant say they were "violated". Im not saying it doesnt happen but I am saying its better to always be 100% sure opposed to not. You can seriously ruin a doctors life for no reason.

Maybe she really was just wearing a really tight constricting bra? Idk, people tend to scream sexual harassment about just about everything nowadays. I'd have to hear his side before making a judgment.

Oh, so you're a doctor now, #3?

The Doc always asks me to take my shirt off so he can get a better reading, without clothing noises. Pretty sure he's not hitting on me, I've known him for 25 years. I think a lot of the issue here is young women that are so sexualized that they think of everything in a sexual connotation and assume everyone in the world is trying to get in their pants.

Only sometimes Alan. Of course I wear the pretty ones to the doctor, gotta look good. Nothing says sexy beast like lacy bras and chest hair.

nope not a doctor. I am a RN tho #67

#138 - as an RN you should know how to perform a proper respiratory assessment. I was taught to auscultate directly on the skin, to not have any clothing between the patient and the stethoscope. As an ED nurse and an asthma/COPD educator I do many respiratory assessments which involve patients removing their clothing. You come into the ED I work in and the first thing you're asked to do is remove your clothes and put on a gown. As a fellow RN I'm embarrassed that you think its inappropriate for OP to unclasp her bra for her doctor to auscultate AND if you look at OP'S user name, it would imply she went to her doctor for a respiratory ailment!

#143-totally thought it was a regular appointment. Sorry I wasn't reading too much into an anonymous fml post. I'll try to be a better detective next time

Actually it is for almost all doctors doing breathing check ups, some don't but most of them do that to get a accurate reading

Naughty naughty patient ;)

It's not creepy, as a lot of people have said a tight bra needs to be undone to be able to perform the assessment correctly. I've always been asked to undo or take mine off, it's not unusual either.

Maybe OP was wearing a tight bra that is constricting her lungs, but none of her friends are.

I've had my doctor do that too. I have a slight heart murmur and my doctor just wanted to hear it better. But if you're not comfortable with you doctor, OP switch and get one that doesn't make you feel awkward around. (:

My first thought too.

My doctor has always done that as well, it just means you wear your bra tighter than your friends do

All of you who agree this is ok probably have large breast.

I'm a guy so..

What's that going to do?

Well if OP asked a nurse why she had to remove her bra for a repertory exam she can get the medical reason. If malpractice was going on, then a nurse would know. FYI it is normal for a doctor to ask to remove the bra. I have to when i get my exams done and I have a female doctor.

exactly

diffent bras, different sizes, different body types. if he asks again say you aren't comfortable with that.

Why? What malpractice took place?

I always find that the people who have the "lawsuit" mentality are, how should I put this, less than classy.

And we wonder why prescriptions, doctor visits, ER visits, etc. are high. This is not even close to a reason to sue. People are too quick to victimize themselves.

Well to be fair, a properly fitted bra is supposed to fit snugly around the ribcage, so the cup size could be properly chosen... not that it should cause that Pillsbury Doughboy effect and restrict your breathing, but snug enough for a visibly trim fit.

Yeah, most girls with ill-fitting bras have it too big so it rides up to their shoulders and then end up getting too small cups to compensate.

Yes! I feel so sorry for them because I was like them... They just need to be informed. Getting properly fitted changed my life! No more horrifying back pain and posture.

Being properly fitted does shit when there is no universal bra size for companies to follow. I've been properly fitted many times and have yet to find a good bra. Some people are cursed to live a life in uncomfortable bras thanks to no one giving a shit about women's comfort.

Calm your **** #167, women are not hard done by when it comes to fashion, shop somewhere else and you'll find a comfortable fit. Try a different fabric, a different style etc... There's plenty of choice.