The purpose of the MEPS physical exam is to ensure that you, and future soldiers, are:
- free of contagious diseases that could endanger other soldiers
- free of medical conditions or physical defects that could result in separation from the Army
- medically capable of completing training
- medically adaptable to the military environment
- medically capable of performing your duties
The exam will test your:
- eye sight
- hearing
- blood
- urine
and the doctor will check for any distinctive marks, such as: tattos, cuts, scars, birthmarks.
The day consists of:
- wake up about 4:00 a.m.
- eat some breakfast
- get a bus ride to MEPS from the “hotel”
- wait for more people to show up
- Go inside wait till you get your folder with a bunch of papers you need to sign
- take the tests, which includes the duck walk
- you talk to a doctor that asks you a few questions
- you have to pee in a restroom while they watch you
After all the tests you go to a room where they make you strip to your draws. At that point they do a full body inspection head-to-toe. Women will get a breast exam and pregnancy test.
Some suggestions:
- Blood test – so don’t have drugs or alcohol in your system
- Duck Walk – You are in a position that resembles how a lady would squat to pee in the woods. You then have to move from one foot to the other and “walk” to the other side of the room and back again. The “walk” requires you to almost completely extend your leg – you end up walking on your heel – it is painful on hard tile floors.
- Bring something to read, you will wish you did.