The President of the United States has completed a roughly four hour periodic physical examination by his physician, Dr. Sean P.Conley, performed at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center - this is his second since taking office. In a preliminary statement released to the public, Dr. Conley writes in part he "performed and supervised the evaluation with a panel of 11 different board certified specialists. He [President Trump] did not undergo any procedures requiring sedation or anesthesia...While the reports and recommendations are being finalized, I am happy to announce the President of the United States is in very good health and I anticipate he will remain so for the duration of his Presidency, and beyond."
Read the full statement here:
This is pretty standard fare for a preliminary report. The main take home being President Trump is in good health with no expected significant issues in the present or foreseeable future. Once a likely follow-up report is released with greater detail a more comprehensive picture can be assessed of what was ruled out or in, for example, and what testing revealed. But, this conclusion implies there is nothing of consequence that would impede his ability to do his job.
While we await the next phase of this announcement and the accompanying predicted media swarm, let's revisit last year's evaluations to get up to speed.
This article discusses my extensive interpretation of the President's first periodic medical examination. President Donald Trump completed it at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as well. His then White House physician, Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, released a statement of his findings and held a protracted press conference.
You may recall that the press and social media went wild with the 2018 preliminary statement release by White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders of POTUS' first routine medical exam in office. But, were they using the right lens? Here, I discuss nuances of medical speak and how it differs from our choices for daily conversation.
As the first physician to serve three administrations and be the appointed Physician to the President for two presidents, Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson is a historical figure. I had the privilege of going to the White House to find out, among other things: Are presidents difficult patients? Can his team operate on Air Force One? How does he feel about the politicizing of a candidate's health, in general? What is the capacity of the White House medical unit on the premises and while traveling? This piece gives a glimpse into an important world that is not focused on much in the public sphere.
![Shealah Craighead [Public domain]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Donald_Trump_official_portrait.jpg){kind=link}