Your Annual Physical: What Adults in Suwanee and Johns Creek Should Actually Expect

By Dr. Sindy Mulumba, MD  ·  Family Medicine, STARS Integrative Care with TMS  ·  Suwanee, GA

Most adults can tell you the last time they took their car in for service. Far fewer can tell you the last time they took themselves in for a check-up.

I see this every week in my exam room. Smart, capable people — parents, professionals, business owners — who keep everyone else on schedule and quietly skip their own. They tell me, “I feel fine, so I figured I didn’t need to come in.” And I always say the same thing back: that is exactly when you should come in.

An annual physical is not a sick visit. It is the appointment where we get ahead of the things that can quietly take years off your life — high blood pressure, prediabetes, high cholesterol, thyroid issues, cancers caught early. For most adults with private insurance, it is also one of the few visits that is fully covered, with no copay and no deductible, because federal law requires preventive care to be covered at 100%.

If you have never had a real annual physical, or it has been more than two years, here is exactly what to expect when you come see me at STARS in Suwanee.

Before You Arrive: A Little Preparation Goes a Long Way

A good physical starts before you walk in the door. When you book your appointment, my team will ask you to fast for 8 to 12 hours if we plan to draw labs the same day. Water, black coffee, and your regular medications are usually fine — we will confirm everything specific to you in advance.

It also helps to come prepared with a few things in mind:

• Any symptoms, even small ones — sleep changes, fatigue, headaches, joint pain, changes in mood or appetite
• A list of every medication and supplement you take, including over-the-counter products
• Your family history of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or mental health conditions
• Questions you have been quietly wondering about for months

If you have records from a previous primary care doctor, ask them to send those over before your visit. Continuity matters — I would rather build on what you already know than start from zero.

In the Exam Room: What I Am Actually Looking For

When you arrive, my medical assistant will check your vital signs — blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, oxygen saturation, height, and weight. These four-minute measurements quietly tell us a lot. A blood pressure reading that has been creeping up year over year is often the first sign of something we want to catch early.

Then you and I sit down. This is the part of the visit that matters most — and the part many practices have stopped doing well.

I want to know how you are sleeping, how you are eating, how you are moving, and how you are feeling — not just what hurts.

I will ask about your work, your stress, your relationships, and your mental health. I will ask about alcohol, tobacco, and recreational substances — not to judge, but because they affect your health in ways most people underestimate. If something you say raises a concern, I will tell you. If nothing does, I will tell you that too.

After our conversation, I will perform a focused physical exam, which typically includes:

• Heart and lung exam
• Abdominal exam
• Skin check for any concerning moles or lesions
• Lymph node and thyroid check
• A neurological screen — reflexes, balance, and basic coordination

If you would prefer a chaperone in the room during any part of the exam, just say so. That is always your right.

The Lab Work: Numbers That Tell a Story

For most adult patients, I order a baseline panel of labs at your annual visit. This is one of the most valuable parts of preventive care, because labs catch problems years before you would ever feel them. A typical panel includes:

• A complete blood count (CBC) — checks for anemia, infection, and immune health
• A comprehensive metabolic panel — kidney function, liver function, electrolytes, blood sugar
• A lipid panel — total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides
• Hemoglobin A1C — your average blood sugar over the past three months
• Thyroid function (TSH) when indicated
• Vitamin D, B12, and iron studies when your history suggests we should look

Depending on your age, sex, and personal risk profile, I may also recommend screenings for things like colon cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate health, osteoporosis, or sexually transmitted infections. We do not order tests just to order them — every screen has a reason.

After the Visit: This Is Where Most Practices Drop the Ball

Anyone can run labs. The difference is what happens next.

When your results come in, you will hear from me — not a generic portal message saying “results normal,” but a real explanation. If something needs follow-up, I will tell you what it means, what we are going to do about it, and what your options are. If everything looks good, I will tell you that, too, and we will set your goals for the next year.

If your visit reveals something that overlaps with mental health — anxiety, depression, ADHD, sleep, substance use — you have a built-in advantage at STARS. My husband and practice partner, Dr. Chriss Mulumba, is a board-certified psychiatrist. We share the same building, the same records, and the same patients. You do not have to repeat your story to a new provider across town. We coordinate care in real time, which is the entire point of integrated medicine.

A Word to Anyone Who Has Been Putting This Off

If it has been five years, ten years, or longer since your last physical — I am not going to lecture you. Life gets loud. Insurance changes. Doctors move. People lose trust in the system for reasons that are often very legitimate.

What I will tell you is this: the visit you are dreading is almost never as bad as the worry you have been carrying around. And the relief of finally having a number, a plan, and a doctor who knows you by name is something my patients tell me about for years afterward.

You do not have to wait until something is wrong to take care of yourself. That is the whole idea.

Booking Your First Visit

I am currently welcoming new adult patients (ages 18 and up) for primary care at STARS Integrative Care with TMS in Suwanee, just minutes from Johns Creek, Duluth, Cumming, and Alpharetta.

We are in-network with:

• Aetna
• Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Cigna
• United Healthcare
• Humana

Appointments are available in-person and via telehealth. I see patients in English, Haitian Creole, and French.

Book Your First Visit With Dr. Sindy STARS Integrative Care with TMS 4330 Johns Creek Pkwy, Suite 400 · Suwanee, GA 30024 (470) 253-1350  ·  starsmedpsych.com A safe place that harbors hope and healing.