Ask not what your Doctor can do for you

[MineralMan]

8. At my clinic, they use a very short list of words for the recall test.

I've been going there for years, and it's always the same, maybe 10 words, from which they pick three or four. I repeat the three or four mentally a couple of times and then feed them back, when asked. Then, I usually tell the PA which three words she asked for last year. She laughs.

I haven't had to do the backwards by seven thing, but I can do it quickly. I practiced it a few years ago. I could do it anyhow, but why not just rattle them off?

Bottom line is that those tests are not in any way conclusive of anything. They're just a guide to check whether more info is needed.

I see the same doctor every year for that visit. It's been almost 25 years now. It's a very cursory sort of examination. It's all I need, though, even at 80. If I have an issue, I'll make an appointment to address it. Otherwise, I see the doctor once a year. That will change, no doubt, at some point.