Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Summer may have just begun, but pediatricians are already reminding families to start planning for the upcoming school year, especially when it comes to required school physicals.

Dr. Mackenzie Heywood, a pediatrician with Memorial Care on Koke Mill Road, said many Illinois students will need a physical examination before they can begin classes this fall.

“It feels like we just hit summer and just ended school,” Heywood said. “But I would encourage families to start reaching out to their pediatrician’s office to start getting that in the books for this upcoming year.”

Under Illinois requirements, students entering preschool or early childhood programs, kindergarten, sixth grade and ninth grade must have a school physical. Children enrolling in an Illinois school for the first time are also required to receive a physical examination.

Heywood said while annual physicals are recommended for all children, those grade levels are specifically mandated by the state.

“In general, I do recommend everyone have a physical every year, but those are the state of Illinois requirements,” she said. “It’s just to make sure people are where they need to be in terms of school readiness.”

Parents preparing children for fall sports should also be aware that school physicals and sports physicals are not the same.

“Sports physicals are different,” Heywood said. “They look at making sure a kid is safe to compete in sports. So we do it a little different than we do for a normal school physical.”

She noted that in some cases a school physical can satisfy sports physical requirements, but a sports physical cannot replace a school physical.

Heywood emphasized that students do not “fail” a school physical, though doctors may identify concerns that require additional evaluation.

“There can be things that are more concerning that we need to look into,” she said, including lead screening, tuberculosis testing or other supplemental evaluations.

Because appointment schedules are already beginning to fill, Heywood encouraged families not to wait until the last minute.

“We are already pretty booked,” she said. “I would definitely call soon because spots are filling up.”

Parents seeking to schedule a physical can contact Memorial Care at 217-862-0800 or visit Memorial Health’s website to request a pediatric appointment.