While both physical exams and well-child visits share many similarities as they are both evaluations of overall health, there are many differences in the goals and purposes for each one. Physical examinations are typically required at the start of a school year or when participating in sports. The purpose of physical exams is to determine whether or not a person is fit to participate in certain activities like sports or certain school activities. Physicals do not tend to address comprehensive evaluation of every part that makes up a person’s overall health. Instead, it only clears a person enough to make sure they are qualified to participate in specific activities. On the other hand, well-child visits are usually annual checkups that occur throughout the childhood of an individual. Unlike physical exams, well-child visits include comprehensive preventative care, focusing on the overall health and development of a child to a higher degree than that of a physical exam. In a well-child visit, the developmental progress of the child is reviewed and any discrepancies or abnormalities are analyzed and addressed. The intention behind this type of evaluation is to work towards greater physical and emotional health too. It also serves the purpose of identifying any possible problems early on so that they may be addressed and prevented.