Empowerment, not laughter, is the best medicine. That’s the big takeaway from the new Paramount+ docuseries The Checkup with Dr. David Agus, a six-part show featuring celebrities like Amy Schumer, Ashton Kutcher, Jane Fonda, and our very own Oprah Winfrey, who opens up about her experience with the big M (menopause). In candid, emotional conversations, Agus asks his guests about their medical conditions and struggles. In turn, he hopes their stories will educate and inspire viewers to better manage their own health.

“You know your body best,” says Agus, a CBS News medical contributor, CEO of the Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine, and Professor of Medicine and Engineering at USC. “There are no stupid questions. Every time you have an ache, a pain, your body is talking to you, and we need to listen.”

To start that healthy dialogue, he advises everyone to ask their primary care physician these questions at their next appointment:

1. Can I have a copy of my medical records?

"You don’t only get sick between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday," Agus says. "You get sick on vacation, at night, other times. So the key is to store a digital copy of all your records in Dropbox or iCloud or one of those equivalents where you’ve got a folder with labs, EKGs, scans, every test your doctor has done. If something does happen, and it happens to all of us, you’ll require many, many fewer tests, because you have all your baselines handy." Alternatively, if your doctor’s practice has a patient portal where you can access your information, be sure to create a log-in and use it.

2. Why am I on this medication, and do I need to stay on it?

"Many times, medications become legacy. I’d rather you understand exactly why you’re taking something and make sure it’s necessary. So bring in all of your medications and go over each one. We all change, and every year you need a reassessment."

3. Are there preventive things I should be doing?

"This is the most important one, and by far the most difficult," says Agus. "But you have to get aggressive about prevention." So ask things like:

  • Should I be on Lipitor [to lower cholesterol]?
  • Should I be on a baby aspirin?
  • Have I had all my vaccines?
  • Am I due for a colonoscopy?
  • Is there anything I could do to prevent heart disease?
  • Is there anything I could do to prevent cancer, or any preventive tests I should get?

"Making sure your doctor is checking off all the boxes is critical. Because remember, your doctor is not in charge of your health—you are."