by Peggy Spencer
Daily Lobo columnist
What should you do if you get sick or hurt while at UNM?
Come to the Student Health Center. We are across the mall to the east of the SUB. We work Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Tuesday when we open at 9 a.m.
For same-day care, we have a walk-in clinic. Just come to the health center and sign in at the reception area. There is a $20 charge for walk-in visits, part of which might be paid for by your health insurance, if you have any. If not, you can charge the visit to your bursar's account. Examples of the health problems we attend to at the walk-in clinic include sore throats, coughs, stomach flu, sprained ankles, bladder infections and lacerations.
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Call 277-3136 to schedule an appointment for less urgent problems, such as physical exams, long-standing health problems or medication refills. We have several doctors and mid-level providers who have office hours every day. Most of us are generalists, and we have a special women's health department for Pap smears and contraceptive counseling. Visits by appointment at the Student Health Center cost $15. Again, if you have insurance, it might cover all or part of that charge.
We have X-ray facilities in the building as well as a lab and pharmacy. The pharmacy has over-the-counter products as well as prescription medicines. You can even transfer your prescription to us from your outside physician, if you want to.
The allergy and immunization clinic will update your immunizations, work in concert with our travel clinic for international immunizations and travel needs, and perform allergy skin testing if it is ordered.
For those students with more complicated medical problems, we have specialists in the areas of allergy, surgery, orthopedics, dermatology, chiropractic, physical therapy and podiatry, and they come in on a regular basis. If you think you might need to see a specialist, you have to first make an appointment with one of our regular practitioners, who will refer you on.
If you have emotional or mental health problems, come see our Counseling and Therapy Services or call 277-4537 for an appointment. CATS is staffed by several licensed therapists who stay busy helping students with problems ranging from school stress to relationship issues and much more. We have a psychologist and a psychiatrist on staff for the more serious mental health concerns and medications. CATS has daily emergency walk-in hours as well as appointments.
Every UNM student is eligible for services at the health center, whether or not you have insurance. We do offer a specially-designed student health insurance program, and we bill directly for selected additional insurance companies. For other insurance companies, we'll help you obtain reimbursement. Our prices are kept as low as possible out of respect for students. Any costs that are incurred at the health center can be billed to your UNM bursar's account if desired, to be paid with regular tuition
and bills.
Call 277-3136 or come in anytime with your questions, or visit Unm.edu/~shc1.
Peggy Spencer has been a UNM student health physician for 16 years. E-mail your questions to her at Pspencer@unm.edu. All questions will be considered and all questioners will remain anonymous. This column has general health information only and cannot replace a visit to a health care provider.
