Welcome back to school! New students, welcome to UNM!
How are you feeling? I hope you stay well and healthy all year, but just in case, I want you to know you can get health care right here on campus. Allow me to introduce you to SHAC: Student Health and Counseling. We are located across the mall to the east of the SUB.
Any registered student can use SHAC services. You can be a part-time or a full-time student, with or without health insurance. Here’s what we have:
Walk-in clinic
Say you sprained your ankle because you didn’t see that step due to the pile of new textbooks you were carrying. Or you think you caught strep throat from your little nephew at the family reunion. Drag yourself on over to SHAC, and we’ll see you in the walk-in clinic. This is the place for same-day emergencies, injuries and illnesses. The cost of a visit is $20. We have lab and X-ray on site, and we accept several insurance plans.
Medical appointments
If you have been having headaches, bellyaches or acne for a while, call 277-3136 for an appointment with one of our medical providers. The visit charge for an appointment is $15. We are all generalists who can take care of most problems and can refer you to specialists if need be. We have specialists on site for podiatry, dermatology, surgery and allergies. We can also be your primary care provider while you are in school, which means you can get your physical exams, checkups and Pap smears here. We have special women’s health and men’s health clinics. If you have a chronic medical problem like asthma or high blood pressure, we can take care of that, too.
Counseling
Maybe you had a very painful breakup last night and you’re feeling despondent, even thinking about leaving school or doing something drastic. Come to Counseling and Therapy Services for an urgent walk-in visit the same day. The first two visits are free. Or if it is not an emergency but you have anxiety, depression, relationship issues or school stress, call for an appointment with one of our therapists. They can help you with these and other mental health issues and refer you to our psychiatrist if necessary. The number for CATS is 277-4537.
Pharmacy
You caught a nasty cold on the plane or you forgot to pack your bottle of aspirin. Head upstairs to our pharmacy. Our pharmacists have everything from cold pills to condoms, and even some herbal remedies. They can fill a prescription from any doctor, too. Reach them at 277-6307.
Physical therapy and massage therapy
Do your back and legs hurt from carrying all those books around? Is your neck sore after that fender bender in G Lot? Call for an appointment in physical therapy or a massage at 277-3136.
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Health education
Want to quit smoking, lose weight or improve your diet? We can hook you up with some stop-smoking freebies and good advice. Just call 277-7947.
Immunizations and travel
Going to Zimbabwe to study abroad? Or just want a tetanus shot or flu shot? We can help. Call 277-7925 with questions or 277-3136 for an appointment.
Health Insurance
We offer a policy just for students. Call 277-7943 to find out more or go to macori.com/unm. The deadline to sign up is Sept. 14.
This has been a smorgasbord overview of what SHAC offers. Please feel free to come in and find out more. Call 277-3136 or go to our Web site at shac.unm.edu.
Peggy Spencer, M.D., has been a UNM Student Health physician for 17 years and a Daily Lobo contributing columnist for three years. She is co-author of the book 50 Ways to Leave Your 40s, released in March. E-mail your questions to her directly 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 provider.
