Dear Dr. Peg,
I don't feel well. What is the best way to access Student Health and Counseling? Do I need an appointment? Should I come in or call? Can I get help online?
You can call for an appointment, come in and make an appointment or come in and be seen the same day. That's the short answer. I hope you'll keep reading for the details.
As our name suggests, Student Health and Counseling offers medical care and mental health care. If you need to see a provider, whether on the medical side or the counseling side, there are two ways to go about it. First, you can make an appointment by phone or in person. The number to call is (505) 277-3136 for a medical appointment and (505) 277-4537 for counseling. I'll discuss the medical side first.
If your problem is not urgent - in other words, if it can wait a day or two - I recommend making an appointment. This will minimize your cost both in dollars and time. Medical appointments cost $15 and don't require you to wait in line to be seen. You can usually get an appointment within the next few days after your call.
If you call for an appointment, please tell the phone receptionist a little about your problem. You don't have to get into all the details, but give enough information so he or she can schedule you with the right provider for the right amount of time. Anything you tell staff at SHAC is confidential. That means it might get put down in writing in your chart, but it doesn't leave here without your written permission.
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Secondly, if you are acutely ill or injured, you can come to our Walk-In Clinic. The cost of a medical Walk-In Clinic visit is $20. We are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Tuesday, when it's 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Word to the wise: The earlier in the day you come in, the less time you'll spend here. Our busiest times are lunchtime and the end of the day. First thing in the morning is best. In the afternoon, it's best to come in before 4:30 p.m. so you can be taken care of, including lab and pharmacy, before those services close.
To be seen in the Walk-In Clinic, check in at the front desk. They will ask for a brief description of your problem. Then you will be asked to have a seat in the lobby where you will wait while the reception staff gets your chart or makes you a new one. Then you will be called back to a small triage room. A nurse will take your vital signs and ask you why you are here. She will then show you to an exam room where you will wait to be seen by the provider. Depending on how many patients we have and how many providers we have, the wait time can range from zero to more than an hour. Overall, our wait times are far less than the emergency room or most urgent care centers. We see patients in the order they arrive, unless there's a serious emergency, such as a heart attack, that requires immediate attention.
When your turn comes up, a provider will come into the room, talk to you, examine you, perhaps order tests and treat your problem. Many of the lab tests we order, such as strep throat screens, X-rays and urine tests for infection or pregnancy, are done right here in the clinic with results available the same day. Others have to be sent out to Tricore Labs. If you are very ill, you might get transferred to a hospital by ambulance.
If you feel you need to see a counselor or psychiatrist about an emotional or psychological problem, call (505) 277-4537, or go to the Counseling Services desk inside the SHAC building at the west end. The receptionist will ask you some questions and give you paperwork to fill out.
Depending on the severity of your problem and the availability of counseling staff, you will either be seen that day, given an appointment for another day or referred to a resource in the community. Counseling Center walk-in hours are 11 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m., first come, first served. The cost of a visit to Counseling Services is free the first two times, and it increases after that.
When you are seen in Counseling Services on a walk-in basis, you will spend 45 to 50 minutes with therapists on call for emergencies. They will evaluate you, address any immediate needs and help you with a plan for follow up. This usually means another appointment with them or another therapist here. In rare cases, suicidal or severely ill clients are sent out to a hospital the same day. If an appointment with our psychiatrist is indicated, you will get referred by one of the counselors. It costs $30 to see the psychiatrist, and you must be referred.
If you make a counseling appointment, you will have 45 to 50 minutes with a therapist at a time that works for your schedule. The therapist will help you clarify your major issue or issues and make a plan for further work together. Counseling records are confidential, just like medical records.
We don't make appointments online or communicate with patients electronically at this time, but we do have an extensive and informative Web site at Unm.edu/~shc1/. Please visit.
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 care provider.
