Students stay healthy with discounted rates

It’s the beginning of the school year and you’re stressed. It’s your first time away from home, you’re still adjusting to your student schedule, and you’ve moved from your comfortable room at home to a dorm room shared with a roommate. Among the things to stress about you suddenly wake up one morning with a sniffle, and it has began.

Part of living with a roommate on a floor of 60 students is always having the concern of sharing the common cold. Let me tell you, from first-hand experience, it happens. No matter how hard you try to avoid the germs, it is almost inevitable that you will get sick.

Fortunately, since you are now considered a ‘broke college student,’ the University of South Dakota offers Student Health Services located at the Sanford Vermillion Medical Center. Here, you can be seen for anything, and the best part? Some services are offered for free or reduced price. These include: office visits, allergies/immunizations/injections, labs, my eVisits, physicals and STD testing.

While most of these are self-explanatory, some may be wondering what My eVisits is. The clinic offers diagnosis and prescribed treatments for common conditions if a student doesn’t want to come in.

This confidential questionnaire is submitted to your doctor and an answer will be given in one business day. Conditions commonly seen in this is pink eye, yeast infection, cough, sinus infection or urinary tract infections.

It is important for incoming students to know it is common to share certain conditions because of numerous factors such as close vicinity, stress, or improper personal hygiene. This being said, it is also important for students to know that when this happens they are able to get treated as soon as possible to make life just a little bit better.

With the medical center located just three blocks from North Complex and the east side of campus, Sanford Student Health Services offer an array of help to students at a discount rate. Keep in mind that while student health covers the most common conditions, additional testing will be needed. But breathe easy freshmen, luckily those prices aren’t as high as your tuition.

In the meantime, try your best to stay clean by showering often and washing your hands of the germs. Although our university has some tasty restaurants it is important to try your best to eat as healthy as you can to fuel your body to fight off possible infections. Finally, exercise. USD has a great wellness center located behind the Fine Arts building, and it is important to exercise your muscles and organs to make them stronger to fight off infections.

Try as you might to avoid those who are sick, but with the combination to exposure and not taking care of yourself, you’re bound to catch a cold or two, but don’t worry, you’re covered.

To make an appointment you must call (605) 624-9111. The clinic is open Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., acute care is available after hours, and Saturday 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Students must have their student ID with them.