Students have many things that they are worried about on a day-to-day basis, and one of the last things students want to face is illness. But when students do become ill, it is important that they know where and how to seek treatment – most commonly at the student Health Center.Unfortunately, many students are not aware of how the health center operates. Often this means that severely ill students are under-treated because they do not seek care. This type of frustration – students trying to decide whether or not to visit the clinic or worries about long waits – can be alleviated with some basic education about how our Health Center works.Jerry Barker, associate vice chancellor of Student Affairs, made it clear: if you are ill, absolutely visit the clinic. Try to make an online appointment, he said, but if one isn’t available, come in and talk to one of the nurses.Often, the online schedule is completely booked for a day, and this deters students from seeking treatment. But according to Barker, the students who are the most sick will be given treatment. The nurses at the clinic evaluate patients, and if someone’s illness is very severe, they will be given a priority for care.This kind of system makes sense. Someone who enters the clinic bleeding profusely would need speedier assistance than a sore throat. Students sitting in the waiting room often don’t see when these kinds of cases come about.In that sense, the clinic has several systems for scheduling patients. Usually, patients are seen when they make appointments, but if there are many people who are ill, they move to a triaging system. As Barker puts it, going out to see a doctor is not like seeing a movie. There is a schedule, but that schedule can vary depending on how ill people are. If you are feeling particularly bad, it is possible that you will be treated sooner than you expected – so it is important to seek treatment.Barker said the best times to come to the clinic are in the morning and right after lunch. Lunchtime and late afternoon are the most congested times to visit.Moreover, students should realize the other services that are offered by the Health Center. Prescriptions are usually much less expensive at the campus pharmacy than they would be elsewhere. The cost of labs and X-Rays is usually marked-up at doctors’ offices, but at N.C. State, the cost is heavily subsidized by student fees. Students can get some medications for free. Not only that, but the Health Center offers counseling services, which are paid for by student fees.The physicians at the Health Center enjoy their work–they get to work with a relatively young and active population, they work regular hours and they are not burdened with the stresses of corporation-driven health care. All of them are board certified. The clinic has done everything it can in order to provide for students, so students should not be shy about making use of those services.Ultimately, it is important to stay healthy, because that is requisite for success in and out of the classroom. By keeping these things in mind, students should make informed decisions about seeking care when they are ill and not hesitate to come to the facilities when they need it.Students have many things that they are worried about on a day-to-day basis, and one of the last things students want to face is illness. But when students do become ill, it is important that they know where and how to seek treatment – most commonly at the student Health Center.Unfortunately, many students are not aware of how the health center operates. Often this means that severely ill students are under-treated because they do not seek care. This type of frustration – students trying to decide whether or not to visit the clinic or worries about long waits – can be alleviated with some basic education about how our Health Center works.Jerry Barker, associate vice chancellor of Student Affairs, made it clear: if you are ill, absolutely visit the clinic. Try to make an online appointment, he said, but if one isn’t available, come in and talk to one of the nurses.Often, the online schedule is completely booked for a day, and this deters students from seeking treatment. But according to Barker, the students who are the most sick will be given treatment. The nurses at the clinic evaluate patients, and if someone’s illness is very severe, they will be given a priority for care.This kind of system makes sense. Someone who enters the clinic bleeding profusely would need speedier assistance than a sore throat. Students sitting in the waiting room often don’t see when these kinds of cases come about.In that sense, the clinic has several systems for scheduling patients. Usually, patients are seen when they make appointments, but if there are many people who are ill, they move to a triaging system. As Barker puts it, going out to see a doctor is not like seeing a movie. There is a schedule, but that schedule can vary depending on how ill people are. If you are feeling particularly bad, it is possible that you will be treated sooner than you expected – so it is important to seek treatment.Barker said the best times to come to the clinic are in the morning and right after lunch. Lunchtime and late afternoon are the most congested times to visit.Moreover, students should realize the other services that are offered by the Health Center. Prescriptions are usually much less expensive at the campus pharmacy than they would be elsewhere. The cost of labs and X-Rays is usually marked-up at doctors’ offices, but at N.C. State, the cost is heavily subsidized by student fees. Students can get some medications for free. Not only that, but the Health Center offers counseling services, which are paid for by student fees.The physicians at the Health Center enjoy their work–they get to work with a relatively young and active population, they work regular hours and they are not burdened with the stresses of corporation-driven health care. All of them are board certified. The clinic has done everything it can in order to provide for students, so students should not be shy about making use of those services.Ultimately, it is important to stay healthy, because that is requisite for success in and out of the classroom. By keeping these things in mind, students should make informed decisions about seeking care when they are ill and not hesitate to come to the facilities when they need it.