You notice your palms are sweating, knees weak and arms heavy. Gazing down into the abyss of a toilet bowl you see the vomited remains of the leftover spaghetti your mother was kind enough to send with you after your visit home. Deep down you know what this means, and the dread begins to set in. You require medical attention, and have to make a doctor’s appointment.
The anxiety creeps from your heart to your thumbs as you pick up the phone. You realize you have no idea where to begin, but you want to maintain your independence, so instead of calling your parents you decide you are going to do this on your own.
Before you even think about Google-ing your symptoms, realize that WebMD is going to say that you have cancer regardless of what you search. Searching for what is ailing you is essentially useless. Instead, focus on making and preparing for a doctor’s appointment.
Making a doctor’s appointment can be different when you are in college, because you have access to the Health Care Clinic provided by Student Health and Wellness.
Students can make appointments easily by calling the clinic at 361-593-2904. All the information you need to give them is your reason for making the appointment and what time you are available.
With this clinic, the paperwork you need to fill out is substantially less than that of a primary care doctor, but you still need to get there 10 minutes early to complete it.
Students will also need their student ID to be seen by the doctor.
For a primary care doctor, the process of making appointments is the same, but you will need to get there at least 15 minutes early to complete all of the paperwork and you will need proof of insurance.
Doctor’s appointments often feel a lot shorter than you think they should be (unless you count the time spent waiting to actually see the doctor), so it is important to ensure that what you want to be addressed is addressed.
Before you actually show up for an appointment, it is prudent to think about what you are going to say and what concerns you may have. Key points to lock down are the symptoms or side effects you are experiencing, how they are affecting your daily life, how you have already tried to cope with these problems and what you would like to accomplish with this appointment.
That last point is especially important, because it is not always clear to the doctor what you are hoping for.
Brainstorm potential questions you may have for a doctor, especially if they suggest medication. You will want to know what you should expect to feel on the medicine, what the potential side effects are and how long it takes to start working.
If the doctor makes a referral to another provider, which is likely to happen if you visit the Health Care Clinic on campus, make sure to ask if you should call them or if they will call you.
Knowing all of these things will make your experience at the doctor much more positive than if you go in blind, and your doctor will appreciate your preparedness.
