The Student Health Services website reads, “We pride ourselves in meeting the needs of our patients and exceeding their expectations,” yet there is a common belief among NC State students that going to Student Health is not helpful. Many students choose to go to other off-campus medical services or diagnose themselves using websites like WebMD rather than make an appointment at the Student Health Center.

Based on my own experiences, there’s good reason to look elsewhere — unless you feel like drawing out your sickness.

Normally, whenever I feel under the weather for more than a couple of days, I head to the nearest CVS MinuteClinic or Student Health, depending on which service is the most convenient for me at the time. However, after going to both services multiple times throughout the last three years, I realize that the care I received varied radically between the two.

Almost every time I went to Student Health Services, my physicians did not think my condition required antibiotics; however, when I went to a MinuteClinic I was given a prescription for antibiotics. The strange thing was that many of these instances occurred with the same illnesses. Of course, this could be a case by case basis, except for the fact that for many students it’s not.

“I have been prone to sinus infections my whole life, so when I went [to Student Health I] told them I was pretty sure I had one,” said Niki Stroud, a second-year studying psychology. “They kept sending me home just telling me to treat the symptoms. It took me four times of going back before I could get a prescription.”

NC State students have noticed a trend that they do not receive prescriptible diagnosis from Student Health and instead receive seemingly offhand advice to treat their ailments.

You would think that our on-campus health center would get that as students, we need to get back to being healthy — and back to class.  Instead, my Student Health physician gave me no medication and told me to rest and drink fluids.

This was after days of exhaustion, endless coughing and with my known tendency to get bronchitis.

After following her advice, my condition worsened, so instead of returning to Student Health, I went to a MinuteClinic and was diagnosed — with bronchitis. I could have felt better days earlier had I not gone to Student Health and went to a different medical service.

College students are known to be more susceptible to getting sick because of constant stress, new living spaces or staying up late, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that students make an appointment with their school’s student health services to treat ongoing illnesses.

Having the Student Health Center on campus makes getting medical assistance accessible and affordable for many students; however, students are rightly choosing not to go to Student Health because they believe they will not get proper treatment.

The mission of Student Health Services is to, “provide appropriate, affordable, accessible and high quality primary health care to eligible students.” Student Health’s intention is clear, and many students believe the organization does care about the wellbeing of NC State students. But, there are still a large number of students who lack faith in Student Health Services.

“I think Student Health has good, friendly people, but it also has people who don’t seem to enjoy their job and won’t treat you unless you have very clear, very specific symptoms,” said Hannah LaCava, a third-year studying English.

“The nurse told me there was nothing wrong with me,” LaCava said. “A week later I went back to Student Health, feeling even worse than the week before. A different nurse diagnosed me with pneumonia and seemed surprised that I didn’t address it sooner.”

Something must be done to improve NC State students’ trust in these services. Obviously, handing out prescriptions to every student who makes an appointment is not the change that needs to occur, but Student Health Services should take a closer look at these concerns of NC State students and attempt to build a more trusting relationship with students.