Student Health Services

Student Health

All students registered at the University (except those in the evening law program) pay a student health fee as part of tuition. They are therefore eligible to use Student Health services, which are provided by the Department of Family Medicine of the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Location 29 S. Paca St., between Redwood and Lombard streets.

Hours 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday; and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and Friday.

Services The following services are free for students (except those in the evening law program) at Student Health:

• routine physical examinations
• sick visits
• treatment of minor injuries
• allergy shot administration
• blood pressure screening
• routine gynecological examinations
• family planning
• natural rubber and latex allergy screening is provided, however, lab charges are billed to the student's health insurance carrier

Additional services provided by Student Health for which there may be fees:

• Diagnostic and laboratory testing is available. Note that tests conducted for the purpose of screening are not free and are not covered by the CareFirst plan. The costs of Pap smears and cultures for some sexually-transmitted diseases are billed to the student's insurance company. The cost is covered by the campus CareFirst health insurance plan. Students with other health insurance plans should determine eligibility with the carrier before the exam. Always determine the cost of testing in advance.
• Birth control pills and the Nuvaring can be purchased for $6 per cycle when obtained in conjunction with a yearly gynecological examination and Pap smear at Student Health.
• Immunizations are provided by Student Health at cost. The meningococcal vaccine is available at a reduced fee for those students who may benefit from increased protection from this infection, such as those living in a dormitory setting.
• Students and their dependents enrolled in the campus CareFirst plan may use Family Medicine physicians located in Student Health as preferred providers.
• Family Medicine physicians may also be available for specialty visits (such as sports medicine). The costs of these services to CareFirst policy holders are outlined in Costs Table I.

Phone
410-328-6645 To schedule an appointment.
410-328-8792 To discuss an urgent medical condition with a physician after hours.
410-328-6791 To arrange pick-up of records or to ask procedural questions about Student Health, such as the time of walk-ins for immunization, TB- testing, and allergy shot administration.

Identification Your student ID will also serve as your Student Health ID.

E-mail See Contacts page.

Using the system Student Health offers several alternative mechanisms for obtaining care. For a routine examination, you should call and make an appointment. There may be a wait of as much as several weeks. If you wish to put additional conditions on an appointment, such as coming in on a particular day of the week or seeing a particular provider, you must realize that the wait may be longer than for an appointment that does not meet such conditions.

If you feel that you are in need of urgent care but still wish to schedule an appointment, you will be seen on the day that you call. It is your responsibility, however, to communicate clearly the urgent nature of your problem and to take whatever appointment you are offered. If your condition is sufficiently urgent that you must be seen within the day, then it is expected that you take time off from classes or other scheduled events. The best time to call about problems of an urgent nature is from 8 to 9 a.m.

If you have a true emergency, you should proceed to the nearest emergency room. ER visits are not covered by Student Health. They fall under your CareFirst or equivalent coverage (see Costs Table I, and the CareFirst definition of an emergency).

You may also visit Student Health as a walk-in patient. Students who do this are seen on a first-come, first-served basis.

Students who may feel uncomfortable seeing a provider who may later serve as their instructor may call the director of Student Health, Kevin Ferentz, MD, at 410-328-5012, to discuss available options.

Counseling Center

All students registered at the University pay a student mental health fee as part of their tuition and are eligible to use the services offered by the Counseling Center.

Directed by a licensed social worker, the Counseling Center is staffed by professional social workers, psychiatrists, and a substance abuse specialist. The Counseling Center is not a training site for students.

Location Student Center at Pine Street, suite 228.

Hours 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; open until 7 p.m. two evenings per week.

Services The following services, all of which are confidential, are provided free of charge to students by the Counseling Center staff:

• short-term counseling
• couples counseling
• psychiatric consultation
• medication management
• substance abuse counseling
• eating disorders counseling

Phone
410-328-8404

Identification Your student ID will also serve as your Counseling Center ID.

Using the system The University Counseling Center works on an appointment basis. Appointments are arranged to accommodate client schedules. If there are no unusual scheduling problems, a client's first appointment can generally occur within one week of the initial phone call. If there is a mental health emergency, the client should note that when calling. Those with true emergencies are always seen on the same day.

Messages left on voice mail outside of the Counseling Center's normal working hours are returned the next business day. You will need to leave a number at which you can be reached during normal business hours so that an appointment can be scheduled.

Student Dental Plan

The University is pleased to announce the availability of a dental plan for students and their families. All services are provided by licensed dentists who are pursuing additional training in the Advanced General Dentistry program in the University of Maryland Dental School. Participation is completely voluntary.

There are two coverage options. See a general description of these in Costs Table III.

You can enroll and get more information about the student dental plan from Student Accounting.  A new application must be completed each fall semester to renew your enrollment. You may call them at 410-706-2930 or visit their office in the Administration Building, Room 313.

Location Dental School, ground floor.

Phone
410-706-2940 (Call between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. to make an appointment.)

Needle Stick Procedures

The Department of Family Medicine has arranged for students who experience needle sticks while on campus to be assisted by the needle stick response program at the University of Maryland Medical Center. It is imperative that a student who has experienced a stick call the program immediately at 410-328-2337, extension 7845. If appropriate, treatment to prevent HIV infection should be initiated within two hours. Any student assigned to an off-campus clinical placement should be certain to understand the needle stick procedures at the remote location before beginning work or studies.