To the doctor’s office for a physical, to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription and to a physical therapy clinic to treat an old injury. By the time students are done running around town, the day is almost over. 

The majority of ISU students are not aware of the full spectrum of services available at Thielen Student Health Center, located on campus. With both reactive and preventative care, the student-oriented service at Thielen helps young adults learn the ins and outs of taking care of their body. 

“Working at a college health center is a unique experience; it has just as much to do with informing as treating,” said Greg Yeakel, pharmacist for Thielen Student Health Center.

Thielen Student Health Center has a radiology department, pharmacy, doctor’s office and physical therapy center all in one. From x-rays, allergy treatments, birth control and whirlpool physical therapy, Thielen Student Health Center has students covered.

“[We provide] musculoskeletal evaluation of injuries, isokinetic strength testing, orthotic fabrication, soft tissue mobilization and several other techniques,” said Dabney Larson-Hargrafen, physical therapist at Thielen Student Health Center.

The health center’s 100-percent-digital x-ray machine technician will sit down and show the analysis of feedback on a 30-inch screen. If surgery is not needed, the physical therapy center can provide a variety of treatments to begin the healing process. 

“ISU physical therapy and sports medicine sees a wide variety of injuries from sports-related knee and shoulder injuries to more chronic conditions, including neck and back pain,” Larson-Hargrafen said.

Doctors at Thielen Student Health Center can also prescribe medication to help with pain.

“We understand that most students are trying to be financially independent, so we try to make them pay no more than they have to,” Yeakel said.

With instant claim online, the pharmacists are able to double-check your insurance to make sure the medication is covered. They provide over-the-counter medicine to treat all types of symptoms at low costs. Not only does the pharmacy distribute medication prescribed from one of the seven physicians at the student health center, they also operate similarly to a retail pharmacy.

“If you have a prescription from your hometown physician, we honor it,” Yeakel said.

The health center’s allergy clinic provides treatments for those with serious allergies who need weekly or monthly treatments.  Currently, they treat 95 students on a regular basis.

Thielen Student Health Center handles pregnancy, as well as STD testing with confidentiality.

“We can test for any sexually transmitted infection that a student feels he or she may have been exposed to,” said Dr. Scott Meyer. “All test results, regardless of who pays for them, are confidential and [are] only shared with the student.”

For preventative care, the student health center provides many vaccines, including the seasonal flu vaccine, measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus and Gardasil. The student health center can provide birth control for women, as well as emergency contraception.

“We want students to feel at ease asking about anything,” Yeakel said. “We are here exclusively for the students.”