The tales of woe that circulate the campus about the Student Health Center are nothing short of legend. I chalked most of these stories up to exaggeration until recent events drove me into enough of a fury that I was incited to write this letter.

On Wednesday, Feb. 27, my girlfriend went skiing at Seven Oaks and sustained a knee injury. That Friday we went to Student Health, and X-rays were taken revealing no bone damage.

Further tests were scheduled for Tuesday to determine if there was any tissue damage. The doctor that would have done the tests on that day was called away to handle an emergency, and tests were rescheduled for Thursday, March 14, nearly a full two weeks after the first appointment.

We then called over to Boone following the news on Tuesday, and she was able to get a MRI the following day that showed she had suffered a torn meniscus in her knee. She went into surgery six days before she would have had the correct tests done through Student Health.

To me, this is unacceptable.

It took professionals in Boone only three days to examine, diagnose and repair damage that would have taken Student Health almost two weeks to even perform the proper tests for. I may have different standards than other people, but I feel this shows very little respect for patients and little concern for their care.

It is because of this incident and others I have heard about that I have no qualms about disclosing my belief that the Student Health Center is a poor facility for diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Bryce Carlson

Sophomore

Journalism and mass communication