Feeling sick is hard, period. But being sick in college brings on a whole new set of challenges.

While taking a sick day in high school wasn’t necessarily a big deal, missing class can easily create additional stress in college.

Living in a dorm typically makes it easy for illness to travel around, so being prepared and knowing where to go when you get sick is essential. Located on Union Drive, Thielen Student Health Center strives to handle all your health needs.

“We have services for anything from chronic illness to mental health,” Thielen Director Erin Baldwin said. “No matter what a student is dealing with, we encourage them to come speak with one of our doctors.”

With a wide range of services and highly trained and approachable doctors, Thielen tries to ensure that you leave feeling better than you came in.

“Something we like to make sure our patients know is that they can transfer any medical records or prescriptions here from their home health care provider,” Baldwin said. “And we can work with your insurance. You don’t need to bring any money for your visit.”

Students also have the option of signing up for Patient Portal, where they can see lab results, immunizations, recent visits and other health care information confidentially online. Patient Portal is available on the Thielen website and is a great resource for students to stay up to date on their health.

Thielen also allows students to enter their insurance information directly at Thielen, or for students to email their information after their appointment. Health care expenses are charged on the student’s U-Bill. This makes it convenient for students to head straight to their appointment between classes without having to worry about if they have everything they need for their visit.

“I want to emphasize to students that we don’t ever want cost to be a barrier in receiving health care,” Baldwin said. “We do have a sliding scale fee if cost is an issue for you, because getting care for students is our first priority.”

Additionally, the health center is equipped with an on-site lab, pharmacy and travel clinic for students who are studying abroad and need vaccinations.

“It’s actually right by my dorm so it’s pretty convenient,” said Jordan Henkes, sophomore in criminal justice. “Buses go right by it too, so it’s always easy to get to.”

The pharmacy makes it convenient for students to pick up their prescriptions right after their appointment or get a refill on one without having to leave campus.

“It’s nice that they have a pharmacy there so you can get your prescriptions or medicine right after you’re done and you don’t have to worry about going anywhere else,” said Blake Livingston, junior in public relations. “It’s really quick too; it only takes a few minutes when I’ve been there.”

If you are interested in mental health options, Thielen has three mental health providers, including a psychiatrist and nurse practitioner.

“We’ll first do an evaluation, and if necessary we’ll set you up with a counselor on campus,” Baldwin said. “We encourage students to come in if they have any issues. If a student doesn’t know where to start, they can always come to discuss their needs.”

Baldwin suggests visiting the Thielen website for a full overview of services and to answer any questions.

“I recommend that students keep the health center number in their phone,” Baldwin said. “After hours, that number will get you a registered nurse available 24 hours a day. So if you absolutely need to reach the health center or a health professional, we have that number for students.”