We are here to help keep you healthy! Please
explore our website for information about our
mission, our services, fees, and our hours.
Students are seen by appointment in order to
ensure we can give you the best quality care
possible.
Frequently
asked questions:
I have complex medical needs
I'd like you to know about. How can I make
this happen?
We strongly encourage any such
student to make an appointment with one of our
nurse practitioners shortly after arriving on
campus to gather a history and discuss care
plans. Sometimes such planning involves
ensuring students are connected with local
specialty and/or primary care resources such as
endocrinologists, allergists, psychiatrists,
etc. Advance time is valuable to have past
medical records sent, coordinate needed
referrals, sign releases of information and
schedule specialist appointments. Please
contact one of the Clinical Directors at the
contact numbers below so we can discuss your
student's specific health concerns and how we
might be able to help.
How can I stay healthy and avoid getting sick?
-
Rest.
Don’t skimp on sleep! Too little of it can
make you feel stressed and depressed, you
may have trouble concentrating on papers and
tests, and you may have a hard time staying
awake in class. You may also be more likely
to catch colds and other minor illnesses.
Your body can’t fight off germs as well when
you are tired and run-down. Be sure to get
about 7 – 9 hours a night whenever you can.
-
Eat well.
Vending machine or fast food can be quick
and cheap when you are busy and on a budget,
but eating well is important. It may require
a bit of additional planning to eat a
healthy vegetarian diet at college to make
sure you get all of the nutrients you need.
Check out
www.MyPyramid.gov. Try to:
ü
Eat fruits and vegetables every day (your goal
should be 5 a day).
ü
Eat lean meats, fish and poultry.
ü
Eat foods high in calcium and low in fat.
ü
Limit junk food or foods with a lot of fat,
sugar and salt.
ü
Limit sugary drinks like soda, sweetened tea or
coffee, and sports drinks. Switch to plenty of
water!
-
Exercise.
These 3 types of exercise are a way to
maintain a stronger immune system:
ü
Aerobic exercise strengthens your heart and
lungs. These are activities like biking,
running, fast walking, swimming, dancing, and
rowing.
ü
Strengthening exercise tones and builds muscles
and bone mass. You can do this by doing sit-ups,
push-ups, and leg lifts, or by working out with
weights or resistance bands.
ü
Stretching exercise, like yoga, improves
flexibility or range of motion.
Don’t have the time to work out? Then try to
sneak exercise into your day. Walk or bike to
class rather than driving. Join an intramural
sport or fitness class. Check out the campus
gym.
-
Handwashing.
We use our hands far more than we realize
throughout the day, coming in contact with
millions of germs. To prevent colds and
infections, it’s crucial to wash your hands
thoroughly for 30 seconds with soap. Do this
before eating or preparing food, after using
the toilet, after coughing – sneezing –
wiping your nose, after contact with those
who are sick, and after touching animals,
waste / litter or money.
Where
can I go if I’m sick?
-
Most illnesses seen on college campuses are
treatable and usually not severe. It may
surprise you that USM’s Health Services
provides many services right on campus. We
are part of one department that is combined
with Counseling Services. Their link is
http://usm.maine.edu/ucs/ . You can make
an appointment to be seen on either campus.
We also provide birth control, STD/I
testing, smoking cessation, travel and other
immunizations, lab services, free condoms
and basic primary care.
What vaccinations are recommended before heading
to college?
USM does have some immunization requirements
that need to be met before you can register for
classes. The requirements can be accessed here
http://www.usm.maine.edu/health/immunization.htm
. There are several other vaccines not required,
but you may want to consider checking them out:
-
Flu vaccine – Each year about 10 – 20% of
Americans get the flu. A new vaccine comes
out every year.
-
Meningitis – The American College Health
Association recommends all first-year
students living in residence halls should
receive this vaccine. Bacterial meningitis
is extremely rare, but can be fatal. It’s
vaccine-preventable.
-
Gardasil – HPV (Human Papillomavirus is the
most common STD/I in the U.S. It causes
genital warts and some types of cervical
cancer. The three-doses series is given to
women between the ages of 9 – 26.
How do I pay for Health Services?
For students taking 6 or more credits a
semester, the Health Fee is automatically billed
and covers the cost of unlimited Health Services
visits and 12 Counseling visits. Students taking
3-5 credits, ETEP, and LAC students may opt to
purchase the Health Fee at any time. The Health
Fee is NOT health insurance, though we have an
Aetna policy that can be purchased at additional
cost.
Our visits are at no charge but lab services,
immunizations, medications, supplies,
procedures, etc. may entail a charge. These can
be paid for by cash, check or credit/debit card,
or may be placed on your bill. Services provided
and records maintained are all confidential.
Charges on your bill are listed as a “health
services charge” only. We can provide necessary
documentation for you to submit to your
insurance company for reimbursement or
referrals. We do not do any third party billing.
We will directly bill the Aetna Student
Insurance for students with USM health
insurance. Check our
health fee link and our
health insurance link for more information.
What do I do if you’re closed?
Please see
our
AFTER HOURS LINK
Larisa
Semenuk, Clinical Director, Health Services
Gorham 780-5411
Ann Conley,
Clinical Director, Health Services Portland
780-4211
