Concerned that Smith is cutting health care services
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Anonymous
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I'm a parent of an incoming Smithie, and am dismayed to learn that Smith is cutting 1 of 2 nurse positions in their campus clinic. Good health care services were a selling point for us! I'm angry. Anyone been through this? Any chance of reversing it?
There is already a change.org petition and it hit the news. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mna-as-smith-college-budget-cuts-endanger-rn-services-community-members-and-medical-staff-advocate-to-protect-student-health-by-petitioning-and-writing-letters-to-college-administrators-302153099.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR23ybDZ-sPOeP1aTzCkZ7pndy_mpd3g2jOzk5JSQhy5iThdPpRwOwpAqbM_aem_ARUZtDPRmoy5be1yKPQY817teE-3WqTEeIePbyiKv-WiY5s7m7U1FWGIZMrGiNcv_lLe25oDYD5cg2ieQxwy61Rp |
Anonymous
| Look off campus if your student has specific healthcare needs. |
Anonymous
| You should be writing the board and president of Smith not here |
Anonymous
| Most people don't use school health care. Its generally pretty bad. |
Anonymous
This. And takes forever to get in. As long as there is medical care nearby I wouldn’t care at all. |
Anonymous
When I was in college a million years ago, I used student health for well woman care (and BCP prescription) as well as the occasional treatment for strep, etc. Do students nowadays get that care off campus? |
Anonymous
Mine uses school health center for women's care, covid tests, prescriptions and mental health. |
Anonymous
I wouldn't worry. When I was sick at Smith I never went to see the practioner. It was way too far from my house (dorm). |
Anonymous
I went to an early school. The clinic sucked and we went to private doctors. |
Anonymous
What's an early school? |
Anonymous
| Who cares? I don’t think I ever went to the student health care center in college. |
Anonymous
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Experienced college parent pro tip: universally all student health services are terrible. Set up off campus services for anything important.
Not only have I known several students to be mis-diagnosed (including my own when she had mono, and friend whose child needed knee surgery after being treated incorrectly at a university that also has a top medical school), my pediatrician once told me she was flying out to Notre Dame that day because her son had been ill there and she didn’t trust the student health services. |
Anonymous
| Smith is located in the middle of Northampton, with a population of 30K, not the middle of nowhere. No doubt there are at least a few medical offices your DD could easily access and if not, nearby Amherst is readily available by the free 5 college bus. You’re overreacting and I say that as a parent of a recent college graduate who has a very serious chronic disease and went to a SLAC in a town smaller than Northampton. |
Anonymous
| My Smithie did not use the health services at all during 4 years at Smith. She called about mental health services once and they were not helpful (overbooked and basically referred her out). Cooley hospital (with an urgent care) is close by. |
Anonymous
It's okay to crowdsource opinions/advice on here genius |