Suppose you suddenly got a horrible headache during class or while taking a test. Suppose also that you can’t leave school until your classes or the test is over. What would you do in these situations? Likely everyone on campus has visited the school nurse in high school, but at university, instead of a school nurse, students have access to an entire team of medical experts when they are ill. The Sookmyung Times visited the Sookmyung Health Care Center to learn how Sookmyungians could better make use of the Health Care Center.
The Closest Hospital is at the School
At the Sookmyung Health Care Center, Sookmyungians can find a doctor, nurse, and pharmacist, so there is help for various types of illness Sookmyungians may have. It was established in 1959, and since its beginnings, it has been providing students with all types of health care. It is located in Room 009 in the B1 at Queen Sunheon Building and opens Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m, with lunch hours from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Students are welcome to drop by at their convenience. The center offers three types of services: medical care, vaccinations, and health education.
Medical Care: Always Ready to Aid Students
The Medical Care Division of the center is the section most used daily. When students visit the Health Care Center, they need to give the front 6 digits of their social security number before receiving medical attention in order to verify that they are indeed Sookmyung enrolled students. Medical expenses are deductible if students remit the required document available on the Health Care Center homepage and the center admits it after deliberation. There is no need to make an appointment. Generally when one makes an appointment, they are suffering from a chronic illness, but the center on campus is usually for unexpected illness or injuries such as a sprained ankle, a stomachache, or a light cold. The doctor at the Health Care Center can provide a broad range of treatments like minor surgery, internal medications, ENT (ear, nose, and throat) diagnosis, eye exams, skin assessments, and other contagious illness remedies. Also, professional pharmacist prepare the medicine directly next to the doctor’s room and administers medicine directly to students who have common everyday sickness like headaches or stomachaches and do not need to see the doctor. The nursing room is located right next to the Health Care Center. The nursing room provides separate spaces for males and females. Before going to rest in the nursing room, students must first complete a document at the Health Care Center. The doors to the nursing room are closed at all times for safety reasons; actually, according to an authority in the Health Care Center, thievery is high in the nursing room, and recently more and more males are making use of the room. Each student can rest for upto one hour to guarantee usage efficiency and to provide help to as many students as possible. However, the nursing room has recently come under fire because some students use the room when they are neither sick nor injured. Although interns and nurses are doing their best to manage the room, that they can't watch students all the time because they alternate their duty every 30 minutes or an hour. Lee Eunkyung, a nurse at Health Care Center hopes students to follow rules posted on the front doors of the nursing room and truly be ill when applying to use the room.
Vaccination: A True Advantage as a Sookmyungian
Besides offering medical care, the Health Care Center provides vaccinations and medical supplies and health check-ups. At the beginning of the school year, each February, a medical check-up for first year students are held by the Health Care Center. Their height, weight, and blood pressure are measured. They also undergo a urine analysis. After that, the Health Care Center informs Sookmyungians on whether or not they need a vaccination injection. Various types of physical examinations are offered not only to first year students but also to all the other students and faculty members at the public square in front of Queen Sunheon Building. The examinations check students’ basic health status and vaccinations. Visiting the Health Care Center, students also may ask for a medical examination and receive a proper checkup and treatment if it is deemed necessary. The Health Care Center offers vaccinations against hepatitis type A and B, the flu, rubella, and cervical cancer; recently, it has started to offer vaccinations against tetanus, diphtheria, and shingles. Students need to have a physical examination or diagnosis before requesting the Hepatitis type B vaccination. The flu vaccination is offered to students in the fall semester, usually in October, so students should apply for it at that time. The flu vaccination is not free except when the Health Care Center hosts a vaccination or health examination event, which generally occurs in February for first year students or in September for undergraduate students. Still, the cost of the vaccination is lower than at outside general hospitals. As a part of preventing illnesses, or injuries, the Health Care Center offers free medical supplies such as medicine or bandages at any school authorized event for unexpected medical situations. To receive this service, students need to download and complete the proper document on the Health Care Center homepage and send it to the center two days before the event. Supplies include pain-killers, digestive medicine, travel sickness medicine, cold tablets, and disinfectant. At the end of an event, students are required to write a report detailing the medicine that was used and how and then return any unused medication to the pharmacy. Also, the center provides vermicide tablets to eligible school members free-of-charge once a year, usually in May, but students may buy vermicide medication whenever they wish. The center educates about the prevention of diseases like malaria for students travelling to nations where the risk of malaria is high as well.
Health Education : Knowledge Aid for Lots of Students
In addition to treatment and prevention measures, the Health Care Center offers health-related education. On the Health Care Center homepage, the center provides a plenty of information on health and illness that students generally suffers from. Along with providing important facts about illnesses, the Health Care Center also presents medical facts to Sookmyung at annual health-related data exhibitions in the public square in front of Queen Sunheon Building. The annual exhibition tends to be focused on women’s health issues, so that Sookmyungians become more interested in their health and well-being. Students can get consultation and examinations from professional doctors that the center invites experts from obstetrics and gynecology clinics. To attract students, gifts are given at these events. The Health Care Center aims to inform all students about cervical and breast cancer as well as fun facts about weight management at the exhibition. In 2015, the Health Care Center hosts a campaign in May 13th to 14th that promotes and enlightens students about contraception and menstruation. It helps students to become informed and aware of important medical diseases like cervical cancer.
