a man comes running into the doctor’s office and says …

A feel good Elmo clip from Scrubs.  Think ahead a little.  It is half way through the semester and like a good U of T student you are studying diligently for your History of the Integration of Physics midterm. Like a Tibetan monk, you are focused and in the zone. All of a sudden, a sneeze interrupts your moment of zen. You shrug it off, determined not to let it deter you. But then this innocent little sneeze turns into a sinister barrage of sneezes. The viruses have won the battle, studying has been disrupted. Depressed, you go and watch reruns of Law & Order to ponder upon your next course of action. Your first question is what fiend would give you such a cold? Was it that Rastafarian on the subway? Was it the girl in your tutorial who looks like she stepped out of Degrassi Jr. High? Or could it be the snazzy looking polisci student in your lecture? Either way, you're sick and its your problem now. What to do? Your midterm is next week, so you decide to skip a visit to the doctors.  After all, you are a strong (He-man strong) UofT student! A small little cold won't bring you to your knees. Before you do that, diligent U of T student, listen carefully to the wisdom that I am about to bestow upon you. In first year, my allergies would flare up and inflame my skin now and then and this meant multiple visits to the doctor. Like most U of T students, I didn't have time to book multiple appointments and wait in crowded waiting rooms. However,  that doesn't mean I neglected to pay the doctor a visit.  By way of my Engineering brother, I found out about U of T Health Services. It's basically a clinic (walk in and appointment) on campus.  So, if my always-has-class brother has the time to visit the doctor on campus, so do you. The clinic is located on the 2nd floor of the Koffler Student Services building, accessible via the first set of stairs adjacent to the doors facing St. George St.  When you visit, make sure you bring your T-Card and proof of health insurance (OHIP, UHIP, etc.)  You can either book a same-day appointment or book an appointment before hand. I always did the latter. Wait times are minimal (10 minutes at the most, so there aren't any dusty National Geographic magazines available for you to look at) and the waiting room never really is crowded. The staff and doctors as well are quite friendly and approachable.  Once you have made your first visit, you can book future appointments on a website without having to call or visit the office. Also! Remember you are covered for drugs by your UTSU health plan. Simply visit a pharmacy (Shoppers did it for me), tell them you're covered as a student and hand them your T-Card. You will receive your medication, along with a receipt with zeroes (those are magical). If you are already covered by similar health plan, you can then choose to opt out of the service and you won't be charged for it. More moola for you. So, the message is simple. Go to clinic on campus. Save time. Get better. Only a few more weeks till school! Stay calm U of T and take it easy. - Abdullah