The front of the Koffler Student Centre at U of T

Going to the Doctor at Health and Wellness

With the first snow of the season falling just a couple days ago, flu season is right around the corner. This week, I thought I’d talk a bit about my experience going to the doctors at Health and Wellness.  I’ve been to the doctors at Health and Wellness five times over the span of my undergrad, and it’s always been a great experience. I’m originally from Vancouver, so I don’t have a doctor in Toronto. Thankfully, with my UHIP coverage, my visits to the doctors at Health and Wellness are covered and super easy to access.  First, I discovered that I have two options when trying to see a doctor at Health and Wellness: you can either drop in, or make an appointment in advance. Dropping in is convenient because you can see a doctor immediately. Unfortunately, drop-in spots for any day fill up very quickly, so you’ll have to get to Health and Wellness immediately when it opens (8:45 AM on weekdays) to schedule a spot for that day. If you’re already sick, this can be pretty inconvenient.  That’s why I found that scheduling an appointment was a lot easier. Though you often have to wait a couple days to get an appointment, you can choose a time and day which works well with your schedule. You can also choose a specific doctor that you want to see. To schedule an appointment, you can either phone Health and Wellness or you can walk in and make an appointment. I’ve tried both approaches, and found that walking in is usually faster-  sometimes you're put on hold when you phone Health and Wellness. 
The front of the Koffler Student Centre at U of T
To get to Health and Wellness, I enter the Koffler Student Centre on St. George st.
A picture of a staircase with a sign that reads "Health and Wellness centre"
To your left, you'll see this staircase. Go up it!
The front of Health and Wellness at U of T
Arrived!
Another great thing I learned about Health and Wellness is that if you go back a second time, they’ll make an effort to schedule you with the same doctor that you’ve seen before. I really like this system, as it allowed me to get to know one doctor who fully understood my medical history. Now that I have an established doctor at Health and Wellness, it feels like I have a family doctor who knows and understands me, as opposed to just having a drop-in medical appointment. Knowing that I’ll come back to see the same doctor also ensures that I follow any medical advice she gives me— I don’t want to disappoint her!  Overall, Health and Wellness has been a great resource for me and has really made me feel secure and safe in my physical health, even though I live far away from home. In this blog I’ve specifically focused on my experience with physical health services at Health and Wellness- however, I’ve also written a blog about accessing mental health services at Health and Wellness. Have you gone to a doctor at Health and Wellness? Tell me about your experience in the comments below!

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