Between the First-year flu, the Carmen cough, and the Sulzberger sneeze, being confused by health services was a rite of passage for Barnumbia students. Not anymore!

Anyone who knows me knows I am constantly concerned about my health, especially during finals season. My therapist would say that I’m converting my anxiety about my final exams into a more tangible threat. I would say that I’m just such a STEM pre-med genius that I know too much about diagnostics not to self-diagnose.

Some of the conditions I diagnosed myself with last semester were:

• Osteosarcoma because my arm was sore. I had gone to the gym the day before, but that’s probably unrelated.
• Appendicitis because my stomach was really hurting (unrelated to my period that started that day).
• Tuberculosis because I had a bad cough and a very low-grade fever.
• Anaphylaxis because I couldn’t breathe, my arms were going numb, and I felt light-headed (definitely a spontaneous allergic reaction and absolutely not just a panic attack).

Whether you are an anxious hypochondriac (like me) or not, chances are, at some point during your college career, you will need to interact with campus health services, and I aim to make that experience as painless and streamlined as possible.

Columbia Services

A list of all the services Columbia offers can be found here.

Primary Care – Found on the fourth floor of John Jay, Primary Care is your college GP. They do fun stuff like vaccines, STI testing, wart removal, acne care, and so much more! My motto is “When in doubt, see Primary Care because if you’re on Columbia Health Insurance, there is no limit to the number of on-campus visits you can make,” and I stand by that. You can make appointments through the Columbia Health Home Page or by calling (212) 854-7426. Appointments can be either in person or virtual, depending on needs and availability. They also do referrals, so if you go to them with something they’re not equipped to handle or you already know you need/want a specialist, they can help you with that.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) – This is Columbia’s counseling service (hence the name). Individual counseling can be organized through CPS, but be aware that there is generally a long wait time, and they are only able to see you regularly for a few months before needing to refer you to off-campus support. You can make appointments through the patient portal on the Columbia Health website or by calling (212) 854-2878.

Barnard Services

A list of all the services Barnard offers can be found here.

Primary Care Health Services (PCHS) – Similar to Columbia’s Primary Care, PCHS is your go-to health care provider at Barnard. The clinic is in the basement of Reid in the Quad, and you can make appointments by calling (212) 854-2091 during their business hours (Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm).

Furman Counseling Center – Similar to Columbia’s CPS, Furman is Barnard’s Counseling Center. It has similar long wait times and limits for regular counseling sessions. To make an appointment through Furman, you can either email counseling@barnard.edu or call (212) 854-2092 for individual or group counseling.

CUEMS

I would be remiss not to mention CUEMS, the campus emergency medical services. If there is ever a medical emergency in or around Columbia’s campus, calling CUEMS is a FREE and efficient way to get help. CUEMS is staffed by trained students, so they know their way around campus better than New York ambulance teams would, which means you get help faster. Better yet, they won’t charge thousands of dollars. Call (212) 854-5555 for a free ambulance and medical help during an emergency.

Stethoscope via Bwog Archives