For most prospective college students, health care is low on the list of things to consider when choosing a school. Students expect that regardless of where they are, medical services will be available if and when they need them. In reality, services differ greatly between schools, and many students find themselves unable to get care when they most need it. As the H1N1 virus nears campus,   the quality of Whitman student health care is at issue.

Senior Daichi Hirata appreciates the convenient, accessible services at the Health Center. As an RA, it’s part of his responsibility to take care of residents who drink too much, which sometimes involves a trip to the health center.

“When we find [residents] passed out in the bathrooms, when they can’t walk to their rooms, we put them in a car and take them to the health center,” he said. “They’re excellent. They don’t ask any questions. They’re always there and they always have enough beds.”

For some Whitman students, experiences have been more mixed.

First-year Jessica Asmus says she went to the health center because she had a mosquito bite that was inflamed. The health center staff drove her to Urgent Care, where it was diagnosed as infected, and she was given antibiotics. However, the nurse gave her nothing for the pain or swelling.

“I had to go back in the dark to get [medicine],” she said. Although she was frustrated that she had to go back a second time, Asmus added that in general, she thought the health center was doing a good job.

Some student athletes have also had injuries misdiagnosed. One ultimate Frisbee player said he had a friend with a torn ACL that the doctor said was only a pulled muscle.

“Do people make mistakes? They do. I’m a family medicine doctor, not an orthopedist,” said Dr. Debbie Shinkle, who serves the health center. “If you don’t like what the doctor says today, come see the doctor tomorrow. It’s not like you paid $150 or waited two weeks for an appointment.”

Shinkle says that overall, she feels Whitman students are happy with the quality of care.

“There is a segment of the school that we see repeatedly. They love us. You’re going to have malcontents wherever you go,” she said.

“The bottom line is that we do the best we can with what we have,” said Director Claudia Ness, RN.

Not all students think the health center’s best is good enough.

“I don’t think the doctors’ hours in the morning are sufficient,” said junior Caitlin Moore.

Doctors are only at the health center from 8 to 10 a.m., when many students have class. This, according to Ness, is because the college contracts with doctors, most of whom have private practices during the day.

“The contract is according to what they can provide,” she said. “It’s not as convenient as some would like.”

Larger schools like the University of Washington generally have doctors on staff and always available at the health center. So do some smaller colleges, such as Amherst College, which has two doctors on staff, or Lewis & Clark College, which has one.

But do more doctors mean better medical care? Unlike most schools, the Welty Center is open twenty-four hours a day, a fact often overlooked by students until they need medical attention.

“Our health center’s hours aren’t very good. It’s basically 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday,” said Kate Berry, a sophomore at Amherst. “If college students are going to get sick, it’s not during usual business hours.”

Among Whitman students, the health center’s hours are one of its most appreciated features.

“Someone’s there during the night to take care of me when I wake up. Someone’s there to get me food and medicine,” said senior Natalie Doughty. “A lot of people don’t think about that.”