If you’ve ever wondered what a strawberry-flavored condom tastes like, you can dig through the never-ending basket of Magnums and glow in the dark condoms and grab one for free on the second floor of the Breezeway on the Boca campus.
But as far as free stuff goes, that’s just the beginning.
Today and Beyond Wellness is just one of the health-related departments that FAU offers for students. Besides free condoms, students can see a dentist for $20, talk to a licensed psychologist for free, or walk in and get a regular check-up for $5.
Counseling CenterI just can’t take it anymore
If your roommates clip their toe nails at 3 a.m. every day and it’s driving you crazy, you can talk it out at the Counseling Center at FAU for free – and unlike your friends, no one there will judge you, no matter how petty or neurotic your issues are.
The Counseling Center gives students a place to go talk about their issues, and although the center also has grad students who are in training, the majority of the staff are fully licensed, according to Andrew Wurman, director of the Counseling Center.
“The senior personnel are licensed psychologists and social workers,” Wurman says. “There are graduate students, and as part of their training they do counsel students.”
Students with any issues, from depression to A.D.D., or even confusion about career choices, can come in and seek advice. And for students with more serious issues, the Counseling Center can also prescribe medication.
“Everything is free except for the medicine itself,” Wurman says. “But if there is a financial issue, we can get a generic medicine.”
To set up a confidential session, call (561) 297-3540 for Boca, (954) 236-1216 for Davie, and (561) 799-8621 for Jupiter, or visit the FAU Counseling Center Web site.
Today and Beyond Wellness DepartmentMore than just sex
To most students, this is the place where they have what seems like an unlimited number of free condoms, but the Today and Beyond Wellness Department is more than just a place to swipe some free latex. They also offer advice for dealing with substance abuse, and for living a safe and healthy lifestyle.
“A lot of students come in for condoms and then ask, ‘what do you do here?'” Rosemary Dunbar, director of the Today and Beyond Wellness Department says. “And that leads to us helping them with something else.”
One of the best services that the Today and Beyond Wellness Department offers, according to Dunbar, is free HIV testing. Every other week on Thursdays, they give oral swab HIV tests.
“It’s free for everyone, so you can bring your boyfriend or girlfriend even if he or she isn’t a student,” Dunbar says. “And it only takes about 30 minutes to get the results.”
The department is very student-orientated, which makes it a good place for students to come in and get advice. In fact, when most students walk in, the first person they see is another student, Dunbar says.
“People come to the office sometimes just because they want candy or a rubber duck-or just condoms” says Dunbar.
Call (561) 297-1048 or visit the Today and Beyond Wellness Web site for hours and locations or to set up an appointment.
Student Health ServicesYou might want to get that checked
Although getting a lollipop after each visit is a nice gesture, it’s probably time to give up going to your pediatrician. But that doesn’t mean you have to flip through the yellow pages and drag yourself across town to visit a new doctor – just hit up the FAU student health center for $5.
“We encourage students to make routine visits,” Cathie Wallace, director of Student Health Services says. “We get very busy at the end of the semester because we can’t see students after they graduate.”
Although a regular doctor visit costs around $5, the health center also offers students a chance to see a gynecologist for around $26, and a dentist for $20.
“We are the only state university to have a dental clinic in Florida,” Wallace says. “UCF is getting ready to build one, but they don’t have one right now.”
Although making an appointment is a good idea, students can walk in and get an appointment for the same day. They even have a private phone booth in the office, so students can talk about their symptoms and not have the entire waiting room hear about them.
“About 30 percent of our appointments are same-day appointments,” Wallace says. “The average visit, from when a student walks in to when he or she walks out, is only around 45 minutes.”
Need medical advice? Call (866) 281-9725 24 hours a day to reach a nurse. For more info call (561) 297-3615 or log on to the student health services Web site.
