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Undergraduate Student Guide to MIT Medical

MIT undergraduates are often living away from home for the first time and taking responsibility for their own health care, safety, and well-being. Many common MIT undergraduate health concerns are very straightforward and manageable, such as caring for colds and flu and understanding contraception options. Others, like coping with stress and adjusting to MIT culture, are more complex.

We’ve created this guide to quickly point you to the most important information, resources, and benefits available to you at MIT Medical.

MIT Medical: What You Should Know

MIT Medical, located in E23 on the MIT campus, is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and offers care from experts trained in an extensive range of specialties. Because we also take care of staff, faculty, and retirees, we are able to offer more on-campus care options to students than other schools typically do.

Confidentiality

All MIT Medical services, including appointments, tests, diagnoses, and medications, are kept confidential. This means your parents and other family members are not given information about your medical care unless you want them to be or they have to be, such as in the case of a life-threatening medical condition or a condition that renders you unable to make decisions about your own health care. Our Patient Rights and Privacy policies ensure the confidentiality of all your medical information.

When to Come to MIT Medical

If you need to speak to someone about your symptoms or want to know if you should come to MIT Medical for care:

  • Call the triage nurse at 617-253-4481, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays.
  • After hours and on weekends and holidays, call Urgent Care at 617-253-1311, or go directly to MIT Medical (E23), 25 Carleton Street. From June 19 - August 17, 2009, Urgent Care will be closed between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7:30 a.m.; during those hours, call 617-253-1311 for triage service.
  • Visit your residence area MedLink for help in determining when to seek medical attention and for single doses of over-the-counter medications and first aid supplies.
  • In a medical emergency, dial 100 from any campus phone, or call 617-253-1212 from any other phone.

In Case of Serious Illness

If you are too ill or too injured to walk to MIT Medical, call Urgent Care at 617-253-1311 to discuss appropriate arrangements. In a medical emergency, dial 100 from any campus phone, or call 617-253-1212 from any other phone.

Selecting a Primary Care Provider

Selecting a primary care provider (PCP), while optional for students, is the best way to get your health care at MIT off to a good start. Choosing a PCP gives you access to a provider who understands your needs, oversees and manages your health information, and refers you to other care providers as appropriate. We have a wide variety of PCPs from which to choose. Visit the MIT Medical Services Directory to search for the PCP who best meets your needs. You can choose a PCP online or by calling Patient Registration at 617-253-6286.

Making an Appointment with a Care Provider

If you have a primary care provider (PCP), call the provider’s office directly between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. PCP phone numbers are available by calling 617-253-4481 and are listed in the MIT Medical Services Directory. If you have not selected a PCP but need an appointment, call MIT Medical at 617-253-4481, Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Mental Health Services at MIT Medical

Everyone feels overwhelmed and anxious sometimes. While you may never have considered counseling before, many undergraduates seek counseling to help them deal with common feelings of stress or anxiety during times of transition. Counseling is available for such issues as homesickness, depression, relationship difficulties, and other personal problems. To schedule an appointment, call MIT Medical’s Mental Health Service at 617-253-2916. You do not have to be in a crisis to make an appointment. Walk-in hours are available Monday through Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. for urgent needs. Emergency staff is on call 24 hours a day. All visits to MIT Medical’s Mental Health Service are confidential.

Helping a Friend

Many caring undergraduates will find themselves in the situation of wanting to help a friend in need. But it’s not always easy to know how to help. For advice on helping friends who are in distress, consult our pamphlet, How to Help Someone in Distress (PDF), or call or visit MIT Medical’s Center for Health Promotion & Wellness, 617-253-1316, E23-205. If you have a friend with an urgent need, you can call MIT Medical’s Mental Health Service any time at 617-253-2916.

Safer Sex Supplies

Condoms, lubricant, dental dams, female condoms, and latex gloves are available at the Center for Health Promotion & Wellness in E23-205. For more information, visit the Sexual Health page of this site.

Managing Your Care

  • Patient Online is an interactive tool that helps you manage your care at MIT. Sign up with Patient Online to request appointments, receive email appointment reminders, view certain parts of your health history, and send secure email to participating health care providers. For more information, read the Patient Online FAQs.
  • Parent involvement: Your medical information is confidential, but if you are ill or injured, and you want your parents involved, just tell your clinician, who will note it in your record for that episode of care only. You can choose to give permission for parental involvement for some health concerns and not others.

Medical Report Requirement

Massachusetts law requires new MIT students to meet a number of medical requirements before registering for classes. To ensure your compliance with these requirements, you must submit a completed Medical Report Form that documents your medical history, immunization record, and physical examination results. Please return the form to MIT Medical, room E23-177. If you have questions, please call 617-258-7051 or send an email to medrpt@med.mit.edu.

Medical Report Form 2009-2010 (PDF) (For Fall 2009 and Spring 2010 students)
Medical Report Form 2008-2009 (PDF)
Medical Report - Frequently-Asked Questions

Transferring your Medical Records

Having your medical record on file will help care providers at MIT Medical understand your medical history and health needs. To transfer your record, contact your doctor and ask him or her to send your medical record to:

MIT Medical Records Service
77 Massachusetts Avenue, E23-023
Cambridge, MA 02139

Resolving Concerns

If you have concerns about any aspect of your care or the services at MIT Medical, speak first with your primary care provider or other people involved in your care. If you prefer to discuss your concerns with a third party, make an appointment to speak with our Patient Advocate by calling 617-253-4976 or emailing advocate@med.mit.edu.

Student Health Insurance Coverage

All registered MIT students are automatically enrolled in the MIT Student Medical Plan. The plan covers access to care and services at MIT Medical, including primary care, certain medical specialties, 24-hour urgent care, mental health care, health screenings, and access to the MIT Pharmacy. Many services are free, including (but not limited to) care for colds and flu, routine physical exams, mental health services, laboratory and other diagnostic testing, and confidential STI and pregnancy testing. The cost of the plan is included in tuition.

Students covered by the MIT Student Extended Insurance Plan also receive access to inpatient hospitalization, inpatient mental health and substance abuse treatment, surgical procedures, emergency room services, and other benefits, such as annual eye exams and prescription drugs.

The Student Extended Insurance Plan satisfies the Massachusetts state law requiring all students to have comprehensive health insurance. Students are automatically enrolled in, and billed for, the Extended Plan unless they submit a waiver request and show proof of other insurance coverage that meets Massachusetts requirements. Waiver deadlines are September 30 for the fall semester and February 28 for the spring semester.

For information on specific services covered by the MIT Student Health Plan, contact Claims and Member Services at 617-253-5979 or mservices@med.mit.edu. For questions on waiver requirements, contact the Health Plans Office at 617-253-1322 or stuplan@mit.edu.

Staying Healthy

Health educators at the Center for Health Promotion & Wellness are available to discuss your personal health issues, answer questions, and direct you to resources on health topics that range from managing stress to developing sensible eating habits or making informed decisions about contraception. Visit the center in E23-205, or call 617-253-1316.

Other Wellness Resources

  • Throughout the academic year, wellness workshops and classes are offered on topics ranging from stress reduction and eating disorders to sexual issues and tobacco treatment.
  • MIT’s Medical’s Multimedia Library in E23-205 includes books, videos, and pamphlets on a wide array of health and wellness topics.
  • MedLINKs representatives in almost all dorms, fraternities, sororities, and independent living groups offer private, one-on-one peer support for a range of student concerns, including nutrition and fitness, food and body-image issues, sexual health, sexual and relationship violence, substance use and abuse, mental health, stress and sleep issues, and physical ailments.

Resources

Center for Health Promotion & Wellness
E23-205
617-253-1316
Walk-in/Phone Hours: M–F, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
healthed@med.mit.edu

Multimedia Library
E23-205
M–F, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Health Plans Office
E23-308
617-253-1322
Walk-in/Phone Hours: M–F, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
stuplan@med.mit.edu

Claims and Member Services
E23-191
617-253-5979
Phone Hours: M–F, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Walk-in Hours: M–F, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Clinical Director for Campus Life
Maryanne Kirkbride, M.S./M.B.A., R.N.
617-253-5240
kirk@med.mit.edu

Director of Student Health Services
Kristine Ruzycki, A.P.R.N., B.C.
617-258-7068
ruzy@med.mit.edu