Student Health Services (SHS) provides a comprehensive array of clinical outpatient services, including acute care; primary and preventive care; gynecological examinations and sexual health counseling; and screening for sexually transmitted infections. We also provide immunizations for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). All Washington University School of Medicine students should seek treatment at SHS first. Any condition requiring specialized medical services will be referred to an appropriate community specialist. The WUSM student health insurance plan requires a referral any time care is not provided at SHS.
Most medical care will be provided at no cost to you, except for applicable deductibles or co-pays, if:
- care is provided by Student Health Services or
- care is provided by a member of the Student Health Services network of participating physicians and the care is per-approved by Student Health Services.
Student Health Services will only cover the costs of services obtained outside of Student Health Services if those services have been approved by and/or coordinated through Student Health Services. This includes any laboratory testing, consultations, or procedures.
Student Health Services provides limited benefits while away from Washington University School of Medicine. Upon returning to the campus, the student must return to Student Health Services for necessary follow-up care and referrals.
There is no charge for the student to see a medical caregiver at Student Health Services. If a student needs to see a provider or obtain services outside of Student Health Services, they will need a referral from Student Health Services.
Scheduling an appointment
The Student Health Service (SHS) is a multidisciplinary facility conveniently located on campus and dedicated to providing quality health care to WUSM students and their covered family members. The well qualified staff consists of physicians, nurses, psychologist, and other medical support personnel. The Health Service is open Mondays – Friday from 8 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.. SHS is closed Saturday, Sundays, and university holidays.
To schedule an appointment with a physician, we make every effort to accommodate you. We are often able to schedule same-day appointments if you call early in the day, these limited slots for same-day are filled quickly by mid-morning. We try to offer appointments based on urgency. If you have an urgent condition and need to be seen right away, we do our best to accommodate. For routine appointments allow 1 – 2 weeks. The number for appointments 314-362-3523 option 1
Cancellations and tardiness
The Student Health Services “no-show” policy dictates that students who miss their appointment, arrive late OR fail to cancel an appointment immediately prior to the scheduled appointment, will be charged a $20 fee.
Walk-in visits
While the nursing staff can accommodate walk-ins, we encourage patients to call (314) 362-3523, to schedule an appointment or to obtain health advice. Calling ahead of time allows us to plan our schedule to accommodate your needs, ensuring the staff will be available.
The nursing staff is available between 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., for urgent issues when a physician is not available. The nursing staff can provide initial assessment for medical problems, help to facilitate appointments, provide routine immunizations, and offer advice on common health concerns and questions.
After-hours procedures
In the case of an emergency, proceed to the Barnes-Jewish Emergency Department, or contact the Emergency Department at 314-362-9123. Do not follow the procedures below in an emergency situation.
For those with non-life threatening medical concerns or health problems that cannot wait until the health service is open, Student Health Services provides after-hours email service. This service is not for routine issues.
After-hours care email exchange: kwinters@wustl.edu. Please be considerate of your email requests after hours. This exchange is not for routine care that could wait for the health service to open.
A student after-hours message should include the following:
- Phone number and/or pager number
- Name
- School
- A brief message describing the concerns
- Pharmacy’s phone number
This service does not have access to the health service records to verify appointments or answer other administrative questions, so for these types of questions, please call (314) 362-3523 during normal hours of operation or email the health service at Studenthealthservice@wusm.wustl.edu.
All routine calls should be directed to the Student Health Services office at (314) 362-3523. Routine calls include the following:
- Appointment requests or changes- option #1
- Medication refills – option #2
- Nursing staff – option #3
- Benefit/copay questions – option #4
These types of calls will be returned the next business day.