When college students start heading back to school, they’re often heading into a warzone of germs, unhealthy food, and stress. Facing such conditions can make it difficult to stay healthy—which is why you should consider a back to school physical!
Back to School Physical Benefits
There are many reasons why college students should consider getting a physical shortly after returning to school. First of all, it’s a convenient time to get the annual physical you should already be getting. Additionally, heading back for another semester at college is also great timing to schedule a physical because of the following reasons:
- Students living away from home may be slower to identify and correct developing health problems on their own.
- It’s a good idea to get a baseline picture of health before school starts since it’s valuable to be able to pin down environmental factors.
- Responsible students may wish to test for contagious illnesses and STDs.
- Doctors accustomed to treating students in the area may be quicker to identify common problems in the demographic.
It can be difficult to care for your health while keeping up with studies, social life, work, and other headaches without the oversight of a parent—especially for first year students who are away from home for the first time. That’s why a back to school physical for college students is a good opportunity to make sure everything is working the way it should.
Walk-in Clinic Advantages
Students frequently work around bizarre schedules, as the combination of class, work, and social lives eat away at any free time. The flexibility of a walk-in clinic often makes it far easier for students to schedule a physical. Additionally, walk-in clinics in college towns see a lot of the ailments most likely to arise in college students. That means medical professionals, like our staff members at Fast Track Urgent Care, are especially well-equipped to identify problems and prescribe solutions to students.
What to Expect
If you haven’t had a physical in a while, or you’re simply looking for a refresher on the process, you can expect the following when you receive a back to school physical at Fast Track Urgent Care in Silver Spring or Kensington, Maryland:
- Height and weight checks
- Vital monitoring, including blood pressure, breathing, and heart rate
- Family medical history check
- Standard blood work and tests for common health problems
- Prescription and non-prescription medicine checkup
Other tests and procedures may take place if necessary, such as additional blood work, or STD tests if requested.
Back to School Physicals for College Students in Maryland
Regular physicals are all about prevention. Missing even a few days of school can create huge problems for college students—so it’s important that you take all possible precautions against illnesses and ailments. Scheduling a physical right as you return to school is a good way to identify problems while they’re still minor and easily treatable, so you don’t have to miss classes, work, and parties. When you come in for your physical, you can also keep up with preventative measures such as flu shots. Since flu remains the leading cause of missed classes, it’s a good idea for any student that can receive such shots to do so.
If you want to learn more about our back to school physicals for college students, contact Fast Track Urgent Care online or call us today at 800-417-1164!
