Starting October 10, the Rebecca M. Sykes Wellness Center shifted from a walk-in-based care model to an appointment-based model with self-scheduled appointments through the online portal Medicat. Intended to reduce wait times and provide a more structured healthcare system, Amy Patel, Dean of Health and Wellness, announced the change in a schoolwide email on October 8.
According to Patel, since Sykes first began using the Medicat portal ten years ago, they had been planning to integrate Medicat more thoroughly into their system. Patel described the benefits of this new system for organization and evaluating appointment times.
“We’re starting it very simple by giving a couple of different options. We’ve looked at what students typically come in for when they’re triaged to see a nurse versus when they’re triaged to see a nurse practitioner, assistant, or physician… Rather than having the nurse see them first and then having the second person see them, we’ll make that appointment directly,” said Patel. “This is [also] going to help us to better accurately assess how much time [appointments are] taking so that students can also have a clearer expectation.”
Appointments are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m, seven days a week. Students select one of three categories describing the reason for their visit and the system automatically matches them with the appropriate healthcare provider. Students can still receive care without an appointment in urgent cases; in non-emergency situations, however, students may be asked to return at another time if Sykes is full.
Students expressed a range of opinions on the appointment-based system. Arthur Constant ’25 said he supports the change, pointing out that it would help students get the help they need without longer wait times.
“It’s going to be a great change for everyone. [Before], if you had an emergency, you ran the risk of getting there and not having anyone to help you. Now that there are appointments, if I need something that I know I can make an appointment for, I’ll probably do that because I don’t want to wait in line. If I have an emergency, I know that I will not have to wait in line because there are no people there in the waiting room,” said Constant.
Anastasia Paul ’26, on the other hand, expressed frustration with this change. Paul recalled a recent experience of being turned away from Sykes for not having an appointment, emphasizing the need for a guarantee that students can walk into Sykes and receive the care that they need to feel better.
“When I am sick, I do not want to be making an appointment. I want to go to a place that’s going to give me help [at] that given moment. For example, I was feeling sick, and I feel like I have a cold, and a bunch of my friends are sick, and I just wanted to come get a check up before my gym class. I wasn’t able to get it, [however], because I had to make an appointment. But, they are pretty booked, and if I have a fever and am feeling ill, I don’t want to be waiting for an appointment for hours in my dorm. I just want to go to a place that is going to guarantee me care like I would if I was at home,” said Paul.
Some students have already integrated the appointment-based model into their regular routine. Phillip Molina ’28 shared that he has already scheduled monthly appointments with Sykes about his allergies.
“Once a month, I get driven off campus, 20 minutes away, to do an allergy shot for my pollen allergies. So, as a student who schedules his appointments, I find it super helpful to know that it’s not just a walk-in and that I can make sure I will get to something on time with Sykes’ assistance. From my standpoint, it’s a great recourse,” said Molina.
Through switching to this appointment-based model, Patel voiced her hopes that students will be better prepared to take initiative and prioritize their health. She invited students to provide feedback on potential improvements for future refinements and adjustments to the system.
“My hope is that this is actually a switch that people think is enhancing their experience, helping to reduce wait time, and something we can continue to refine. I’m always eager for student feedback too, so if there’s an opportunity to get feedback, we want that. My hope is that it also helps students to not just have their health be an afterthought, but it can [help] them schedule in a time when they’re thinking about taking care of their health and that they can have that protected time with their healthcare provider on campus,” said Patel.
