The new appointment policy will replace the old system where students could walk in and wait anywhere from half an hour to three hours to see a doctor, Dunn said. Dr. Mark Shulman, acting chief of staff for the Student Health Center, said the new appointment system is designed to treat the patients most in need of care first. We don't want to let someone who's extremely sick fall through the cracks. Shulman said with all patients making appointments, they will be able to see the same doctor each time they come in, which will improve relationships and ultimately provide better patient care.
Most patients feel more comfortable seeing the same doctor.
Sarah Cooney, supervisor of Nursing Services, said the new system will allow for more appointments to open up during the day. The idea for the new appointment system was created out of frequent complaints from students about the wait time to see a doctor, Cooney said. She also said before making the decision about how to set up the new system, officials from Student Health visited health centers at the University of Iowa and Drake University. Depending on how the trial goes, an additional nurse might be hired next fall, Cooney said. The no-wait policy is unique to the city.