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"Dear SHS Parents & Family Advice Column, my student is feeling sick. How can I make an appointment for them to see a doctor at SHS?" 

Dear Parents: 

One of the many ironies of raising children is that things that are difficult early on become the very things parents miss most. Like taking care of a sick child. It’s brutal when they are little! You turn your life upside down and stay up all night and rush to the pharmacy for remedies that don’t help, all while trying to avoid getting sick yourself. Who would be nostalgic for that!? 

All parents of college students, apparently. (It’s awesome to be needed!) But here’s the thing: Now they’re in college, learning how to do adult things, and the only way for them to learn this is ... to do adult things. Scheduling a doctor’s appointment isn’t an item on a to-do list for you; it’s a developmental task for them. 

Don’t worry! We know a thing or two about college students, and some college students need training wheels for adult tasks, especially when they are sick. That’s why our office phone number is on their student ID. 

Dear Students: 

You have wanted your parents to treat you more like an adult since you were approximately 9 years old. So hooray, you’re an adult! You get to do exciting adult things like scheduling your own appointments. No, it’s not up there with voting, signing your own lease, or buying fireworks. But it’s better than jury duty!   

As an adult, you are responsible for consenting to and managing your own healthcare. AKA, you have to schedule your own appointment. (Also, you have to go to jury duty, in case you were wondering.) It’s a big transition to make when you are already feeling sick, I know, but we make it easy for you. Our office phone number is on your student ID.  

Mathilde Ross, MD is a Senior Staff Psychiatrist at Boston University Student Health Services. She is the author of the upcoming book, How to Thrive at College: A Guide to the Ups and Downs of Mental Health on Campus.

mathilderossauthor.com 

The Parents & Family Advice Column is for general informational purposes, and is not a substitute for professional consultation.