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Prepare for Your Visit

Here are a few things to know before your appointment with Student Health & Wellness.

Before All Appointments

  • Read up. Here's the patient rights and responsibilities and the privacy policy.
  • Complete forms. Go to Health e-Messenger at https://studenthealth.ucsc.edu. In the "Forms" section, complete and upload any forms you see. Trouble logging in? Email student.health.it@ucsc.edu. (Please don't include personal health information in emails. Email is not secure)
  • Gather paperwork. Need us to sign a form for work-study, transfers, diving classes, etc.?  Complete the form as much as possible and bring it to your appointment.
  • Be on time. A missed appointment fee is $25. Avoid the fee by contacting us BEFORE your appointment starts. 
  • Reschedule if needed. To cancel or reschedule 24 hours in advance, go to Health e-Messenger's "Appointments" section. Choose the "Cancel Appointment" link. To cancel or reschedule with less than a 24 hour notice, call the Student Health Center at 831-459-2500 or CAPS at (831) 459-2628.

Student Health Center Visits

Visits at the Student Health Center may be in-person or by telehealth.

In-Person Appointments

  • Please wear a mask during your visit. Masking is required in all UC Santa Cruz clinical settings (e.g., Student Health Services and COVID-19 testing sites).
  • Arrive 15 minutes early.
  • Come to the first floor entrance for your COVID-19 screening before your appointment.
  • Allow 60 minutes to complete your visit.
  • Allow extra time to find parking. We have limited metered parking spaces. The nearest large parking area is Core West. Pay with the Park Mobile App.
  • Visitors are not allowed except support persons for patients who require assistance due to developmental disabilities, physical disabilities or limitations, or cognitive impairment.
  • Service dogs are welcome at Student Health Services, however emotional support animals cannot be brought into our buildings. This is in accordance with UCSC campus policy.
  • In consideration for our chemically-sensitive patients, please don't wear scented products to your appointment.
I have a medical appointment coming up. What do I do if I end up getting sick or have COVID symptoms?
If you are sick or have COVID symptoms, please arrive 30 minutes prior to your in-person medical appointment to allow time for COVID testing. This does not apply to medical or CAPS appointments via phone or zoom.

If you have tested positive for COVID by home rapid antigen testing, please call the appointment line at 831-459-2500 to cancel your in-person appointment that falls during your isolation period.

Telehealth Appointments

  • Please make sure you are in a private location.
  • Your clinician will text you a Zoom link just before your scheduled appointment time.
  • Allow 40 minutes to complete your visit.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Visits

  • Once your appointment is scheduled, CAPS staff will send you a Health e-Messenger secure message. It will have your Zoom link and instructions to complete any forms or surveys required for your visit.
  • Complete any required forms the day of your appointment on Health e-Messenger.
  • The time and length of your appointment is specified in your secure message.
  • Please attend your telehealth appointment in a private space, in order to protect your privacy and maintain the confidentiality of your health details. If you have difficulty securing a private space, please call the front desk of CAPS at (831) 459-2628 and ask about possible private spaces on campus.

COVID-19 Testing Visits

Important note: If you feel sick or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, DO NOT come to the kiosk on the day of your appointment! Instead, stay home and:

  • Students: call the free Nurse Advice line at (831) 459-2591
  • Staff: contact your primary care provider

Otherwise, here's what to do before and during your visit:

  • Prepare. For a fast check in, make sure your address and phone number are updated on your Health e-Messenger profile.
  • Saliva-based testing: In the 30 minutes before your test, do not smoke, eat, brush your teeth, or drink fluids other than water.
  • Check in. Arrive on time to your appointment. Find the testing kiosk. A UCSC staff member will check you in.
  • Saliva-based testing: Staff will give you a tube to deposit saliva. 
  • Wait for results. We will email your ucsc.edu email address with instructions on how to get your test results, typically within 24-72 hours after your test.

COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments

  • Stay home if you're sick. Do not come to your appointment if you have a cough, fever, or other cold or flu symptoms, have had a recent COVID-19 diagnosis within the past 14 days, or have had a close contact exposure to someone with COVID-19 in the 14 days before your appointment. Instead, stay home and call your primary care provider immediately.
  • Complete your consent form on the morning of your appointment before you arrive. You will get an email with a link to your consent form. You can also log into the UCSC patient portal, Health e-Messenger, using your Gold password. 
  • Wear appropriate clothing. You will need to expose your entire upper arm and top of your shoulder.
  • Wear your mask and stay socially distanced. You'll be checked in and vaccinated by staff wearing masks and gloves. 
  • Check in with your barcode from your confirmation email or from your Health e-Messenger homepage. You can show us the barcode on your smartphone or on a printout.
  • Be prepared to wait. After you've been vaccinated, you will be required to wait for 15-30 minutes as a nurse monitors you for allergic reactions.
  • Take your vaccine card. We will give you a COVID-19 vaccine administration card for your records. It is important that you save this card and return with it when getting your second dose.

Go to Student Health Center home page     Go to CAPS homepage