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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. View the patient rights and responsibilities and the privacy policy.
  • Confirm your local address. Check your profile on Health e-Messenger to ensure it has the address where you currently reside.
  • 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. Be sure to allow yourself time to find parking or travel to us from your location. 
  • 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. Anyone with respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, runny nose, and/or sore throat), must wear a mask when visiting UCSC Student Health. Because masks help protect the mask wearer and others from communicable disease exposure, SHS continues to strongly recommend their use in all healthcare facilities.

In-Person Appointments

  • Allow extra time to find parking. We have limited metered parking spaces. The nearest large parking area is Core West and there is limited parking near Crown College. Pay with the Park Mobile App.
  • Arrive 20–30 minutes early to allow for check-in.
  • 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.
  • Visitors may be asked to wait in the reception area.
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.
  • If you have a zoom appointment, staff will send you a secure message through Health e-Messenger on the day of your appointment with your meeting link and instructions to complete any required forms or surveys.
  • If you scheduled a phone call appointment, staff will contact you on the number you provided. 
  • 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 in person visit instructions or Zoom link and request to complete any required forms or surveys prior to your visit.
  • 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.

Go to Student Health Center home page     Go to CAPS homepage