Penn offers a variety of health and wellness resources to students as they navigate their undergraduate experience.
Experts at Wellness at Penn spoke with The Daily Pennsylvanian about the myriad resources for physical and mental health available on campus, how to navigate medical emergencies, and how to pay for your healthcare as a Penn student.
Health and counseling
Located at 3624 Market St., Wellness at Penn is responsible for the majority of health and wellbeing resources on campus and is centered on two pillars: Student Health and Counseling, and Public Health and Wellbeing.
The Student Health and Counseling team focuses on offering medical care and counseling, while the Public Health and Wellbeing team looks to help students through “education, advocacy, and action.”
“Our team is committed to offering a wide range of opportunities to access support, clinical resources, education, and practical tools to meaningfully engage with one's health and wellbeing,” Chief Wellness Officer Benoit Dubé wrote.
Services range from primary care and sports medicine to individual and group therapy. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 215-746-9355.
Wellness at Penn offers additional resources, including Peer Wellness Coaching, and works with other campus partners to operate the Penn Farm — which is located on campus in Penn Park and hosts various wellness programming opportunities.
Wellness at Penn also hosts an annual flu clinic, which will run from Oct. 16-18 this year, and offers free flu shots to the Penn community. The 2023 edition of the clinic vaccinated over 10,000 Penn community members.
Medical emergencies
In the event of a medical emergency, students on campus should immediately call 215-573-3333 or go to the nearest emergency room, Executive Director of Student Health and Counseling Patricia Ruiz said.
Ruiz explained that “a medical emergency is a situation that poses an immediate threat to a person's life or long-term health and requires immediate medical attention.”
Penn Medicine operates two emergency rooms in West Philadelphia: one at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania at 34th Street and Convention Avenue, and another at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center at 38th and Powelton streets.
Penn’s student-run Medical Emergency Response Team also works with Penn’s Division of Public Safety and the Philadelphia Fire Department to offer prehospital emergency medicine treatment.
MERT operates 24/7 on weekends, and from 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. on weekdays, and is staffed by Penn students who are EMT-certified. MERT can be reached at 215-573-3333.
When MERT is dispatched, the Philadelphia Fire Department “is dispatched simultaneously,” according to the MERT website, to allow for transport to a hospital if necessary.
Penn also follows a medical amnesty policy for students seeking medical help related to alcohol or drugs.
"No student seeking medical treatment for an alcohol or other drug-related overdose will be subject to University discipline for the sole violation of using or possessing alcohol or drugs," the policy reads. "This policy shall extend to another student seeking help for the intoxicated student."
Policies and payment
To pay for your healthcare while at Penn, the University requires all students to have their own "comprehensive health insurance" or enroll in the Penn Student Insurance Plan.
All full-time students are also required to pay a clinical fee of $358 per semester to gain access to Student Health and Counseling services. The clinical fee is charged to students concurrently with their tuition and other charges.
"The clinical fee covers the majority of the costs you may incur in utilizing our services," Wellness at Penn Chief Operating Officer Erika Gross wrote. "Additional fees may apply for labs or vaccinations which can be covered by your health insurance company directly or submitted for reimbursement."
Students with questions about health insurance requirements can call 215-746-4200.
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