Young people can access general medicine, midwifery, nutritionist, nursing, kinesiology, dentistry, endodontics and mental health services, which can be scheduled online. 

93% of the students at the University of La Serena were assisted by the Health Department that the institution has for its students, who can access general medicine, midwifery, nutritionist, nursing, kinesiology, dentistry, endodontics and dental services. mental health.

Carmen Fuentes González, student of Pedagogy in Early Childhood Education, is one of the users of the different health programs: “I entered the Healthy Future Program, highlighting the work of my Nutritionist Angélica and the Kinesiologist Dayana, who taught me valuable lessons about a balanced lifestyle, giving me practical nutrition advice and exercise routines adapted to me.”

The young woman added that “this program has helped me focus on my well-being, my health and mainly my studies. I invite you all to learn about these services and programs, because health is a crucial component to making the most of the university experience.”

In 2023, 8.531 services were provided to 6.501 students, who access the various benefits from 2.300 pesos and can schedule their hours online, being a pioneering methodology among state universities.

This service was created in 1981, and is part of the team of the Department of Student Health, Pilar Bonilla, who highlighted that “we had coverage of 93% of the 2023 enrollment, playing a fundamental role in the comprehensive training of the and the students of the University of La Serena, supporting the academic aspect with the acquisition of habits that promote a healthy lifestyle.”

Bonilla explained that “service is organized based on a weekly agenda with reservation of service hours via the Phoenix Platform, from the student's personal page, who can reserve directly. The time is confirmed in the secretary's office, where vital signs are checked and the respective professional care is accessed. All documentation of care, licenses, certificates, etc., is sent to the student's institutional email and if medications have been prescribed, they are collected from the medicine cabinet according to the available stock and at no additional cost.

He added that this area "is constantly advancing in the concern for the health of our students, with the purpose of paying attention to situations of illness, making programs available to the student community that allow a better quality of life."

Students

Antonia Cortés Echeverría, Civil Engineering student, expressed that “since I entered the University and took my first EMPAD, people were very friendly. Then, when I was in my second year, I was able to make full use of the services of the doctors, the psychologists, and also the pharmacy owned by the Department and the truth is that they gave me a lot of support.”

He also stressed that "in the last years of my career, I have once again been able to make good use of the nutritionist, the doctors, the nurses, I even had an electrocardiogram to enter the health plan that the ULS has as a benefit for the patients." students and all the people were very kind, they treated me very well, they explained to me all the things they did, how it was done and the truth is that I have always had a very pleasant experience, from the secretary who assists us to the specialist who we go to Let's see specifically."

Cortés recommended other students to take advantage of the services provided by the University Health Department. “There are very good professionals who can help us in any type of situation that we have, medical and also mental health. My experience from 1 to 10 would clearly be 10, because it has truly been very comprehensive and very easy to request an hour on the platform, with fair prices and quite appropriate for being a student,” he stated.

Rocío Muñoz, a Journalism student, said that throughout her career she has used different specialties of the Department of Health as a midwife, nutritionist and also a psychologist. “During 2023 I attended General Medicine, where the doctor advised me and indicated a treatment according to what I needed at that time and which also turned out to be extremely effective. I value this department, the speed and good treatment of the workers with the students and also the convenience of being able to receive care in the study house itself,” she explained.

He also highlighted the variety of professionals, “I have always had the best experience. I hope it continues to work in the same way and that in 2024, when you need it, you can access it again as quickly.

Programs

The Student Health Department has three programs: “Healthy Future”, allows access to health benefits synchronized with a Doctor, Nutritionist, Kinesiological Treatment and/or Rehabilitation, Health Promotion Counselor, among others. In addition, it provides the possibility of using an application for Smartphones that accompanies people in forming habits.

Meanwhile, the Mental Health Support Program aims to promote the mental health and general well-being of the students of the University of La Serena, acquiring healthy lifestyles and physical and emotional self-care behaviors, through care. with a multidisciplinary team made up of a General Physician, Psychologists, Health Promotion Counselor and Nursing. And the third points to the emotional support of our students.