As an international student, moving to a new country is a big transition. Not only do I need to learn a brand new area, but I also have to seek out a new health provider who will take the time to listen to my needs and provide the care I am seeking.

This past spring semester was my first semester at Weber State University, and having the opportunity to have access to a health care provider within my school’s campus made me feel safe and acknowledged. During my first semester, most of my visits cost me little to nothing. This helped me as a student as it helped to relieve some of the stress that comes with being sick while being so far from home.

Around the middle of spring semester, we received an email that the school clinic was going to be closed and all our files were being moved to the Ogden Clinic. Around that time, I had booked an appointment to fill a few of my allergy medication prescriptions and the providers let me know how devastated they were with the move. The news was truly devastating, not just for the employees at the clinic but also for the students who relied on the campus clinic.

Having to now go off-campus to receive healthcare meant wait times when scheduling doctor’s appointments would now go from waiting one or two days to waiting a week or two for the next appointment.

Leaving campus for healthcare means having to pay a higher fee, or copay, for basic appointments and also having our ailments go unchecked for longer periods of time due to low staffing at the clinic or no space for new clients to walk in.

Having these campus services suddenly change and move to an off-campus location has impacted many students, especially international students. Many of my peers have felt like they have had to start over again and look for a new provider in the area that they can trust, which can be stressful, on top of many of the struggles that come along with being an international student and having to build a new life in a new country.